Bipolar Disorder or What?

There's a guy I'm dealing with right now, who isn't exactly "right," and I'm asking myself, "Well, is it bipolar disorder or what?" Here I am, not a doctor, psychiatrist, or therapist, but I'm diagnosing this guy anyway. Because I've seen so much of it. And so many people with it - did you know that 1 in 4 people has a diagnosable mental illness? That's a lot of people.

Anyway, the uneducated person in me just wants to get mad at this guy for causing me frustration, and for causing a friend of mine to have problems in his business because of him and things he's doing. But then I think, "He's just sick. There's something wrong with him, and he has a mental illness, and he's just a sick man."

Then the other part of me wants to argue: "Being sick is no excuse to do some of the things he's done. He can't get away with being this way just because he's sick."

And then I realize that these are some of the same comments that have probably been said about me! Or anyone with a mental illness. By people who don't understand.

So I'm trying to understand this man who is doing these things to my friend and his business. I'm trying to understand that he is sick, and that's why he's doing them. And I'm trying to be as understanding of him as I would want someone to be of me.

But there is still a part of me that honestly wants to scream at him, "You're sick and you need to get help!" since he doesn't seem to see his own sickness, and is not getting any help for himself, so he keeps doing these things to my friend (and others).

Then I think of my own stability, and that to maintain it I need to be tolerant of others and accepting of situations I cannot control. I think this falls into those categories.

Well, I want stability more than anything, so I'm afraiid I must, at least at this point, stay out of it, hoping he will see his own need for help, just as I saw mine when the time was right.

What do you think I should do?

Don't forget to check out my bipolar book at: www.brokenroseministries.com

Wishing you peace and stability,

Remember God loves you and so do I,

Michele