is it true hard to keep a spouse with you or her having bp??

ive read that alot of people get divorced or whatever..from having bp..can anyone explain this to me?   and have you had this  happen  to you or someone that you know??????..thanks james

[Venora Moonwind]

NO I have been married for 23 years to the same man. I have been bi polar all my life but you can have a stable relationship.
Love Venora

[bernie40]

Hi,

I'm happily married and have been for over 17 years.  The relationship before that lasted 7 years and broke down for reasons which had nothing to do with BP.

Divorce rates are high, period.  

:-)

[irishwriter]

from other sites it does seem that a lot of marriages break down but it seems to only seems to happen when the spouse without bp doesn't understand the disease and doesn't get any information on it or give support when needed. hope this helps.

[Bear13]

ditto on what irishwriter said....  people who do not truly take the time to understand what being bipolar is are typically the ones who won't last and don't care to know or understand.... it's a stigma...

[LetaB]

  I've read plenty of wildly anxious husbands and wives who are at the end of their ropes over thier spouses behavior. I think it depends on communication and how aware the BP person is of their own behavior - and then try to fix it. My ex, of 24 years, refused to see a psychologist and be diagnosed - of anything! So, because I DID get help and meds and try to deal with my issues, he, who had far worse and far reaching behaviors, labeled ME as the crazy one and to this day acts as though anything I have to say is invalid because of my "condition". It's my educated opinion that many of us who are BP married Bp people - either diagnosed or not - which makes things either worse or, actually, better! Better because you BOTH are so sexual, feely-touchy, passionate, understand intuitively the other's periods of deep depression, etc. My marriage, however, was torn apart by his coldness and my heat.
  I believe that someday we will be diagnosed by more than 1 or 2 in BP. There should be 100 levels of inabilities and different features. Some of us are much harder to live with than others - just like all of humanity? - sure, except for a matter of many degrees.

[jimgreg]

thanks all  james