In my bipolar group is a couple that met at the group. I don’t know how long they’ve been together, but it could be a long time. They live in the same apartment building, but on separate floors. They get together for meals, but as each requires a lot of time alone, particularly during certain moods, they get a lot of time alone. I do not believe they are married, but I think they are in it for the long haul.
The advantages are that they can support each other, and as long as they aren’t both having an episode at the same time, they can be the primary support person for the other.
They also get to be with someone who totally understands what you’re going through, and that is an amazing thing. Having shared that kind of experience is a bond—well I can’t begin to describe what it means.
Another advantage is that they can both be odd, or smart, or fanatical in similar ways. I’ve heard more than a few bipolar folk say denigrating things about the intelligence of mundanes (to borrow an sf term). They feel absolutely comfortable and secure that they won’t be talking over the heads of people in the bipolar group. So I would imagine that a couple could keep up with each other that way, too.
Of course, the disadvantes are there, too. One of them is if you both do have an episode at the same time. You can probably keep setting each other off, whether it’s mania or depression. It helps that they have the support of the group, too.
There are challenges to a relationship with someone who isn’t ill, too. Perhaps the biggest is explaining one’s behavior. Bipolar logic can seem terribly illogical to people without the disorder. But that’s another story.
Is such a relationship being considered?