It’s 5:34 am and I have a ton of things to do. But before I take
off for the day I wanted to send you some quick information.
We have been talking about bipolar disorder episodes and things
you need to learn this week.
I get a lot of emails from people asking about treatment options
and preventing or helping someone through a bipolar episode.
This really amazes me because I say so many times I am NOT
a doctor. It’s a doctor who comes up with the treatment plan.
For some reason many don’t know this so I want to say it again.
Doctors come up with treatment plans and what medication a loved
one should take.
AND I will say, everyone should refrain from going and finding
people with bipolar disorder and asking them what medication they
take. It’s useless information because every patient is different
so therefore learning what some other person takes isn’t going
to really help your loved one.
What’s going to help them is getting them to a qualified good
doctor so he/she can get the RIGHT treatment plan. If you are
having problems getting a loved one to the doctor, keep reading.
Okay back to treatment. I want to tell you, and this doesn’t just
come from me, it comes from the National Institute of Mental
Health, they say and I quote:
“But in truth, many lives are ruined by this disease;
and without effective treatment, the illness is associated
with an increased risk of suicide.”*
I will add that in addition to increased risk of suicide,
those without treatment or proper treatment wind up destroying
themselves and others around them in every way possible. That’s
what happen to myself and my family.
I also wanted to add….
Psychological Signs of a Bipolar Episode:
Change in thought content (depression/elation)
Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness
Pessimistic/Overly-optimistic attitude
Hallucinations/Delusions
Paranoia
Suicidal ideologies/attempts
Impatient, intolerant, openly combative, aggressive
Highly demanding, violently assertive, highly irritable
Grandiose beliefs
Preoccupied with self/self-pity
Seriously impaired judgment/poor decisions
Difficulty concentrating
Okay, now before I get hate mail, and I will from people
with bipolar disorder that write and say…..
“DAVE, I AM NOT LIKE THAT, WHY DO YOU WRITE STUFF THAT MAKES
ME LOOK BAD.”
I will get something like this from a few people. Here’s the deal. I
have a list that’s like, well I don’t know right now it’s almost
over 90,000 people. I am trying to help everyone at the same
time giving everyone a ton of information and they can use
what they need to use.
It’s really, really, really, really hard to please everyone.
I can’t imagine if I was running for office :).
It’s important to let people know what the consequences of lack
of treatment are and also what the signs of an episode is. If
this doesn’t 100% fit you, someone with bipolar disorder, don’t
be offended. Realize this information is VERY helpful for
the vast majority of people out on my list.
There is so much with episodes I could go on and on which I have
for this entire week. I am trying to give you as much as I can
without sending out 40 page emails which actually I can’t send
out because of limitations with my software.
If you want more information on episodes….
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/
Well I really do have to run for the day. Actually I should
stop saying that because some people are in different countries
and think that means I am going to go running now. Actually
run for the day means leave for the day.
Have a great day.
Your Friend,
Dave
*http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/manic.cfm
I am in love with a BiPolar man! The thought that we may have met during his *mania phase* and that he may not remember details is very painful indeed! His need to degrade and abuse those closest to him is soul destroying and crumbles all hope, yet i love him and cannot walk away!!
Right now i am left mourning the person i once knew..some1 dynamic, sparkling and wonderful to b with..but this person now pushes me away agressively, saying i mean nothing to him and that he needs no help!!
I want to b his strength, but he won’t talk to me…what should i do?!
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I want to thank you for everything you are doing. I myself am bipolar and was diagnosed at the age of 13. It has been very tough to deal with and I have 2 daughter’s that were diagnosed with it also. My oldest one is now 14 and was diagnosed when she was 10. She has been in and out of hospitals and gone thru many doctors, therapists, and case workers. She is very physically violent especially towards me and now has a third assault charge pending against her. Things really took a turn for the worst this last Monday evening. After assaulting me again she then locked herself in the bathroom and tried to commit suicide by slicing her wrist with a pair of scissors. She is currently in a hospital and has left me with some very hard choices to make. Family services was called and I was informed in she returned to our home without recieving care at a residential care facility for at least 6 months that they were considering taking my other children from my home for their safety. I’m trying to feep my family together but at the same time I don’t want to lose everything so I am working closely with casemanagement to find the right care for her and to keep myself from regressing backwards with my illness. Right now things feel really hopeless but I continue to pray for guidance and support. I am and have been at home and on disability for mine since 2000. If anyone has anywords of wisdom or a similar situation they have gone thru I would appreciate anyones input and prayers. A mother’s love is a mother’s love and I will never give up on her…my parents always loved me and never gave up on me and I know now how hard that must have been for them. Thanks for reading and please be safe everyone!
Sincerely, Sherry in kcmo
The Guide to Signs and Symptoms book would say, if you have 3 symptoms from column A and 3 symptoms from coumn B, then you may have bipolar disorder! It is similar for other disorders like autism spectrum, etc.
For butterfly: fly away now! Abusive relationships are no fun and will mean trouble no matter what! He may be passive-aggressive and it is not up to you to diagnose him. He will get meaner and the police may hurt you after you call them, it happened to me and now I have to beware of the police as well as my S.O. Their whole attitude is that I should go somewhere if and when S.O. starts acting up, and take the younger kids with me…..your “friend” can and will make it seem as though you are the one who needs “help”.
DAVE: WHAT AN AWESOME E-MAIL
I was diagnosed 10+ yrs ago, I’m 42(successfully surviving), and with a son age 19 diagnosed 4 months ago. I have 2 daughters, 13 & 7, my 13 year old shows signs; my 7 year old has not.
