Question:
I've been seeing a woman with a bipolar disorder off and on for years now. I
have tried everyting I can think of to make things work, but they never do. I
keep hearing that a relationship will not work when their partner has a bipolar
disorder. What I'm trying to find are success stories. I would like to know
what it takes to make it work?
Answer:
For what it's worth, my wife has always known I'm bipolar and actually
claims to like it. After 17 years married to someone who was "normal", she
likes the passion and creativity when I'm hypo, the quiet when I'm flat,
and looks after me when I'm down. With the right meds, many bipolars can
lead very productive and happy lives, and so can their partners. What does
it take? A good pdoc, a good family doctor, a lot of space (two homes works
well for us), a lot of loving and a sense of humour. With that, anything is
possible.
Relationships with bi-polars CAN and DO work. It just takes more work than a
so-called 'normal' relationship. I'm BPI and in a relationship with a very caring
and understanding man. It takes a lot of patiences on his part and a lot of work
on my part.
