When a biochemical imbalance is involved, medication may be prescribed. In other cases, a program of counseling might be recommended to help the sufferer learn how to cope with his or her condition. At times, both approaches combined have produced beneficial results.a The important thing is to reach out and get help. “Many times sufferers are frightened and ashamed of their condition,” says Lenore, a bipolar patient mentioned in the preceding article. “The real shame, though, is suspecting you have a problem and not seeking the help that you so desperately need.”

Lenore is speaking from experience. “I had been virtually bedridden for a year,” she says. “Then, one day when I was feeling a little stronger, I decided to call and make an appointment with a doctor.” Lenore’s condition was diagnosed as bipolar disorder, and medication was prescribed. This proved to be a turning point in her life. “I feel normal when I take my medication,” Lenore says, “although I have to keep reminding myself that if I stop taking it, all the old symptoms will return.”

Lucia, mentioned previously in this series of articles, is grateful for the excellent medical care she has received. “Seeing a mental-health professional has been absolutely vital for my learning to deal with and ride out the mood swings that accompany this disease,” she says. Lucia also emphasizes the value of rest. “Sleep is an important key to dealing with mania,” she says. “The less sleep I get, the higher I climb. Even when sleep won’t come, instead of getting up I have trained myself to lie there and rest.”

Sheila, also mentioned earlier, has found it helpful to keep a daily journal in which she can pour out her feelings. She sees a marked improvement in her outlook. Still, there are challenges. “Fatigue, for some reason, lets negative thoughts percolate in my brain,” Sheila says. “But I’ve learned to silence them or at least lower their volume.”

Comfort From God’s Word

The Bible is a strengthening aid for many who suffer from “disquieting thoughts.” (Psalm 94:17-19, 22) Cherie, for example, found Psalm 72:12, 13 to be particularly encouraging. There, the psalmist states about God’s appointed King, Jesus Christ: “He will deliver the poor one crying for help, also the afflicted one and whoever has no helper. He will feel sorry for the lowly one and the poor one, and the souls of the poor ones he will save.” Cherie was also encouraged by the words of the apostle Paul recorded at Romans 8:38, 39: “I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor governments nor things now here nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other creation will be able to separate us from God’s love.”

Elaine, a bipolar patient, finds her relationship with God to be an anchor. She is greatly comforted by the words of the psalmist: “A heart broken and crushed, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17) “It has truly been a comfort to know that our loving heavenly Father, Jehovah, understands,” she says. “It has been strengthening to draw close to him in prayer, especially in times of great anxiety and distress.”

As can be seen, living with a mood disorder presents unique challenges. However, Cherie and Elaine found that prayerful reliance on God along with appropriate treatment enabled them to improve their lot in life. How, though, can family members and friends help those who suffer from bipolar disorder or depression?

[Box on page 9]

A Spouse’s Observations

“Before the onset of Lucia’s illness, she touched the lives of many with her keen insight. Even now when people visit my wife when she is calm, they seem drawn by her warmth. What most do not realize is that Lucia alternates between extremes of depression and mania. Such is the legacy of bipolar disorder, the illness she has endured for the past four years.

“During the manic phase, it is not unusual for Lucia to be up until one, two, or even three o’clock in the morning, with creative ideas reeling through her mind. Energy just pours out of her. She will overreact to the minutest things and spend money impulsively. She will walk into the most dangerous situations, feeling that she is invincible, that there is no danger​—morally, physically, or otherwise. Related to this impulsiveness is the risk of suicide. Always on the heels of mania is depression, the intensity of which is usually proportionate to that of the preceding mania.

“Life for me has changed dramatically. Even with Lucia’s treatment, what we can accomplish today may be different from what we could accomplish yesterday or will tomorrow. It changes as our circumstances do. I found myself forced to become more flexible than I ever thought possible for me.”​—Mario.

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When Medication Is Prescribed

Some feel that taking medication is a sign of weakness. But think of it this way: A diabetic must submit to a program of treatment that may include taking insulin injections. Is this a sign of failure? Hardly! It is simply a means of balancing the body’s nutrients so that the sufferer can remain healthy.

It is much the same with taking medication for depressive and bipolar disorders. Although many people have been helped by a program of counseling that has enabled them to understand their illness, a caution is in order. When a chemical imbalance is involved, the illness cannot be simply reasoned away with logic. Steven, a bipolar patient, relates: “The medical professional who treated me illustrated it this way: You can give a person all the driving lessons in the world, but if you give that person a car with no steering wheel or brakes, then those lessons won’t do much good. In the same way, giving only cognitive counseling to a depressed person may not attain the desired results. Balancing the brain’s chemistry is a valuable first step.”

