PREFACE

My very first psychiatric patient had a form of bipolar disorder. She was a brilliant young woman whose illness had disrupted her life, her career, and her relationships. Fortunately, her symptoms first waned and then vanished in the face of comprehensive treatment. Her astonishing experiences—of mood swings and delusions followed by sanity, of wild behaviors and speech that resolved to reveal a wise and thoughtful wife and mother—convinced me that I wanted to spend my career trying to understand and improve care for people with this fascinating condition.

For more than thirty years, I have specialized in the psychiatric treatment of patients with bipolar disorder. I have helped care for thousands of patients, and run a major hospital dedicated to those with psychiatric disorders. As a researcher, I have sought and still actively seek to develop new and better treatments. I have written many articles and chapters, both on my own work and to guide others studying and treating bipolar disorder. Along with many others in my field, I have kept looking for better ways to help.

Early in my career, I recognized the importance of including partners and relatives of the patient in my own care of those with psychiatric illnesses. Often my patients brought their partners to appointments; sometimes they were brought by their partners. I soon learned that things almost always went better when a partner was involved: I got more information; my patient got more help and support. After all, patients don’t just need doctors. Yes, they need a thorough personal evaluation, followed by professional monitoring and treatment; but they also need a well-organized life. All these needs are best addressed with the involvement of people who care enough to learn about the illness and be part of the overall plan of treatment.

When Chelsea Lowe asked me to contribute to this book—written to address the needs of the partners of people living with bipolar disease—I thought she had a wonderful idea, and I was glad to help. As I spoke to patients and their partners, relatives, and friends, I had come to see the effects of bipolar disorder on them all. I realized that partners wanted to be involved and supportive, but didn’t know how. They needed to know what was happening, what would make things better, what was dangerous and might make things worse, what roles they could play. Because they were affected, they needed to know; because they cared, they wanted to help.

Most people, however, know little about psychiatric disorders, and much of what is portrayed in movies or books serves a dramatic point and may not be accurate. There are many factual books, good ones, from brief to encyclopedic, on bipolar disorder. Some of these are listed in the Resources section at the end of this book. Mostly, these books were written by doctors or patients and for doctors or patients. Few, if any, were written for the partner of someone with bipolar disorder. Although much of what we each need to know is the same, not everything is. Partners have different experiences, a different role, and different needs than doctors or patients.

This book is written specifically for partners of people who suffer from bipolar disorder. We know from our own experiences that accurate information and good advice on bipolar disorder can lead to better relationships and more productive lives. We hope the information in this book will provide you with a solid foundation of understanding and will give you and your loved one useful guidance and assist you in understanding your options and accessing the resources you need.

 

Bruce M. Cohen