what to say when someone is bipolar and they are depressed

Verywell / Theresa Chiechi

If you have bipolar disorder, someone has probable said at least i of these things to you. If y'all know someone who lives with this condition, you lot may be guilty of saying i or more of them. You may have practiced intentions merely non realize how these words tin can exist received.

Hearing these comments tin can be painful, infuriating, depressing—even subversive—to someone living with bipolar disorder. Saying them is not going to be helpful.

This article discusses some of the things that you tin exercise and say to assist back up someone with bipolar disorder. It also covers some of the things you should avoid maxim to avert causing hurt and frustration.

Overview of Bipolar Disorder

If you desire to know how to support a friend or loved one with bipolar disorder, learning more well-nigh the status can be a helpful first footstep. Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterized by extreme fluctuations in mood. These shifts in mood get in hard for a person to role in their daily life including at piece of work, at home, and in relationships.

The mood fluctuations that people experience tin include mania, hypomania, depression, and mixed episodes. Information technology is too important to recognize that bipolar disorder is strongly influenced by genetics, but environmental factors, such as poor social back up and trauma, are also idea to play a role in triggering the onset of the condition.

Statistics suggest that around 4.4% of adults in the U.South. accept bipolar disorder.

Some things that you should never say to someone who has bipolar disorder include the following.

"You're Just Overreacting Over again"

Overreacting is a symptom of bipolar disorder, but phrases like this minimize the person'south experience of this symptom. When supporting a loved one living with a mental health status like bipolar disorder, it'due south important that your words demonstrate empathy rather than exasperation.

Your loved one may very well exist overreacting compared to how you lot would perceive the situation, merely describing their feelings every bit "but" overreacting trivializes their lived experience and communicates shame rather than compassion.

"Anything That Doesn't Impale You Makes You Stronger"

Yes, it'due south true that some people get through difficult experiences, learn from them, and come out of them stronger. But this phrase is wrong—bipolar disorder can kill. At least 25% to sixty% of people with bipolar disorder endeavor suicide and between 4% and 16% die from suicide.

Leave this cliché out of your repertoire. If you have a friend or family fellow member with bipolar disorder, be enlightened that they might go into a crunch and need your support.

"Everybody Has Mood Swings Sometimes"

That's true. For one thing, 8% of American adults and 4% of adolescents accept major depressive disorder, having periods of euthymia and depression. Even amidst those who do non have a diagnosable mental health disorder, people experience changes in mood.

But only people with bipolar disorder, cyclothymia, schizoaffective disorder, and related severe mental illnesses have repeated and astringent mood swings betwixt mania or hypomania and depression.

"Everyone Is a Trivial Bipolar Sometimes"

This like phrase is insensitive for the same reasons. Having mood swings is not the same every bit having bipolar disorder. Statements like this minimize the severity of the symptoms that a person with bipolar disorder lives with and dismisses their experiences.

"You lot Are Psycho"

Nuts, crazy, cuckoo, deranged, bonkers, or any i of a dozen negative words and phrases that refer to someone's mental state are insensitive and harmful to people with mental health disorders. Y'all might be used to throwing such phrases around to brand your friends' behavior without realizing how they can be hurtful to someone who is coping with a disorder.

"You're Interim Similar a Maniac"

Though the historical definition of "bedlamite" referred to someone experiencing mania, today the term carries with it a host of extremely negative and misleading connotations.

Maniacs are ofttimes portrayed as violent and deranged in popular civilization. Experiencing bipolar mania does not automatically mean that a person will be dangerous. Bipolar disorder is also not the same matter as hating personality disorder or psychopathy.

You should also exist wary of whatever language that defines a person past their disorder. A person is much more than a disease or illness.

"I Wish I Was Manic And so I Could Get Things Done"

That's not all in that location is to mania. There are many symptoms of mania, and comments like this not simply trivialize a person's feel with mania but as well demonstrate a harmful lack of agreement of what mania really is. While a person may indeed have a lot of free energy during a manic episode, they can too experience racing thoughts, trouble sleeping, and impulsive behavior among other challenges.

"Simply Yous Seem So Normal"

Mayhap the person with bipolar disorder is between cycles, or perhaps they are good at hiding what they're feeling. They may be in a hypomanic episode and simply the adept things about it are visible from the exterior. Consider how this would sound if you had a serious illness such every bit cancer and someone said, "You lot tin can't be sick, yous expect so normal!"

"It Must Exist Your Time of the Month"

While it'due south truthful that monthly hormonal changes may bear on mood, passing off bipolar disorder equally beingness nix more than than PMS is just incorrect. Bipolar disorder also doesn't discriminate: Information technology can affect people of all sexes—not just those who menstruate. Any person is liable to accept offense at this argument, let alone a person with bipolar disorder.

Epitomize

Bipolar disorder can be challenging, simply social back up can aid people with this condition cope. You can be a good friend by making sure to avoid insensitive or unkind comments that are dismissive or stigmatizing.

How to Help Someone With Bipolar Disorder

In addition to fugitive the types of comments to a higher place, at that place are other things that you lot can practice to support a loved one who has bipolar disorder. This support tin be especially important when someone is experiencing a mood episode.

Mind

You don't ever need to know exactly what to say. Ofttimes, 1 of the best things yous tin can do is merely be willing to listen. Try being supportive and compassionate when they share their worries, frustrations, and other concerns.

Provide Practical Support

In addition to existence a source of emotional support, you tin as well lend a hand in practical means. During mood episodes, people with bipolar disorder may struggle to keep up with the demands of daily life. Ask if y'all tin help them with things like errands and making sure bills are paid.

Encourage Treatment Adherence

Treatment for bipolar disorder often includes medication and psychotherapy. You tin support your friend by offering to take them to their therapy appointments and encouraging them to take their medication.

Research suggests that about half of all people with bipolar disorder stop adhering to their treatment to some degree. This tin crusade symptoms to worsen and can be risky when people experience mood episodes or increased suicidality.

Social back up has been shown to be an important gene affecting treatment adherence, and so being supportive and optimistic about your loved 1's treatment outlook can brand a real difference.

Have a Plan

Because bipolar disorder is often unpredictable and tin can change apace, information technology is important to take a programme for what you can practice if your friend is engaging in risky beliefs or is feeling suicidal. Create a plan with your friend to decide what steps yous can have in these situations to help.

Doing things similar holding on to credit cards, checkbooks, and cash tin help minimize the financial harm caused past impulsive episodes. Knowing when to stay with your friend and when to seek medical attention are likewise essential parts of a good prophylactic plan.

Recap

When someone you care about has bipolar disorder, yous can help by listening and offering support. Encourage them to stick to their handling and accept a programme for how to help them during a mood episode.

A Word From Verywell

Accept care to avoid saying insensitive phrases to a person with bipolar disorder, or really, to anyone. Let your words exist encouraging and supportive, without marginalizing people with psychiatric disorders.

The National Plant of Mental Wellness suggests that you can assist someone with bipolar disorder past being patient, encouraging them to talk, and spending your time listening instead. Invite them to bring together in fun activities. Understand that they may take mood swings. Listen to them and as well allow them know that it's possible to feel better with patience and the right handling.

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Source: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-not-to-say-to-somebody-with-bipolar-disorder-380598