Bi-polar disorder..... Anyone ever dealt with a friend or relative with it?

I have bi-polar myself and it has been hard mon my friends, family and relationships, which dosn't help with the depression aspect sometimes itself, since sociallization is a key comonent to good mental health. I have had to move away from the stigma and taunting of my family who do not want to learn the basics of this illness. They do not see it as both a physical and mental disorder not alot different than say diabetes which also has its physical, chemical and mental components. My one side of the family has done some research since and we get along great. I with the illness attend a community support centre, work for Canadian Mental Health Assoctiation to fight that stigma and educate the public about mental illness, and try to simply keep my life balanced and stay in touch with friends, my doc, and take my meds as prescribed, and excercise helps me as well as light therapy, talking to a counsellor to watch for pitfalls,a nd taking vitamin D in the winter helps with the lack of sun, although every single person is different, just like everyone that has, say cancer is different. Regardless whether we are diagnosed with anything or not, we still all have a resposibility to our mental and overall health.

When Hubby and I were foster parents we had several kids that were bi-polar. We had 2 main goals in helping to control it. Taking the medicine has to just about be a religion...same time, every day, no excuses. The other is a routine. They need to know what to expect, when to expect it and what they need consequences for their actions. If they fly into a rage and bust a kitchen chair then after they've calmed down they have to clean up the remains of the chair and work on replacing it. It worked well with us and we got through it together. **AT PEACE WITHIN** ~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~