by Dr. Lorin Bradbury
Question: I have bipolar disorder and am currently in a serious depressed state. I try to avoid arguments with my spouse because I know my thinking is skewed. She accuses me of pouting. It hurts. I need support and she is downright nasty. Any suggestions on how I can deal with my reactions and my feelings when she accuses me of pouting, instead of offering any support? Thank you.
Answer: Your situation is a bit too complicated for me to respond to without a thorough assessment. There are a couple of things that come to mind. The first may be to obtain a second opinion on your diagnosis of bipolar. The second would be to consider therapy with a with a licensed mental health professional. If your wife is willing to attend therapy, you might consider therapy with a marriage and family therapist, or one who specializes in relationships.
Lorin L. Bradbury, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Bethel. For appointments, he can be reached at 543-3266. If you have questions that you would like Dr. Bradbury to answer in the Delta Discovery, please send them to The Delta Discovery, P.O. Box 1028, Bethel, AK 99559, or e-mail them to [email protected].
