bombergal wrote:
I am dating someone with bipolar disorder and have been a little frustrated lately because he's in a depression. It's beginning to impact on our relationship as he has low energy and feels stuck in his life right now. I feel bad because I blew up at him this morning because I'm not getting what I need sometimes out of our relationship. I know we're not going to get married because we both need our times to be alone (myself especially so) and I also know he is the right man for me.
We love each other dearly and I couldn't imagine life without him but there's times I get very frustrated and it's not very fair to him because he has severe bipolar and is limited in terms of the jobs he can do (sleep is an issue for him). I on the other hand have a full-time permanent music teaching career and have defied a lot of odds (sounds like we couldn't be more opposite if we tried) and have never taken medications. Any words of advice? I really want this to work because he is my best friend and the love of my life.
First, try to get him out of the house, if only for a short walk. Second, have him see his primary care physician for a complete physical work up to see if there are any physical issues (thyroid, adrenal, metabolic, etc.). If the GP tries to prescribe antidepressants or antipsychotics, firmly, but politely refuse the offer, as GP's are not trained in behavioral health issues.
I see he is already seeing a psychiatrist. Does he also see a psychologist, a counselor, or your cleric for talk therapy? If so, make sure insurance will pay for it, as it is expensive. If not, see if you can find a therapist that will work on a sliding scale basis, or, if you are near a college or university that have a clinical psychology program,where you might be able to get psychological services for no charge.