If your spouse or loved one has recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, you may be wondering what exactly to expect and how to best show your support. HealthCentral's Expert Patient G.J. Gregory shares his tips for helping a loved one cope.

Valentine’s Day falls in February. As we all know, living in a loving relationship poses considerable challenges. Add bipolar to the mix and the degree of difficulty suddenly gets a lot more difficult. How difficult? Imagine Yo-Yo Ma performing a Bach Cello Suite blindfolded while pedaling a unicycle backwards on a tightrope over Niagara Falls. That’s how difficult. Nevertheless, despite all the complications, bipolar can enormously enhance a loving relationship, and enrich the lives of both parties. But we do need to be extremely mindful of the hazards. Following are five simple rules I have gleaned from life experience. ...

Ah, Valentine’s Day, when our thoughts turn to love - and lust. When it comes to sex, think of bipolar as a force-multiplier, as much a turn-on as a turn-off. Oh, the possibilities. Alas, the risks. Following are five things to keep in mind, gleaned from life experience.

I’m often asked how to cope with bipolar disorder. It is a question all of us with the disorder are asked. The truth is, sometimes we cope successfully, and sometimes we do not. And I will be the first to admit that my manifestation of bipolar disorder is not the same as the next person’s, and their level of functionality may be far different from mine. But the principles of coping should be the same no matter what. I have a way, silly as it is, to remember my personal coping method. I’m not a rapper, but I have rapped.

Two million Americans suffer from bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression. This very serious illness involves dramatic mood swings from high manic episodes to very low depressed episodes. It can be very disruptive to the lives of the people who suffer from this illness as well as their close friends and family members. Bipolar disorder typically begins in adolescence and continues throughout life. While it can not be cured, with treatment these people can lead normal lives. Here are some tips on creating a bipolar-conscious diet.

My wife and I have 5 kids in various stages of growth, including a son who’s been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. When it comes to parenting, the one sure thing I’ve learned is that parenting is a challenge and we all make mistakes (and the kids take great delight in pointing out those mistakes). When you add a child with bipolar disorder into the mix, the challenge becomes a powder keg. It's not just the parents and the bipolar child who’re affected - the entire family feels the pressure and the pain. Here's a list of "rules" that have worked for my wife and I as we’ve raised our family. These are not entirely specific to bipolar children, as the entire family dynamic is critical when raising a bipolar child.