Arguing with A Bipolar Person: Everybody has days when they just don’t feel like talking; therefore, in the appropriate situation, some chats could turn a little heated. Furthermore, we frequently have a tendency to lose our temper with those closest to us—friends and family.

Arguments like that can and do occur, but what if the other person has bipolar disorder? What impact does this have on the discussion, and how should one approach a disagreement with a loved one who has bipolar disorder?

Should You Argue with A Bipolar Person?

No. Even though arguing can be a useful communication tool at times, it shouldn’t become accepted as a usual activity, particularly for those with bipolar disorder who are emotionally unstable. Ask them about their restrictions and limitations if they are undergoing treatment.

All feelings are legitimate at baseline. Anger, despair, or any other emotion is not invalid just because you have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It’s time for you both to put the brakes on if they have approached you and said something that is obviously unfounded in fact.

Turning things up a notch by fighting won’t help because you don’t currently have the same sense of reality. Wires will cross, and it’s like putting gasoline on a fire.

How Do You Calm an Angry Person with Bipolar Disorder? 3 Tips

It’s wise to exercise care before becoming involved in any kind of dispute. Additionally, exercising additional caution is usually a good idea if you’ve learned to expect that you could occasionally “get into it” with a loved one who has a mental health condition.

Regardless of whether the other person has bipolar disorder or not, there are a few things you can do to keep both of you from becoming upset when tempers start to flare and you feel tempted to say something inappropriate.

Here are some strategies for handling a heated discussion with a loved one:

• Start by paying attention to your tone and body language. Slow everything down so you can see for yourself what’s going on. Do you feel anxious or hunched over? Are your fists clenched?
• Think about what’s bothering the other person. Just don’t assume that someone is unhappy just because they have a mental health illness like bipolar disorder I or II. Their emotions may be more justifiable than you’re giving them credit for.
• Establish and uphold limits with anyone you know who is prone to becoming enraged. This implies consistency. For instance, if they start using profanity, demand a 5-minute break, and consistently insist on taking that break for the entire 5 minutes.

You are responsible for establishing and upholding your own boundaries; you have no power over other people’s actions or feelings. In the end, the best thing you can do for someone else is to refrain from attempting to treat their mental health issues. Be compassionate, tolerant, and encouraging, but don’t give anyone the impression that it’s acceptable for them to keep blowing up.

When Someone with Bipolar Disorder Gets Angry?

It’s crucial to keep in mind that a person with bipolar illness often believes their emotional reaction to be logical, but the underlying causes are not linear in order to comprehend what occurs when they become angry. Their sentiments could seem illogical or illogical to you.

A person in a manic condition may be enraged by your lack of comprehension or feel like you are unable to keep up with their thinking. Even if you don’t fully comprehend, you may be compassionate and patient, and if you maintain that demeanor, you will find it simpler to calm their feelings.

It may be quicker to get “bipolar anger” than one would anticipate if one were in a neurotypical mental state. They may be able to accelerate from 0 to 100 in a short amount of time. However, bipolar disorder does not cause anger alone.

The same rules still hold true when dealing with an angry person, regardless of their mental state. The rules are largely the same, even though they may appear differently in various circumstances.

Avoid stigmatizing their condition. Treat them like any other person; they are not having psychosis. However, you might wait a little while before approaching someone if they are prone to disrespect or are very enraged.

Due to their illness, someone with bipolar disorder may be more prone to rage, whether they are in a manic, hypomanic, or even depressive condition. Identify the distinctions between the three:

• A manic episode lasts for at least a week. It is characterized by a persistent state of mania, in which the majority of the day is spent feeling excessively grandiose, energetic, and driven. A person who is manic may be more chatty than usual and require less sleep.
• Someone who is in a manic phase of bipolar illness may speak in an unfiltered, “stream of consciousness” manner. Their concepts and words are interesting, but maybe a little perplexing to others. Sadly, manic states frequently include dangerous behavior, which implies that, particularly in undiagnosed people, these episodes frequently result in an encounter with law enforcement or hospitalization.
• A hypomanic episode lasts at least four days and is more difficult to identify. Consider a mood that’s comparable to mania, but less extreme. People around someone with bipolar disorder who is experiencing hypomania will notice a shift in their goal-oriented behavior.
• A person can experience an emotional boost and an increase in energy, but not to the same degree as they would in a complete manic state. However, hypomania is a clinically important condition that has no basis in reality. Females may experience hypomanic episodes more frequently, and childbirth may be a specific cause for such an episode.
• A depressive episode lasts two weeks. During a depressive episode, a person with bipolar illness will have a lower appetite and energy level, and they may be more irritable than usual. Severe feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, and pessimism about the future are frequent.

