What Do I Do If I Think A Friend Or Family Member Has Bipolar Disorder?
Dr. Galynker answers the question: 'What If I Think A Loved One Is Bipolar?'
— -- Question: What do I do if I think a friend or family member has bipolar disorder?
Answer: You can divide things that you do into two. First, what you're going to do to make sure that that person is either in treatment, or is compliant with treatment.
The second thing you want to do is to make sure that they don't do anything injurious, or harmful to themselves or their loved ones, like including you if you're a friend or a relative.
So if they're not seeing a therapist or a psychiatrist, it would be a good thing if you could get them to see one, which may not be an easy thing to do in itself, but it's an important thing to try.
If they're seeing psychiatrist you need to make sure that they do so.
With regard to what they can do to themselves or others. When people are depressed they can hurt themselves, so you need to be aware of that.
If people are manic, they can go on spending sprees; they can injure other people; they can get aggressive or violent.
So you have to be aware and try to protect both the person who is bipolar, and their family members, and friends also.
Next: How Important Is Family History In Determining My Risk For Developing Bipolar Disorder?