Hi,
Before I get ready for the day, I want to give
you another warning about bipolar episodes which
will save you a ton of time and money. It’s
something that I thought of yesterday.
I must say, I wish I had this kind of information
years ago. I would have saved a fortune and so much
grief.
When it comes to bipolar episodes, many people
believe that all they have to do is get their
loved one to the doctor and that’s it. The
episodes will never come back. The doctor
will handle everything right? I mean
that’s what they get paid for right?
WRONG!!!!
My dad use to think this way and so do many
other people. Doctors are important, so is
medication and so are therapists. BUT, you
as the supporter are important as well.
Doctors can’t look into your home where
your loved one is. They have limited time
to gather information when/if the patient
comes in. You have to be the person that
fills in the gaps and connects the dots.
IMPORTANT THING FOR YOU TO DO
You should always be on the look out for the
physical signs of a Bipolar Episode which
include:
· Appearance changes (poor hygiene and grooming)
· Increased energy levels/Decreased energy levels
· Increased activity/Decreased activity
· Increased sleep/Decreased sleep
· Elated mood changes/Depressed mood changes
· Opposite behavior activity from normal
· Passivity/Aggressiveness
· Failure to take care of basic self-needs
(pay bills, go grocery shopping, etc.)
When you see the signs you must inform the doctor. PERIOD!
The doctor will not know unless you the support inform
them.
HERE IS ANOTHER BIG ONE. It’s kind of complicated to explain
and I explain it in my courses/systems but once you know
your loved one well, you will know that there are certain
signs of an episode that might not even be picked
up by anyone other than you.
For example, with my mom, she makes random food. In
her second to last episode she made candy apples.
She hasn’t even made candy apples. When I looked
back over many years, most episodes were preceded by
the making of random food. That was one sign.
BUT, be careful. In her last mini episode we caught,
she didn’t make any random food. ONE MORE THING.
Her last episode was very complicated to figure
out because she didn’t display any of her old
signs that she normally did. It’s like her
episodes changes so the signs were different.
If you are new, you might be thinking, “Man Dave
this sounds so complicated my head hurts.”
It’s actually not. It’s a skill.
If you can swing it, take a look at getting
my courses/systems because I go through all
this from a to z. If you can’t get them,
keep reading, I put out a lot of info
but it’s broken up and not all together
because it’s via emails, articles, podcasts,
teleseminars and in person meetings.
Take at look if you want.
SUPPORTING AN ADULT?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11
SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarparenting.com
HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.survivebipolar.net
Your Friend,
Dave
P.S. Check out my F.ree blog with copies of emails
that I have sent in the past and lots of great
information for you:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/supporterblog/
P.P.S Check out my F.ree podcast. Hear me give
mini seminars designed to teach you information
you can’t learn anywhere else.
http://bipolarcentral.libsyn.com
You speak often of contacting a person’s doctor as soon as you notice symptoms of an episode coming on. However, my daughter is 17 and experiences the rapid cycling. One minute she is in tears, the next she is high as a kite. I can barely keep up with her and I am not sure what to do. I cannot call her doctor every time I notice a mood change. She is supposed to be keeping a mood journal. Maybe this is something that I should try doing too? Any suggestions?
Just wanted to say I really need your emails. I am so lost in dealing with my son. He is 18 and just came to live with me last year. He lived with his dad when we were divorced, and his dad’s health was severly damaged due to all our son put him thru, until he couldn’t take it anymore and my son came to live with me. I cannot afford your materials, so I live by your emails. I am now attending a support/class on Brain Disorders, taught by NAMI, which is helping me, because I was totally unprepared for what I would have to deal with when he came to live with me. I was evicted last year, my son is in major debt, I had a emotional collapse. I need help.
wow
and Tom my husband just baked a pie…a rubber one at that…or at least it tasted like it.
What to do when other family members get involved but takes advantage of their own relatives bipolar to get their way?
As a sister, daughter and parent of several different kinds of bipolar I can tell you there are always signs before your loved ones are about to take a “dive” I call it the circle of what’s next?
They all have paterns in which they get into and they all have very different distructive behaviors, my son for instance is my dr jeckle mr hyde, but when he is about to start getting into trouble ie..smoking, stealing or breaking things he is “fixing” then he starts to get more argumentative more aggressive more lying and more melt downs where he cries. My mother on the other hand gets loads of energy, goes out to eat even when her money is very low and sleeps very little. My sister however is the hardest to handle because she is a rapid cycler so hers can build over time, sometimes months and then wham she will get violent and start accusing her husband of all sorts of things and if the family will not listen she takes it to who ever will listen to her. No matter how many times we show her that there was NO way he was doing any of the things she accuses him of it is not until she breaks down and starts crying do we know she is on her way back to us. Life is hard and loving them at times is very difficult. They hurt us embarras us and try us at every turn but I keep telling myself over and over…THAT is not my son,my mother or my sister. That is not who they are that is not THEIR CORE. It is the sickness that takes over and they are powerless when it does. When I do see the signs I brace myself, pray a prayer and step lightly. Remember who they are when they are not dealing with a storm in the brain. When they are the one you fell inlove with or who kissed you goodnight or the one who played dolls with you and cried with you during times of utter joy.
