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Bipolar Disorder/bipolar and affairs

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Expert: - 11/6/2007


Question
"I have just been diagnosed with bipolar about a month ago.After having 2 affairs in 6 months, my husband and I are trying to work through it.He wants answers and I don't want to talk about it.I get very angry when he brings it up.We are going to start marriage counselling but I'm wondering if I should be counselled by the psychotherapist first?He's getting very frustrated and I don't know how to deal with this or which one to deal with first."


Answer
Hi lisa,

If you have been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, you husband needs to understand that you have a serious mood disorder that can be treated. Most people with BD respond well to the hypoglycemic diet at:

The Hypoglycemic Diet at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/hypoglycemic_diet.html

Also in the manic stage it helps to take lecithin. See:

Lecithin at:
http://www.google.com/search?complete=1&hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&safe=off&q=lecit...

But don't take this in the depressive stage.

Please discuss with your doctor.

From a psychological point of view being depressed may result in infidelity, because the person believe that his/her depression is due to environmental situations, instead of realizing it is endogenous. Being depressed may mean "I am not happy with my husband..." without realizing that the depression  is due to an internal biochemical illness.  Once the illness is being treated the drive to seek "happiness around the corner", out there in the world, will abate.

Usually in marriage guidance counselling, the counsellor will FIRST interview one partner and then the other, followed by a joint session with both partners.

Please study our

Self-help PSYCHOTHERAPY course at;
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/i-psychotherapy.html

from beginning to the end.

The Values Clarification course at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/psychotherapy/values_clarification.html

will help you to analyze what you and your husband have in common and what keeps a marriage going.

I hope you will find happiness.

_______________________________________________
Jurriaan Plesman BA (Psych) Post Grad Dip Clin Nutr
Editor of
The Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia.
www.hypoglycemia.asn.au
Author of "Getting off the Hook"
Freely available at Google Book Search

Bipolar Disorder

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Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist

Expertise

Have worked as a psychotherapist for overv twenty years, dealing with many personality disorders

Experience

I have a degree in Psychology from the Sydney University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Nutrition. I am also the author of “GETTING OFF THE HOOK” which deals with the nutritional and psychological treatment of personality disorders. It is freely available on the internet at Google Book Search. I am interested in the relationship between nutrition and behaviour, and as a Probation ans Parole Officer facilitated groups for offenders, many of whom were alcoholics and drug addicts, sex offenders or compulsive gamblers, as well as the whole gamut of “personality disorders”. I am also the ex-editor of the Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia Newsletter, a quarterly publication dealing with hypoglycemia and related health problems. Its web site, together with a shortened course of PSYCHOTHERAPY can be visited at: http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au

Organizations
Editor of the Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia. Its web site is at:

http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au

Publications
Author of the book "Getting off the Hook", It is freely available on the internet at Google Book Search. Various articles in the Hypoglycemic Health Association's Newsletters

Education/Credentials
BA (Psych) (University of Sydney), Post Gad Dip Clin Nutr (International Academy of Nutrition)

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