Getting Help With Bipolar Disorder From The Military
Life comes at you fast.
That's the theme of a series of television commercials for an insurance company. But it's also the truth.
If you suffer with bipolar disorder then life sometimes comes at you real fast. Now add to that the swift-moving military life. It's tough enough adjusting to the military life, let alone trying to adjust to the rigors and uncertainty of military life while dealing with bipolar disorder.
Far too often, you'll find yourself in unfamiliar settings, surrounded by people you don't know very well. Frequently, you're thousands of miles away from your family, friends as well as your support system for bipolar disorder.
So where do you turn when you need help, support and encouragement with your bipolar disorder?
For online resources, first try www.militaryonesource.com. Here you can find how you can access counselors for your bipolar disorder, as well as a host of other services that can help you adjust with just about every aspect of your military life.
There's a great on-line resource at http://www.military.com/spouse/fs. This site can provide you - as a person with bipolar disorder - some useful information not only on where to get help with your bipolar disorder, but how to cope with the more mundane - and extremely frustrating! - experiences of military life. It deals with all sorts of topics from welcoming your spouse home to how to de-clutter your house in anticipation of your next move.
Another great site is http://www.operationhomefront.net/Programs.asp. This site is provided by volunteers. While the site doesn't directly provide help for bipolar disorder, it does provide just about every imaginable resource a family needs. It also includes a wonderful area for spouse support. Here you can find others who have spouses in the military. It's always great to have someone you can talk with who is going through the same experiences as you -whether they have bipolar disorder or not!
Don't overlook personal resources right where you are! If you're living at a military base, then more than likely there is already a spouse support group meeting somewhere. Similarly, you need to investigate the base's health system to discover what kind of resources and support groups exist for those who have bipolar disorder.
