Supporting loved ones with mental health conditions isn’t always easy. It’s essential to respect your own boundaries and mental health when someone in your life is struggling with mental illness conditions like bipolar disorder.
If you can help your loved one get the treatment and care they need, bipolar disorder can be manageable. At Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates, our team of psychiatry experts, under the leadership of Dr. Ronald P. Winfield, diagnoses and develops effective treatment plans for adults and teens over the age of 18 with mental illness care needs.
When you see troubling signs and symptoms that make you think someone you care about is struggling with bipolar disorder, here’s what we recommend you do next. Contact Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates for diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder in new and existing patients from around the North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, area.
Bipolar disorder often causes mood swings from highs to lows in affected individuals. Energy and concentration levels can also shift dramatically for people who have this condition. Different types of bipolar involve different rhythms of ups and downs.
You might notice that your loved one goes through alternating manic episodes characterized by extremely high levels of energy, when they may seem very happy and engaged. For many people with bipolar disorder, these manic periods then give way to deep depression, with a total loss of energy and intense feelings of hopelessness or despair.
Bipolar disorder can make for chaotic day-to-day life, as your loved one can go from up to down rapidly and unpredictably. These swings present challenges for employment, education, and continuing interpersonal relationships.
You can start to help a loved one with bipolar disorder by learning more about this condition, and listening to your loved one when they describe their emotions, symptoms, and mental health. You might not be able to directly help with the problems caused by bipolar disorder through advice, but by listening supportively, you contribute to your loved one’s social safety net.
While the symptoms of bipolar disorder may be frustrating for you to experience second-hand, your loved one needs your support, not your blame, to manage this mental illness. The team at Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates can help you to better understand the best ways for you to provide support for a loved one with bipolar disorder.
At Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates, we’re here to help without judgment, bringing our mental health care expertise to bear on your loved one’s care and treatment needs. We can diagnose patients with bipolar disorder, or provide management support and care to people who have already been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
For those under the age of 18, we can recommend pediatric psychiatry specialists who can help.
The psychiatry providers at Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates document our patients’ condition and symptoms, and recommend the right therapy and medication management plans to help our patients keep an even balance and cope with the swings of bipolar disorder.
Most importantly, you should know that you aren’t alone in the struggle to support your loved one with bipolar disorder. You have the Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates team on your side. Helping a loved one to seek treatment for mental health care needs is one of the best things you can do to give support.
To learn more about next steps for getting started with bipolar disorder diagnosis or treatment, you or your loved one can contact us over the phone or online today.
