There are a number of possible reasons why someone with bipolar would push others away. This tends to happen during depressive episodes, but it can happen when they're manic or symptom-free, as well. It can be painful when you're shut out, but it's not your fault.
People may receive harassment or judgment, which can lead to poor self-esteem. Lower self-esteem may lead them to avoid interacting with others and push a partner away. This can make the partner socially isolated as the partner with bipolar disorder is unwilling to spend time with their friends or family.
Self-stigmatizing is another significant reason for ghosting as well. Those of us with bipolar disorder subconsciously believe that we are unlovable and undeserving of friendships and relationships, which causes us to act on ghosting.
Unpredictable or intense mood changes define the heart of bipolar disorder. It can cause you to unwittingly withdraw from the people you love, or overly engage them. This can leave them feeling bewildered or concerned.
They may become tearful or feel hopeless and pessimistic. Having low self-esteem may reduce a person's sex drive, or they may feel less affectionate. It can be difficult for a person's partner to know what to say or do to help. They may feel rejected, mistaking symptoms as a lack of interest in the relationship.
They could be trying to keep you “out of the line of fire.” Episodes of depression and mania can take control away from the person who has bipolar. Lashing out or irritability are common symptoms of mood changes. They might be worried about hurting your feelings.
One of the worst side effects of bipolar disorder is the repetitive cycle of self-sabotage. But you can manage this symptom by mapping out your goals.
Dealing with the ups and downs of bipolar disorder can be difficult—and not just for the person with the illness. The moods and behaviors of a person with bipolar disorder affect everyone around—especially family members and close friends. It can put a strain on your relationship and disrupt all aspects of family life.
Sometimes your bipolar partner might desire all your attention and then, it might feel like they switch up on you, not wanting to go out, pick up their phone or respond to your messages. It might feel like they're completely ignoring you.
Both short-term memory loss — forgetting things you've recently seen, heard, or done — and long-term memory loss — forgetting things you knew in the past — can pose particular difficulties for people with bipolar disorder.
Control is a subtle art, and often controlling people have been practicing it for decades. A portion of the bipolar population becomes “controlling.” This at first can show up as a talkative and outgoing, but soon suggestions and discussions become manipulative.
Let's recap. Manipulation isn't a formal symptom of bipolar disorder, although some people with the condition may exhibit this behavior.
Here's the truth about bipolar and infidelity: being bipolar doesn't mean you will be unfaithful to your partner, but it does make infidelity more likely, according to statistics.
People who experience delusions of grandeur, as well as those around them, do not always recognize it as being anything more than pompousness, arrogance, or boastfulness. If delusions occur during manic episodes, this is a clue that bipolar disorder is involved.
Bad Breakups or Marriage Breakdowns
A number of people with bipolar disorder — especially those with a history of severe manic episodes — experience a breakdown in their marriages. If you're going through a divorce, working with your therapist through what is often a drawn-out and extremely stressful process can help.
Feeling abandoned and unloved during bipolar depression is not reality; it's a symptom of the illness—and it can be treated.
On the other hand, emotional intimacy can be challenging while dating someone with bipolar disorder, because their subjective experience of the relationship and the world around them can often shift without treatment. This can be surprising because you may not be able to follow the shift in their emotional states.
Individuals with bipolar disorder are prone to risk-taking behavior that is subsequently regretted.
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that can result in extreme shifts in mood. As this may affect how a person thinks, feels, and behaves, it may present challenges that can make it difficult to maintain friendships.
Bipolar disorder can pose challenges within romantic relationships, especially when it causes obsessive thoughts about another person.
A person with bipolar disorder may be unaware they're in the manic phase. After the episode is over, they may be shocked at their behaviour. But at the time, they may believe other people are being negative or unhelpful. Some people with bipolar disorder have more frequent and severe episodes than others.
People with bipolar disorder, on average, report being highly sensitive to interpersonal rejection, and those who report this sensitivity experience more depression over time (40).