How Others Can Help

PERHAPS you know someone who suffers from depression or bipolar disorder. If so, how can you be supportive? D. J. Jaffe of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill offers this sound advice: “Don’t confuse the illness with the individual; instead, hate the disease but love the person.”

A woman named Susanna had the patience and love to do just that. She had a friend who was a bipolar patient. “There were times when she just couldn’t bear to be around me,” Susanna says. Instead of giving up on her friend, Susanna did research to learn about bipolar disorder. “Now,” she says, “I realize how much my friend’s demeanor was affected by her illness.” Susanna feels that making efforts to understand the sufferer can bring a wonderful reward. “It can help you grow to love and treasure the beautiful person behind the illness,” she says.

When the ailing one is a family member, wholehearted support is crucial. Mario, mentioned previously in this series, learned this lesson early on. His wife, Lucia, also mentioned earlier, is a bipolar patient. “Initially,” Mario says, “I was helped by going with my wife to her doctor and by studying up on this strange malady so that I would be thoroughly familiar with what we were up against. Lucia and I also talked a lot with each other and kept working with whatever situation developed as time went on.”

Support From the Christian Congregation

The Bible admonishes all Christians to “speak consolingly to the depressed souls” and to “be long-suffering toward all.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14) How can you do this? First, it is important to understand the distinction between mental and spiritual illness. For example, the Bible writer James indicated that prayer can make the spiritually indisposed one well. (James 5:14, 15) Nevertheless, Jesus acknowledged that those who are physically ailing need a physician. (Matthew 9:12) Of course, it is always right and helpful to pray to Jehovah about any concern, including our health. (Psalm 55:22; Philippians 4:6, 7) But the Bible does not state that increased spiritual activity in itself will cure present medical problems.

Discerning Christians, therefore, avoid implying that depressed people are responsible for their own suffering. Such remarks would be no more helpful than those offered by Job’s false comforters. (Job 8:1-6) The fact is that in many cases depression will not improve unless it is treated medically. This is especially so when a person is severely depressed, perhaps even suicidal. In such cases, professional attention is essential.

Still, there is much that fellow Christians can do to be supportive. Of course, patience is required. For example, certain aspects of Christian activity may be especially daunting to those with a mood disorder. A bipolar sufferer named Diane says: “I am finding it a struggle to take part in the ministry. It is challenging to bring the good and happy news from the Bible to others when I don’t feel good and happy inside.”

To be of assistance to sufferers, strive to be empathetic. (1 Corinthians 10:24; Philippians 2:4) Try to view matters through the eyes of the sufferer rather than through your own. Do not burden the individual with unreasonable expectations. “When I am accepted for the person I am now,” says Carl, who struggles with depression, “I feel that my sense of belonging is gradually being restored. With the patient help of a few older friends, I have been able to build a closer relationship with God and have found a great measure of joy in helping others to do the same.”

With support, those who are ailing can find great relief from their distress. Consider a Christian woman named Brenda, who is also a bipolar patient. “My friends from the congregation have been wonderfully supportive and understanding during my low periods, never judging me as spiritually weak,” she says. “There have been times when they have let me accompany them in the ministry and let me just listen or when they have saved a seat for me at the Kingdom Hall so that I could come in after everyone is seated.”

The assistance of loving and empathetic congregation elders has been a great aid to Cherie, mentioned in the preceding article, who suffers from depression. She says: “When the elders reassure me of Jehovah’s love, read me passages from God’s Word, the Bible, and speak of Jehovah’s purpose for a paradise of peace and well-being and when they pray with me​—even on the telephone—​I feel the burden lifting. I know I am not abandoned by Jehovah or by my brothers, and that is a source of strength for me.”

There is no doubt that by providing meaningful support, family members and friends can play a significant role in a sufferer’s well-being. “I think I have a pretty good handle on my life now,” says Lucia. “My husband and I have worked hard to get through this together, and things are better than ever for us.”

Many who now struggle with various types of mental illness realize that the battle with these dreadful afflictions is a long-term one. Yet, the Bible promises that in God’s new world, “no resident will say: ‘I am sick.’” (Isaiah 33:24) Gone will be the distressing ailments and maladies that plague so many today. It is indeed heartwarming to contemplate God’s promise of a new world in which all illnesses​—including mood disorders—​will be gone forever. At that time, says the Bible, no longer will there be mourning or outcry or pain.​—Revelation 21:4.