Thank for the information you provide. You a great person to do this for others!!
Thank You,
Vicki Jo
I want to thank you for sharing this information. It really has helped me. I myself was heading into a depression because I kept blaming myself for always upseting my boyfriend. We would be getting on so well, and love him so much, but in the blink of an eye he could be so mean to me. But he would blame me and tell me that my behaviour was unacceptable, yet I didn’t even know what I did wrong. He would say he saw me looking at someone, yet he has no idea he has ALL my attention. The mood swing would tear us apart and set me in a depression thinking that there was something wrong with me.
I’ve never had difficulty getting along with people ever. No one has meant as much to me as this man. It’s breaks my heart not know how to behave to keep him from getting so angry and jealous. Its so hard.
Sherry, I am sorry to hear about your daughter I hope she gets better and works through her depression. I ask you why she felt she needed to end her life? It does make a huge HUGE point that it was after she attacked you. Maybe she was dealing with the guilt and thought it would be better if she was not there. Asking that. Taking her away from you and placing her in a hospital or foster home what would that do to her? I have a son who is 15 and I too dealt with the pressure of them wanting him removed from the house for the protection of the younger children. At the time I was so upset over what he did I was ready to let them have him, but my husband could not bear to think that way so for him I fought to keep our family whole. RULES were put in place, a door alarm to his room was installed and strict rules were laid down. No more leaving the house with out a parent. No more spending time at a friends house unless I was phoned from there and talked to the parent that was HOME not somewhere else. Also with him understanding that if he broke these rules it would be HIS doing and he would have to serve out the consequences. I made sure he knew that we wanted him home but only he could follow these rules to keep him with us. I also have case workers that are my “heavies” so that if he does break a major rule he gets in trouble not only by me but them. We talk about it often even though it has been 3 years now. Needless to say life was and still is very hard but, like your parents did we are determined to be the oak for our son. He has weekly meeting that talk about better choices and right thinking and it has helped. Ask your CPS folks about that. There are camps were they can go that will help. Of coarse insurance comes with that but if you are getting government help she may qualify for it for free. I do worry about you saying you’re concerned about your mental state also. You have to stay healthy in mind and body other wise your of no use to any of the kids. Talking helps, exercise helps and support groups help. Even a cup of hot coco with lots of marshmallows can help if you’re feeling your buttons being pushed too often. I don’t know if what I have to say has helped you any. I hope maybe a little. But just to make sure I didn’t over talk my self I was saying do your best to look at keeping your daughter with you but incase that can not happen remember that you did not fail but made an impossible situation work out best for ALL concerned. And with the younger ones they must understand that your daughter is “sick” ( I use the word sick because that is so much easier for young kids to understand) and that they need to not interfere or pick on her, that they need to do their best to keep her “healthy”. You are her best theapist, you have lived it.. take time to talk things out with her. When My son needs to really talk about something he knows is going to piss me off he says..”my I need to talk to my theapist now.” We go to a privet place I get a drink for us and I try to relax and get out of mommy mode to listen. I try to keep my mouth shut and listen to everything he wants to say and then only after he is done do I go over it with him and give him my advice. I also kid with him and tell him after he becomes rich I am going to bill him for all of our sessions.
4 Toni…
Thank u for the gentle words…
Walk away… how can i?!
Deep inside his illness, where he still remembers being him..i know he trusts me..and believes i am strong enough to ride his storm with him…
It took me many months to repair my destroyed self image..my self perception was warped..and i believed all the terrible things he said about me! He degraded my whole being without remorse..something that has never happened to me in my life..but fly away…?? I cannot let him fall!!
There are so many unanswered questions..
I wish we had m0re knowledge of the cognitive brain…
Loving some1 with a mental illness is so painful and unlike any other normal situation within a relationship…
He pushes me away..he says im worthless…and yes, he does make me feel like i am the one with a problem…
but… i’ll patiently wait..given any length..when he comes to me..i’ll b his strength!!
hello you never get used to the verbal abuse and name calling and blaming you for things, you have to learn that its all a smokescreen to get you off the real problems that they have at the time… i met the love of my life in 1975 she was 14 i was 17 now i am49 she is46, she is still the love of my life and we have been through many small episodes and about 8-15 large episodes 5 affairs several bad decisons money wisw & personal but this time i read alot of these mini courses and surfed the internet and talked 2 everyone i could find and my wife touched my heart again when she said she didnt want 2 live like this anymore and wanted 2 die i set up 24/7 untill i could get a dr. 2 get her meds that she quit takin then i got psychiatrist appt he diagnosed manic depression,schizo,ocd,parinoid andpersonality disorder all 3 girls have what the mother had . got mood swing meds and the 1st nite on them she started changing now 5 days later shes 80% back and next week they add another med and hopefully she willb 100%.its hard its roughon you its very emotional but in the long run its worth the wait when you get that 1st smile or touch or hug or kiss after so long or they say they love you again!!!! its worth all the pain 2 stay in there and not get divorced. the love will return the person will too ..neal still with the love of my life
oh i forgot you should write him letters so he can read when hes by himself & calm he mite write backand i hav a wierd way with wife she has a hard time telling me some things like if she feels like getting worse she cant say it to me so i got a ugly monkey ststue and set it on table by tv and told her 2 get that monkey anytime she feels bad or strange and sit it on top of tv and when i see that i will know shes havin problems and i can check and ask questions or take her 2 dr.. bringing me a certian book or closing a curtian or standing a certian way in certian places and she can comunicate with me even when her brain wont let her .. works good sofar