How to Support Someone with Bipolar Disorder (Part 1)

In this deeply honest and compassionate episode of This Is Bipolar, Shaley Hoogendoorn and Julie Kraft tackle one of the most requested topics from listeners: how to support someone living with bipolar disorder or another mental illness.

Speaking from lived experience, they open up about the realities of being on both sides of the relationship — loving someone with bipolar disorder and living with it yourself. Together, they discuss the guilt, shame, loneliness, boundaries, communication struggles, reassurance, emotional regulation, and difficult decisions that can come with supporting a loved one through mental health challenges.

The conversation explores:

What to do when someone refuses help
Why boundaries matter (and why they can hurt)
The importance of timing difficult conversations during stable moments
How depression, anxiety, anger, and mania affect relationships
Why reassurance and emotional safety are so important
Supporting your loved one without losing yourself
Finding support as a caregiver, spouse, family member, or friend

Most importantly, this episode reminds listeners that bipolar disorder is treatable, relationships can survive and thrive, and both the person living with the illness and the people loving them deserve compassion and support.

This is an emotional but incredibly important conversation for anyone navigating mental illness within relationships, friendships, or family dynamics.

⏱️ Important Timestamps

(00:02:10) — Why this episode is emotionally difficult but deeply needed
(00:05:35) — Can you make someone get help? Julie shares the ultimatum that changed her life
(00:13:50) — Why boundaries feel painful for people living with bipolar disorder
(00:22:05) — Anger, emotional intensity & seeing bipolar through a compassion lens
(00:30:15) — Why loved ones also need support and safe spaces to talk
(00:40:20) — Reassurance, safety & the phrases that genuinely help during episodes

This is bipolar...

Connect with Shaley Hoogendoorn

Website: www.thisisbipolar.com
Instagram: @this.is.bipolar

Shaley Hoogendoorn is a Canadian mental health advocate, elementary school teacher, event planner, wife, and mama living with Bipolar II Disorder. She is the host of the podcast This Is Bipolar, where she shares honest conversations and lived experiences to help reduce stigma and remind others that they are not alone. Through storytelling, advocacy, and community-building, Shaley is passionate about creating safe spaces for people navigating bipolar disorder and mental health challenges.

About Julie Kraft
Julie Kraft is a mental health advocate, artist, author, wife, and mama living with Bipolar Disorder. Through sharing her lived experience, Julie is passionate about helping others feel seen, understood, and less alone in their mental health journeys. Known for her honesty, compassion, and creativity, she uses storytelling and advocacy to encourage open conversations around bipolar disorder, stigma, healing, and hope. www.juliekraft.com

#thisisbipolar #thisisbipolarvlog #thisisbipolarpodcast #mentalhealthpodcast #bipolarpodcast #mentalhealthpodcast