Dramatic Changes In Mood And Behavior
Although the symptoms of bipolar disorder exist on a spectrum, both hypo/manic and depressive episodes are present with this diagnosis. One of the reasons why bipolar relationships fail is related to dramatic changes in the mood and behavior that come with the episodes.
For example, during manic episodes, a person seeks more pleasure through heavy drinking or partying. On the other hand, during a depressive phase, they might withdraw from the partner due to the heavy onset of hopelessness and despair.
Living with someone with bipolar can be challenging as it requires the spouse to find ways to cope with the experience of these tense and sometimes extreme fluctuations.
Why Bipolar Relationships Fail 5 Common Reasons To Know
The answer to Why Bipolar Relationships Fail is pretty much straightforward since there are multiple variables to consider. In a relationship, long-term happiness and success must be taken into account. Its important to know the most common reasons why relationships fail when one person has bipolar disorder. It can help you avoid some of the pitfalls of a relationship gone wrong. We wont support the statement that Bipolar Relationships Are Not Strong, but whats the reason behind they are not fulfilling and long-lasting. This post is all about understanding the reasons Why Bipolar Relationships Fail sometimes and what makes them so challenging. But before we move to describe the reasons and effects of bipolar disorder in fruitful relationships, lets get to know what bipolar disorder is?
What Is Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterized by extreme shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and concentration. The mood fluctuations go from periods of extreme happiness, irritation, or energized behavior to periods of extreme sadness, indifference, and helplessness .
Bipolar I disorder involves periods of mania that alternate with depressive episodes.
Bipolar II disorder consists of alternating depressive and hypomanic episodes
In the video below, Kati Morton, a licensed therapist, discusses in detail what is Bipolar II disorder.
Cyclothymic disorder is expressed by brief periods of hypomania taking turns with short depressive symptoms .
The shifts a person suffering from bipolar disorder experiences are more dramatic than one would usually encounter. Although there can be symptom-free periods , the mood fluctuations can significantly impact a persons day to day functioning. This could be one of the reasons why bipolar relationships fail.
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Are You A White Knight A Fixer A Hero
I know you have a good heart and youre trying to make your BPD partner as happy as possible.
You want the best for you, your partner and the relationship. You wouldnt be here if that wasnt the case, right?
Unfortunately, this good-natured character can cause you to develop this White Knight belief system. You naturally seek out partners who need rescuing. This is not a healthy way to live.
You meet this person who you know can be amazing . But, what you have done is fallen in love with their potential.
Most of us have the potential to be great. But, falling in love with someones potential is a common reason that makes your bipolar relationship fail over time. Youre not living in reality, in the present moment.
Youre lost in the future instead of accepting your partner as is in the present and addressing the current behavior that youre experiencing. You cant be a hero in the present, and this frustrates you.
So, you work hard everyday, convinced that you can make your BPD partner better. You want to be the hero! Go you!
You keep telling yourself that you know your partner could be so much better. Life could be so great for him or her.
But, youre ignoring the present. Youre seeking an end-result that exists in your imaginary future.
When you seek a repeat of the Honeymoon Period, you lose focus on reality. When you try to fix your partners problems, you lose focus on reality.
Send your Hero mentality to the grave.
Let Yourself Feel The Emotions
Everybody reacts badly when they are hurt or rejected, but when you have bipolar disorder, your reactions can be extreme. These emotions can feel uncomfortable for someone with bipolar disorder, but they are a normal part of a relationship breakup. Give yourself time to work through your feelings one by one, and remember they are a normal part of the grieving process when a relationship ends.
If feelings of depression become overwhelming or you feel suicidal, inform your doctor or seek urgent help by calling 911 or your local emergency number.
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What Is Histrionic Personality Disorder
Histrionic personality disorder is a mental health condition marked by intense, unstable emotions and a distorted self-image. The word histrionic means dramatic or theatrical.
For people with histrionic personality disorder, their self-esteem depends on the approval of others and doesnt come from a true feeling of self-worth. They have an overwhelming desire to be noticed and often behave dramatically or inappropriately to get attention.
People with histrionic personality disorder often dont realize their behavior and way of thinking may be problematic.
Histrionic personality disorder is one of a group of conditions called Cluster B personality disorders, which involve dramatic and erratic behavior.
What Does It Mean If Your Partner Is Bipolar
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition marked by intense mood changes. People with the illness switch back and forth from mania or hypomania to having episodes of depression.
The lifelong condition tends to run in families, although the cause of bipolar disease is unknown. However, it can often be successfully managed through treatment. There are two primary types of bipolar disorder:
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Fighting Arguing And Unnecessary Drama
I dont like disrespect, insults, or lies as much as the next person.