When someone is depressed, they may become socially isolated and perform poorly at their job. The indicators of a depressive episode can be easier for friends, family, and partners to recognize than for the person experiencing it. It is sometimes best to just get out of the circumstance. It is not forsaken.

What Should You Not Say to Someone with Bipolar Disorder?

In most cases, attempting to help someone with bipolar illness is unproductive. Most individuals with bipolar disorder seek validation for their strong feelings, and if something is troubling them, they are typically aware of how to resolve it. This is how you may be helpful as opposed to debating, which won’t accomplish anything.

Here are a few things you should avoid saying to someone with bipolar disorder who is furious since their emotional state might be fragile. Do not:

• Target their personality
• Put their intelligence to the test
• Let’s focus on their mental illness as “everything.”
• Mention their previous errors.
• Inform them that they are sensitive (this may be a kind of gaslighting in certain situations).
• Call them “crazy.”

Instead, be kind and direct. If you’re angry or need some distance from them, don’t lie. Additionally, even if it may make you feel at ease to involve other people in resolving a dispute when someone has a mental health issue, it is not always the right course of action.

The cause of their rage may be actions, things, or facts that their friends, family, or loved ones are unaware of, and the disconnect can be isolating and irritating for them. You may say something or cause something to happen unintentionally.

For this reason, boundaries are crucial. Additionally, the advice given earlier can assist you in avoiding making any needless or offensive remarks in reaction to someone with bipolar disorder who is enraged.

But occasionally, one or both of you may still cross boundaries. If you ever have any worries about violence of any sort, contact the appropriate authorities, such as 911, 988 (the suicide and mental health crisis hotline), or other crisis intervention services, to report any immediate safety concerns.

If someone starts to get enraged and you feel threatened, express your worry, but be resolute. Maintain your composure and self-control, and pay attention to the person’s genuine emotions—the underlying feelings that may be concealed by their rage.

What Happens When You Argue with a Bipolar Person?

Ironically, preventing those conversations from becoming confrontations in the first place is one of the most important strategies for defusing a heated debate with a person who has bipolar disorder. Tension might increase more rapidly and powerfully when you dispute with someone who has bipolar disorder if you choose to interact with them.

Maintaining boundaries and standards of respect is the duty of both you and your loved one with bipolar disorder. There will be problems if there aren’t any. You’re going beyond your limits when you dispute with someone who has bipolar disorder, and you might start going beyond theirs as well. 

What Aggravates Bipolar Disorder?

Common problems and circumstances that can precipitate or worsen bipolar illness I and II include the following:

• Ordinary adjustments brought on by novel situations—a new career, raising a child, or finding a roommate could all play a part.
• Disorders and disruptions of sleep
• Use of drugs, such as psychedelics
• Disorders related to alcohol usage
• Exposure to light, either too much or too little

Life transitions and changes, such as moving, losing one’s job, losing a family member, or breaking up

Many people with bipolar illness I and II can recall a certain period of their lives when they were obviously “not well” after seeking mental health care and discussing their chronology with a specialist. themselves.” And often, these times were triggered by stressful situations and events, like the ones listed above.

Summary

Remember that you have no control over other individuals, even if they are experiencing extreme irritability or hostility, whether they are experiencing a manic, hypomanic, or depressed episode. The only thing you can do is establish and uphold boundaries.

Establish boundaries and make safety plans before the argument begins if someone is truly upset and has a bipolar diagnosis. This also applies to those who are in blind wrath. In essence, be a little more cautious, but the rules still apply as they would in any other circumstance.

Find out what works for them. There is no such thing as “bipolar rage,” so don’t presume that they are unstable. They are a human being, not a diagnosis, so treat them with the same care and respect that you would like to receive in return.