Kerryanderson, You have a great idea and I say run with it. You keeping a mood log of your daughter will help you see her patern. Make sure you take notes of times, people and places as well as her mood. Also if possible ask her how she is feeling seveal times a day and before she goes to bed ask her if there is anything she wants to talk about. With my son I noticed he seemed hesitant to hug me or approach me for physical attention. I asked him why he did not hug me like he did when he was a boy and he said ” Because you don’t love me anymore.” I was floored. Bi-polar children seems to need much more reasurrance that they are loved, cared about, and special. I tell him everyday several times a day “I love you.” I catch his eye when he is doing well and give him a wink or a smile. At times I want to rip my hair out and at other times I get to see what could be.
I hope this helps.
Gloria K,
Wow! My daughter says the same thing…about not being loved. I used to think that was just a card she would play when she acted out. But, after talking to her, she really feels unlovable because of some of the things she has done. I just keep trying to reassure her, as you do, that I will always love her. I have told her to call on me whenever she is feeling really sad, mad, excited, etc. She has been doing that more and more. How old is your son, and when did his bipolar surface?
Kerry, My son is 15 and his bipolar started showing when he was still a toddler. Never sleeping for long periods, having endless energy, and being very difficult to redirect. In kindergarden they wanted him tested for ADD. I did and he was said to have HDHD. I did not want him on meds at such a young age so I waited until he was almost 7 before I gave into the pressure from the school. BIG mistake. He did calm down and started a much better sleeping patten. Instead of 7 hours straight he started doing 8,9,10 hours straight. Woke up slower not popping out of bed at a run. Then he started what I deemed the “i dunno” stage. His mumbleing got worse and he rarely cried unless it was for being punished. Only then did he cry. Talk about hair pulling. You don’t cry when you hurt your sister, cousin etc.. but when you get told no TV or that your going to get 5 spanking you act as if I just killed Barney the dinosar. I found out later that the adderal I gave him, triggered his bipolar although for years and years to come I dealt with sevearal misdiagnosises. From Emotional issues, to anxiety disorder to Difiant Disorder. It took the state getting involved to get me to a doctor that finnally connected the dots for all of us. Believe me…I was the most shocked of all. NO he does not have bipolar I would say…He never has any down times. NEVER does he cry unless he is IN trouble and being punished. Bi polar my left buttox. But guess what… him saying I didn’t love him, that he was unlovable. That was down. My son lives on the grandiouses side of bipolar. His motto while up there is IF It feels good it is OK…as long as I don’t get caught. Scary huh? When did you find out about your daughter?
Gloria, I never knew that symptoms can actually start showing up that early! Sounds like it has been quite a ride for you and your son. At least now you know what is going on so you can help him learn to control it. Teenage years are hard enough without Bipolar. It has been exhausting for both me and my daughter, too. In our case, I first knew that something was wrong when I learned that my daughter was making herself throw-up. She started seeing a therapist and psychiatrist for an eating disorder. And then, we learned that she was also cutting herself. She fell into a deep depression and was home schooled for a while. The doctor put her on anti-depressants. But, somehow I knew there was something that was being overlooked. I started learning about Bipolar and, after recognizing many symptoms in my daughter, suggested that her doctor’s consider it. Now we are dealing with rapid-cycling Bipolar disorder, an eating disorder, and substance abuse. Plus, all of the normal teenage stuff. She no longer cuts herself, but she has to live with the scars. Finally, she is starting to accept and understand the disorder and is working to control it. But, everyday I fear that she will make a move that will destroy her life, if not take it. So, yeah…I know what you mean by “scary”. You said in one of your posts that you have other family members with the disorder, too. Do these relatives support each other in that they are dealing with many of the same struggles?
Kerry, The question was does the family members support the others with bipolar.. That is a yes and no question. My oldest sister is willing to accept bipolar as a reason why my son acts the way he does and she accepts some of how our sister acts because of it BUT is not willing to listen to that as a reason our mom was the way she was when we were growing up. She also has a daughter that is showing all the signs that she has it but she is not ready to take that step yet and tell her doctors about our family history to get them to even look into bipolar. Right now it is being looked at as Adhd. I warned her NOT to give her daughter any meds with out talking to me well she did. ADDERAL!!! not more than a couple weeks after she started them she started picking sores on herself and acting out saying she was going to kill herself. I was beside myself. But I guess she had to walk down that road herself because after all I was just her sister that lived though it and not a doctor. She regrets giving her the meds and changed it to another kind with anxiety in it also. *sighs* I wanted to save her from triggering it in Sarah. I failed.
