1. Show Your Family Member You Still Love Him
People with bipolar disorder are often scared and lonely, and they struggle with feelings of worthlessness. It's important that you continually let your loved one know you care about him. He should know that you'll give him the emotional support he needs, help him get treatment and be there to talk whenever he needs it. Also let him know that, though you may get frustrated sometimes, your love never wavers. Tell him you care about him as often. This is an enormous help to most people with bipolar disorder.
2. Educate Everyone in the Family
Learn everything you can about bipolar disorder and make sure other family members learn the same information. Everyone in the household (or who has regular contact with the bipolar family member) should be aware of the symptoms of bipolar disorder, treatment options, side effects of medication and complications of the condition. This way, everyone understands what the bipolar family member is going through and will be able to watch for signs that the family member is in mental distress.
3. Take Control of Treatment
Your bipolar family member may not be very motivated to seek out help for himself. In that case, it's up to you to seek out qualified psychologists and psychiatrists in your area for your loved one to see. You'll also need to schedule appointments, make sure your loved one goes to those appointments, be aware of his medications and make sure he takes them. This can sometimes be a full-time job, especially if your loved one has severe bipolar disorder and needs intensive help. In order to take some of the burden off of you, train one or more other family members to take over these duties for you for times when you really need a break.
4. Have a Plan of Action
Even with the best treatment program, your bipolar loved one may take an unexpected turn for the worse one day. He may have a particularly severe manic episode where he's completely out of control and engaging in dangerous activity. Alternately, he might become suicidal. If either of these things happen, you, your family and your loved one all need to know what you'll do to help him. Your plan should include a list of medical professionals to call and one or two hospitals where you can take him if it becomes necessary.
