If the person has been trying to manage their illness and is disappointed because they have relapsed anyway, you could support them by:
- Listening if the person wants to discuss their disappointment.
- Reassuring the person that they did their best; bipolar disorder is a complex illness and sometimes symptoms occur despite good illness management strategies.
- Suggesting that sometimes medications and other illness management strategies that worked previously may need to be adjusted.
- Encouraging the person not to give up hope, as finding what works to manage the illness is a trial and error process.
