I think you should touch on trigger points and minimizing them. That is gonna make ya cycle less I think. Explain we are more sensitive to emotions and the changes in environment. We have deeper lows and higher highs. And the psychosis. He needs to be educated on it all if he is willing to be standing next to ya in your fight which I am sure he ie cause you sure are worthy. Hugs.

What bits do you need more support with? What parts does he understand the least?

My boyfriend seems to struggle with the 'it is a chemical thing, I cant think it away' part.

The first good sign is that he is trying by reading the books.. I know beepers who have partners who are not willing to except BP at all...so your off to a great start...

Maybe if you kept a diary everyday for him and wrote your feelings down for him to read that would give him more insight that the books.. be honest and let go so he can fully understand what day to day is like for you... Good luck = )

has he read an unquiet mind or has he read the ones written by doctors?

Goodness, all of the replies are good... esp keeping a shared journal your fiance can read/ study... this will give him a more global view of what you go through day to day

He's read a book called "Loving Someone With Bipolar Disorder", as well as BP for dummies and he's gone through the BP workbook with me.

I always want to talk to him about it, but it never seems like a good time and I don't want to bring him down...he WANTS to understand, he just can't, and that drives him crazy.

I think he struggles with the fact that I don't do much in a day and he doesn't understand why I can't get things done when I'm home all day. He also doesn't get depression and how I can be depressed for no reason at all.

maybe he needs to look at it more scientifically then. can he goto some appointments with you to? and have your doc explain it?

I know this might sound odd, but I describe it like drugs if people REALLY dont get it, but that only works if they have taken drugs. Ecstasy for example... people know thats chemical, they can understand the up of that and they can even understand the down of it. It is a physical and chemical thing. Thats the only way Ive gotten some people to get anywhere near to 'getting' it. Some of them even said, oh cool... so I had to adapt it to ecstacy laced with acid and a really bad trip. And then multiply it by a hundred.

Well, there is the biological component of bipolar, obviously (at least to us it is obvious)... so perhaps a simple explanation of biochemicals, neurotransmitters

and get him to read an unquiet mind, the bell jar.. ummm... theres a british one called notes from an exhibition to. all from the perspective of us. And theyre stories to so theyre more interesting to read I guess.

....... that and if you are currently on meds, how the meds are supposed to work

Hanna, have you considered taking him with you to a pdoc or therapist appointment? Sometimes, having a professional (authority figure) explain what is happening and how this illness is personally affecting YOU can break through any resistance and help them understand. Good luck with your decision and take care! Kal/Lara

try relating some personal experiences. When I "came out" to my guild in an MMORPG I play, I included such things as when I get lost on my own house sometimes ... how I can no longer drive a car, stuff like that.

Wow Amelie...that was the best way to describe it I've ever heard! Unfortunately, aside from pot, he hasn't done any drugs...but maybe he can understand it better from that way anyway.

I will keep a journal that is safe for him to read. (I write a little too much about him in my regular journal).

Maybe I'll try re-reading some of the BP books and highlighting some of the important stuff.

Oh yeah...I would consider taking him to a pdoc appointment, but not to a tdoc appointment (since a lot of my talk therapy has to do with the stress of living with him).

maybe force him to take drugs? lol, nah thats a joke.

ahem.
thankyou for distracting me from my misery though. I think bacon helped to.