But, drama in relationships will happen. If youre not careful, youll find yourself pulled into an argument that you cant win.
Let me make this clear: you will never win in an argument with a Borderline .
And, youll never find a true alpha male falling into an argument with his girl. Hell just throw her purse out the door and tell her to go home and cool off .
Knowing this fact, why would you engage in hour long arguments that get you nowhere?
People with bad mindsets will sit in bed arguing until 3 in the morning. Its a complete waste of time and all youre doing is turning her more and more off.
She subconsciously argues with you because she wants to . Real men dont argue they tell her to get lost. Beta males will also try to not argue, but will do it from a state of weakness.
This is a key difference and its why you must be of the alpha type to have any sort of success in BPD relationships. In fact, I know plenty of BPD women who treat their boyfriends like kings because of this truth.
From the wise words of Eckhart Tolle, You will never find salvation in a relationship. Stop looking for happiness in your partner. You will never find it.
Which leads us to the next point
How Is Histrionic Personality Disorder Treated
In most cases, people with histrionic personality disorder dont believe their behaviors are problematic. They also tend to exaggerate their feelings and dislike routine, which makes following a treatment plan difficult. However, they might seek help if depression possibly associated with a loss or a failed relationship or another problem caused by their thinking and behavior causes them distress.
Psychotherapy is generally the treatment of choice for histrionic or other personality disorders. The goal of treatment is to help the person uncover the motivations and fears associated with their thoughts and behavior and to help the person learn to relate to others more positively.
Types of psychotherapy that may benefit people with histrionic personality disorder include:
While theres currently no medication that can treat personality disorders, there is medication for depression and anxiety, which people with histrionic personality disorder may also have. Treating these conditions can make it easier to treat histrionic personality disorder.
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What Is A Bipolar Person Like In A Relationship
They might cry, or they might feel gloomy and pessimistic. A persons sexual desire may be reduced, or they may feel less affectionate if they have low self-esteem. It can be tough for a partner to know what to say or do to assist their spouse. They may perceive symptoms as a lack of interest in the relationship, leading them to believe they have been rejected.
Why Do Bipolar Relationships Fail
What are the common reasons bipolar relationships fail? The answer is rarely clear-cut, of course, and there are many complex factors to consider. Many people with this condition have happy, fulfilling partnerships just like everybody else. Bipolar is also treatable, so most adults with the disorder are good at recognizing their triggers and knowing how to respond. Navigating a romantic relationship can be challenging at the best of times, but everyday issues become more complicated with a mental illness in the mix, especially one as unpredictable as bipolar disorder. So why do bipolar relationships fail, and how can you stop it from happening?
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Creating A Support Plan
Creating a support plan is a useful way for someone to learn how to help their partner with bipolar disorder. This might include planning activities, making a list of useful contacts such as a trusted relative or a therapist and making adjustments to daily routine.
Having a support plan in place reassures both partners that they will know how to respond to a very high or low period.
What Is The Prognosis For Histrionic Personality Disorder
While theres no cure for histrionic personality disorder , many people who have the condition often have productive lives. People with HPD who participate in talk therapy tend to have better outcomes as they gain insight into their condition and function better socially.
However, people with severe histrionic personality disorder may experience frequent problems at work and in social and/or romantic relationships.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Its important to remember that histrionic personality disorder is a mental health condition. As with all mental health conditions, seeking help as soon as symptoms appear can help decrease the disruptions to your life. Mental health professionals can offer treatment plans that can help you manage your thoughts and behaviors.
The family members of people with histrionic personality disorder often experience stress, depression, grief and isolation. Its important to take care of your mental health and seek help if youre experiencing these symptoms.
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What Do We Know About Bipolar Disorder And Affective Relationships
Relationships with a person who has bipolar disorder are complicated, although when a person has control on a disorder and feels stable, it is possible to have a 100% normalized life. Therefore, it has been noted that a bipolar person falls in love with any person just like other people do unless they are in a phase of mania in which the state of mind is so euphoric and positive that it confuses feelings.
Therefore, at a broader aspect falling in love and proceeding the relationship with love and romance is just like the same as other people do, with the caution of not starting romantic relationships in phases of euphoric mood.
Likewise, when a bipolar disorder is considered and affective relationships, instability in feelings comes to mind. And this is the feeling of having a bipolar partner, it is very likely that we think of a chaotic and changing type of relationship.
Nothing is far from reality: today, with psychiatric medication to stabilize mood, psychological therapy, and monitoring, the person is trained to maintain a stable relationship. The relationship will have ups and downs, and perhaps deeper and more severe than those of another couple. The important thing will be the management that the couple and the environment make of them.
