Q: I am in a relationship with someone who has bipolar disorder, and it very hard. I want to understand this illness more, and cope better. What should I do?

A: First of all, I commend you for reaching out…. Dealing with this problem for those who are not trained or equipped to fully understand its complexity can be both frustrating and very difficult. You are right to seek help, and I admire you for your desire to learn more in order to be of help and service to those God brings into your life. It is important that anyone with bipolar finds a good counselor/physician who understands the disease, and preferably one who also understands the coexisting dynamic of addiction. Often, in my opinion, they have many parallels.

As always, I recommend that we educate ourselves as much as possible regarding the complex components of this and related subjects, and this space can’t allow for detailed discussion. You might visit these very informative sites to learn more:

www.psycom.net/depression.central.bipolar.html

www.myDNA.com

My memoir, ProdigalSong, recounts the story of my own growing up in a family struggling with this and related problems. (My mother was both alcoholic and bipolar, as am I.) This story has been informative and a comfort for some.

I have also written an article on the topic of bipolar disorder, called “The Bipolar Express: Finding God on the Emotion Locomotive.” A full book on this same topic will soon be released.