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Dating With Bipolar 1 and Bipolar 2

Victoria Trix | Aug 26, 2011 |

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Bipolar 1 and Bipolar 2 are both serious diseases that are coming further into light in this day and age, but there are still quite a few misconceptions about those suffering from this psychosis. First of all, people with bipolar disorder are not crazy. There is a genuine reason for their mental illness; it's not something they can control, nor is it something that they do on purpose. So, here are a few interesting pieces of information for those dating someone with bipolar disorder.

What Is Bipolar Disorder?

In short, it's a rapid cycling of several different moods. Normally, depressive, hypomania, regular moods, and mania phases occur in people with this disorder. Sometimes, such as in bipolar 1, they occur at the same time. This is extremely frustrating for the person, because they feel out of control. This is also why those with this psychosis also are at a higher risk for suicide than those that are depressed. In fact, in comparison with normal depression, far more people that are bipolar commit suicide. However, those people with bipolar 1 (and bipolar 2) are generally untreated or their treatments are not working.

How Are They The Same? How Are They Different?

Bipolar 1 and bipolar 2 are similar—but they are different. The main difference is in the cycling and they types of mood swings that occur. For one, bipolar 2 does not have a mania phase. Instead, it has something called hypomania. To put it simply, it's a kind of “lesser” mania. The person may be less reckless than those with bipolar 1 and just come off as extremely optimistic and happy and perhaps “hyper”. Those with manic episodes can be anywhere from agitated to extremely happy, and even extremely reckless. This can include sexual promiscuity, gambling, driving recklessly, and quite a few other things. The depressive episodes are fairly simple. They are characterized by severe depression, feelings of guilt and worthlessness, paranoia, and even hallucinations and things of that nature in those with bipolar 1.

What Kinds of Treatments Are Those With Bipolar 1 And Bipolar 2 On?

It depends on the person with bipolar 1 (and bipolar 2) and what precisely their doctor recommends. This will most likely mean that they take some form of oral mood-stabilizers, will probably be in psychotherapy to help them to sort through any issues that might trigger different mood swings, or, if they are allergic to the medications, might undergo electroconvulsive therapy, if there is no other alternative. Due to certain complications, electroconvulsive therapy is usually a last resort. Usually, the types of oral medications are either mood-stabilizers, as mentioned above, or they are anti-convulsive medications. The reason for this is because there is evidence and research to suggest that bipolar disorder, manic episodes and depressive episodes are caused by the misfiring of neurons in the brain—which is why they help. On the other hand, depression medications can sometimes trigger a manic episode, which is why they prefer not to use certain types of depression medications.

What About Dating Someone With Bipolar 1 and Bipolar 2?

When dating someone with bipolar disorder, bipolar 1, and bipolar 2, your best option is to be supportive, but still treat them like their own person. There's no reason to not want to date them—most of the time, those with bipolar disorder aren't really violent or a danger to anyone, just a bit confused and feeling as if they don't have control over their situation. They're still fully capable of taking care of themselves and your love and support will help to remind them that they can and will be able to live a long and happy life with bipolar disorder! It doesn't matter if they have bipolar 1 (and bipolar 2), they have a long, happy life ahead of them, with just a little bit of effort!