Since the amount of stress in a person's like plays an important role in determining how seriously or how often a person may fall ill, it naturally follows that finding ways of reducing stress becomes a priority in a family dealing with bipolar disorder

Establishing clear expectations and structure within the family does much to reduce stress.  For instance, a family may find itself adjusting to the irregular routines of an ill member who may be going to sleep late, waking up late, eating at odd times.  Altering family schedules to accommodate his or her daily living patterns will inevitably lead to resentment and stress.  It becomes necessary to make clear expectations.

Certain families may need to set up a regular daily schedule stating clearly when the recovering person is expected to wake up, eat meals, complete small grooming or household chores.  Besides being an aid to reorganization the ill person's thoughts, such a statement also server as a message that the family wants the person included in their regular routine.

Including a recovering person in the planning for any vacation, outing, visit or other activities helps relieve the anxiety related to unexpected events.  Plans might include how the person would like to deal with the situation.  Would he/she prefer to join the activity or to have quiet private time?

Also, the family needs to have made specific plans regarding any problem behaviors so as to reduce the stress related to power struggles.  Problem solving, reaching an agreement, writing a contract as to what exactly is expected, when, how often and what consequences will occur when the behavior takes place and when it does not, is often a useful process.