Someone…Please HELP! My son’s ex is bi-polar. She has put our family thru hell and is continuing to do so.She has taken the children and left to another state several times. It is always when my son has had enough and tells her he is done with her. She told him..it was HER and the kids or he would not ever see his children again.Last year when she left and went to her mother’s, she accused her step-father of sexually molesting her daughter. After an investigation it was proved unfounded. My son allowed her back(about the 10th time)because he loves and missed his children. That didn’t work as she had promised to stay on her meds. and did’nt. In Sept. 2006 she left again and told him she would make his life hell. Now..she has accused my son of sexually molesting his 3 year old daughter. She has taken her to a childrens advocacy center and my grandaughter was taped saying that her daddy did it. I know that she co-erced her, but how do you prove it? I had not heard from her since Nov. 2006, until this last week when she has called me twice. She told me that she didn’t believe my son had done it. DCFS went to the school and talked to my 12 year old grandaughter..who lived when him all her life. I have talked to this woman(from DCFS) several times. She wants to close the books on this, but the tape has been mailed to the police..who want to arrest my son. In order to do so..she(his ex) has to come back to our state with the children. My grandaughter had been in a mental hospital for 3 weeks in Dec. and diagnosed with post traumatic stress sydrome, due to the allegations. She has taken knives and razors and said she was going to kill herself. I believe that(in fact I’m 98% sure) that my grandaughter has been misdiagnosed and is in fact bi-polar brought on by thier constant fighting and the seperation once again, from her father. How can her mother..who is bi-polar and won’t acknowlege it…care for my grandaughter, in a place where her great grandmother is also bi-polar. This is a mess. I pray every day for God to intevene and help us. I know..and I believe that DCFS believes that he did not do it. His life will be ruined by her atrocities and lies…but just as important is my grandaughters life and the seriousness of being misdiagnosed and the mental abuse she is suffering at the hands of her mother. My son needs your prayers and my grandaughter needs the proper medical care. Anyone have any advice? THIS is hell.
I know the above was long and I apologize. Anyone with advise please e-mail me at rose_farley2001@yahoo.com And thank-you.
I have been with my boyfriend for almost two years. Shortly after we met he told me he was bipolar. I didn’t know a whole lot about it or believe him. (I didn’t tell him I didn’t believe him until we were almost a year into our relationship.) A few months after we met I started to pick up on his moods. I could tell if he was manic or depressed when I would go over to his house by the way he would answer the door. If he was manic he would answer and give me a kiss and was really chatty. If he was depressed he would answer and I would get a go to hell look and he would walk away and go back to what he was doing and would not have a whole lot to say. Now that I have come to accept it I started doing a whole lot of reading trying to understand him better. It is really hard now to tell when he is on the verge of having a bad episode because I feel like he has learned how to fool and hide it from me, until he cann’t handle it anymore and goes off on something small. Then I know he hasn’t been taking his medication. I have a hard time with the medication thing with him. He does not see the importance of calling his Dr. and telling him when he feels like his medication is no longer working. We have been through alot, but I love him so I try to be understanding and have patience, but sometimes it’s hard on me and I feel like I need medication. On ocassion I have to be firm with him and constantly have to keep my eyes open looking for a sign.
Your articles have helped tremendously. Our adult son was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder in 2001. He lost everything he had including custody of his children. After 16 different medications and psychiatrists, he has been stable since last fall and has petitioned the court for visitation with his children. Since we had to file for grandparents’ visitation 3 years ago, we are able to see his children. Can the court keep him from seeing his children because he is Bipolar? We have a lawyer, but cannot get the real answers. Any suggestions? Thank you again for all the help you have provided with your articles.
I have a bi-polar husband. He was diagosed after we were married about a year.
I have learned along the way some of the same things that you are currently sending in the e-mails regarding not arguing with them when manic, etc. I’ve found the best thing to do when he’s manic (I’m sure everyone’s a little different)is this:
After about 2-4 days of a manic episode he’ll usually come to me and try to convince me that he is stable and tell me that he wants a divorce and he is moving out…but then he’ll get comfortable to sleep on the couch. I’ve learned to look at thim and tell him that I love him and will stick by him and try to get him to take his meds and sleep. After another 2-4 days of this treatment, he’ll generally be stable or depressed and apologetic or embarassed about his behavior…at least what he remembers. I don’t think he always remembers or wants to acnowledge everything.
My husband has a good doctor who is willing to work with me prescibing his meds. He is stable much more if the time than he used to be, and his episodes aren’t quite as severe when he gets them. My husband has really been burned by bad advice and bad counselors, though, and will no longer go to a therapist. What can I do to change his mind??