Do you have a family member, friend, significant other with a mood disorder. Do you live with their Bipolar Disorder or Depression and it is affecting your life and happiness? Does this illness exist in your household but you don't know how to help. Is it like the elephant in the room everyone is afraid to speak about? Please come to DBSA Asheville - Magnetic Minds and let us help you understand what it is like for others who live with these disorders as well as support you in your caregiving and support. We know it can be equally hard to be there for us especially when it seems to be the last thing we will allow. We appreciate our supporters and you are important people in our recovery. We stand by you and you are always welcome. You won't be the only supporter in the room.
Family Therapy: Discover how family therapy can be used to help limit the stress between sufferers of bipolar disorder and their friends and family by Anthony Watt
In the treatment of bipolar disorder, family therapy can be used to help limit the stress the disorder can cause not only to people who have the condition, but the loved ones who help them cope and otherwise are exposed to the symptoms of the condition. Family therapy is one of several classes of psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, which is often used in the management of bipolar disorder. Psychotherapy is commonly used in conjunction with other treatments, such as medications, in order to help people with bipolar disorder manage their condition. MORE |
My friends and family are my support system.
They tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear and they are there for me in the good and bad times. Without them I have no idea where I would be and I know that their love for me is what's keeping my head above the water. —Kelly Clarkson 
Helping Someone with a Mood Disorder
Mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder affect millions of people. Their family members and friends are affected, too. If someone you love has a mood disorder, you may be feeling helpless, overwhelmed, confused, and hopeless, or you may feel hurt, angry, frustrated, and resentful. You may also have feelings of guilt, shame and isolation, or feelings of sadness, exhaustion, and fear. All of these feelings are normal. MORE 
Join the DBSA and FFDA Care for Your Mind™ Community
What is Care for Your Mind™? Care for your Mind™ is a place where you and others affected by the mental health care system can openly discuss its strengths and weaknesses with thought leaders and advocates so that together we can build a solution that works. MORE 
Helping a Loved One with Bipolar Disorder
If someone close to you has bipolar disorder, your love and support can make a difference in treatment and recovery. You can help by learning about the illness, offering hope and encouragement, keeping track of symptoms, and being a partner in treatment. But caring for a person with bipolar disorder will take a toll if you neglect your own needs, so it’s important to find a balance between supporting your loved one and taking care of yourself. MORE 
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Anger: How To Handle Your Bipolar Relative's Anger by Samantha Gluck
Bipolar Anger: A Source of Embarrassment
Many with bipolar disorder don't discuss the anger problems that are associated with the moodswings of mania and depression. Why? Because they're embarrassed that they can't control it. In an article for BP Hope Magazine, HealthyPlace bipolar consumer expert and mental health author, Julie Fast, describes her battle with anger and bipolar:
"There are many people in jail because of their anger and bipolar behavior. Children who threaten their parents, women who punch a co-worker, or men who pick fights with strangers are common among people who have this illness. We don’t discuss it much, because so many people are embarrassed by what they have done. All my life, I’ve lived with the embarrassment of mood swings. Indeed, bipolar affects my moods in so many ways that it’s hard to keep track of what is real and what is caused by faulty wiring in my brain."
In addition to the symptoms of bipolar, there are drugs, including various steroids, that are notorious for causing anger. But no matter what causes the bipolar person to be angry, the question is: How do you deal with a person who's bipolar and angry? MORE
Bipolar Anger: A Source of Embarrassment
Many with bipolar disorder don't discuss the anger problems that are associated with the moodswings of mania and depression. Why? Because they're embarrassed that they can't control it. In an article for BP Hope Magazine, HealthyPlace bipolar consumer expert and mental health author, Julie Fast, describes her battle with anger and bipolar:
"There are many people in jail because of their anger and bipolar behavior. Children who threaten their parents, women who punch a co-worker, or men who pick fights with strangers are common among people who have this illness. We don’t discuss it much, because so many people are embarrassed by what they have done. All my life, I’ve lived with the embarrassment of mood swings. Indeed, bipolar affects my moods in so many ways that it’s hard to keep track of what is real and what is caused by faulty wiring in my brain."
In addition to the symptoms of bipolar, there are drugs, including various steroids, that are notorious for causing anger. But no matter what causes the bipolar person to be angry, the question is: How do you deal with a person who's bipolar and angry? MORE