What Triggers Bipolar Disorder
Like most mental illnesses, the exact cause of bipolar disorder is unknown, but in general, multiple factors, especially biological and environmental ones.
For example, it is likely that there is a genetic component to it, and bipolar disorder has shown that it can run in families, but it doesnt guarantee it. Therefore, if you have a family member with the disorder, its possible you wont develop it.
Periods of high stress, traumatic events, and even sleep deprivation can also trigger episodes as well. While it doesnt cause it, substance abuse can make the symptoms of bipolar disorder worse and more apparent to others.
What causes people to refer to women as having a mental illness?
Unfortunately, the term bipolar gets used loosely to describe the shifts in mood that females can experience because of premenstrual symptoms or hormone changes that occur during pregnancy or giving birth.
Males and females can both be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and its prevalence is quite similar between the two groups. However, there can be some differences in how bipolar disorder manifests between them.
For instance, men typically show bipolar disorder signs early on in life compared to females and may be prone to manic episodes, whereas females may be more likely to have depressive episodes and rapid cycling.
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What I Know Now
Bipolar disorder does the dirty work for me and filters out individuals who tiptoe through life. The fact is, we all have issues, whether you live with bipolar disorder or not. And if someone wont give you a chance because of a label, consider yourself lucky. Today I approach dating with one purpose to have fun. Dating experiences can teach you a lot about yourself. In an attempt to mask my vulnerability, I have found that I can be a bit harsh and overly confident in some situations.
Living with bipolar disorder gives you a very different perspective on the world around you. You look for meaning and depth in everything. We behave based on what we feel, not necessarily what we know is right or wrong. Sometimes this can lead us to be irresponsible and careless, but if handled properly, can actually be a gift to another person.
Why Do Relationships Fail Here Are 10 Common Reasons
Most of us want to meet and settle down with the right person, and most of us want such a relationship to last. At the same time, the majority of romantic partnerships end in dissolution. What are some of the major causes? Below are ten reasons why relationships fail, excerpted from my books : 7 Keys to Long-Term Relationship Success and How to Communicate Effectively and Handle Difficult People.
Of course, every couple is unique. The longer two people shared their lives together, the more likely complex factors are involved. The list of reasons below is not meant to be comprehensive. They simply represent some of the most common and damaging factors behind relational dissolution.
1. Trust Issues
Lack or loss of trust is one of the most harmful contagions to a couples long-term success. Without trust, a relationship misses two of the key anchors to a strong bond: safety and security.
Trust issues may include factors such as jealousy, possessiveness, unreasonable rigidity, emotional infidelity, physical/sexual infidelity, relational game playing, lack of reliability and dependability, lack of emotional support, lack of financial compatibility, and lack of mutually-supportive goals.
2. Different Expectations
“Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option.”
Mark Twain
Some of the reasons relationship divergence occur between a couple include:
Mister/Miss Right or Mister/Miss Right Now?
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The Usual Partner: Dominating The Game
People with bipolar disorder are continually questioning how well they are fitting in. Over time, the normal partner may be able to help by finding ways to undercut his or her partners self-assurance. Typically, the bipolar partner is relegated to the role of mad,deficient, or social outcast. Its a miracle the regular person tolerates him or her at all.
Emotional Abuse Bipolar Relationships
In relationships where one spouse has bipolar disorder and the other is normal, there is a risk of abuse on both sides. In most cases, the abuser uses the sickness to gain power and control over his or her partner. The behavior in an abusive relationship may appear benign at first, but it never stays that way. Some of the warning indicators are listed below.
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Tips And Tricks To Help You In Life And Romance
Are there other reasons why bipolar relationships fail? The individual with bipolar disorder might not want to take their medication because of symptoms.
People who are in a manic episode are not able to think about their future very much. This, of course, is getting into some territory that can potentially hurt whatever future aspects of your life you are working on- career, finances, etc.
At the same time, dealing with someone who has bipolar disorder when they are in a low period can be just as challenginghours at a time
Bipolar Disorder Relationships That Fail
What are bipolar relationships like? Many people can ask themselves why bipolar relationships fail, but with the right help, you and your partner can learn to live with bipolar disorder and have a normal and fulfilling life. In order to do so, getting medical advice, treatment, or diagnosis should be prioritized, and it will require the assistance of a doctor who can prescribe medication to treat the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Therapy, where you can learn effective skills to manage the disorder, is also highly recommended. Nonetheless, having romantic relationships with a partner who has bipolar disorder will be an ongoing work-in-progress that requires understanding and commitment. But with therapy, communication, and treatment, there can be great success in these relationships.
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