Do you live with anyone with bi-polar disorder?

yep

Sometimes I feel as though I am walking on egg shells. It seems like He is a volcano, He slowly builds up, then explodes, then hits rock bottom. I try to be patient & work through it, but sometimes I have to just walk away for a bit & get it together. I have been married to him for 15 years & you never get used to it. We are always searching for a better way to deal with it.

I do not live in the house with him now, but I grew up with my father bipolar. Now that I am an adult and he's getting older, I have caregiver responsibilities over him. I pay his bills, take him shopping and to doctor's appointments, and keep up with his medications. He has been hospitalized probably 8-10 times since his diagnosis about 35 years ago. It was a very interesting thing to grow up with. That many years ago there was much more of a stigma about mental illness, and he was a somewhat public figure, so we concealed his illness for a long time. That was very strange to be a child having to keep such a secret. These days people seem to understand more, and it's no secret. Sleep, or the lack thereof, is a huge trigger for him. When he starts to lose sleep is when we have to get really active with the doctor to regulate his meds and hospitalize him if necessary to get him back on track. I feel as though I traded places with my father at some point in my childhood. He became one of the three children and I became a co-parent with my mother. It felt unfair for a long time, but now it's just a fact of my life. There are still some times when it's harder for me to remember that he didn't get sick on purpose, but I have a lot of tolerance and love for him, and I try my best to help him.

nope......

It's very difficult. One day at a time and try to deal with each new issue as it appears. Her holding a new job, this is what were working on now. And making sure she takes her meds everyday. Most important!