A Unique Challenge

There are many sites on the Internet specifically covering bipolar disorder from just about every possible angle from a medical perspective.  The history of bipolar disorder has more facts and figures than one would probably like to consider and even the highest trained medical and psychological professionals still haven’t seen everything, as bipolar disorder attacks individuals rather than groups.  Since every individual is unique, is there really a single path to map out such a disorder?

The bipolar individual, as a person, has their own identity in society and possesses their own personalities and traits, much like the rest of the population.  However, the bipolar mind is one of tangled webs and and oftentimes, jaded innuendos of a false reality.  When under control and between cycles, my wife is a very organized, realistic and strong-willed individual capable of many awe-inspiring abilities and accomplishments.  She is grounded and focused on whatever goals she has set for herself and works extremely hard to meet and most time, exceed those goals.  When the depression phase hits, however, due to a wide range of triggers, the episode causes so much interference that even I am unable to recognize her or understand what path she had been forced to take.

Maintaining successful relationships at their core includes the benefit of developing a sense of understanding our loved ones.  We are able to pro-actively sense what type of reaction they will more than likely take when presented with a challenge or other scenario and that assists us in further enhancing communication and  strengthening the relationship.  However, bipolar disorder is not a one-size-fits-all type of disorder when it comes to supporting an afflicted loved one and even if you have an extreme sense of identity with the individual, you are typically guaranteed a curve ball of sorts during a rough patch that you will need to negotiate.  Our goal is to maintain as much flexibility as possible within our abilities to support our loved one during their time of challenge as they should not be left alone to deal with their episodes alone.  Each episode should be dealt with as a unique issue because the road you’ve taken before, will not have the same scenery and new angles will need to be explored as to diffuse the situation.

With a passion to reach out and to help others, Rich opens up a direct view into the trials and tribulations that come with managing a bipolar relationship and how to use real-world techniques to aid in stability and support.

Rich Wallace

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