Bi-polar 1 disorder

[catielynnb]

I have no advice to offer, but only encouragement through prayers. Bi-polar disorder is scary... I've been around people with it, and I've seen a few major melt-downs.

You can do this. Prayers for you and your family through this time, and the times to come...

 

[Hookeye]

Buddies wife went into a rough spell, turns out her thyroid was wacked.

I know of a gal who went into depression, was given some SSRI and she said it "didn't work" so the docs gave her another, she said that 4 different times, about 3 or 4 weeks apart each switch.

IIRC they want a person to try ONE for 8 wks min to see how well it works.

4 different SSRIs in two months and her brain was one messed up cocktail. Very hard on the family, but eventually things got better.

Think her doc was a quack.

 

[GBuck]

Mom had it. Pm me if you would like to get in contact.

 

[tv1217]

My Dad's ex was bipolar, one day the crazy got stuck in the on position and she high tailed it to the UP with his money.

I guess before they married, her brother warned my him.

 

[cwillour]

Our thoughts and prayers. Lived (living) with it in my family and wish you the best of luck.

As has been said, meds are vital but the right cocktail can often allow a "normal" range of function most of the year so all does not have to be lost forever. That being said, one of my family members was up and down for over 15yrs after diagnosis before they finally found something that worked consistently (and that was at some of the top research centers in the country) so do not get discouraged if it is taking a while to get her stabilized.

Also, watch the food and additives. Certain foods can and will interact with her medications in unexpected manners (one person worked out with their MD a balance for using Fiji water as a mild boost instead of adjustments to the lithium dosage -- I am not kidding)

 

[EvilBlackGun]

+-one to Ted, plinker, and also this:

Be careful not to paint with too large a brush, "as with any illness sometimes knowing you have it makes the symptoms worse". It absolutely depends upon the individual. You might say, "As with MANY illnesses sometimes knowing you have it SOMETIMES makes it worse." "... been around people with it, and I've seen a few major melt-downs ..." Well, seeing is not knowing. Moods are as varied beween any two individuals as the PMS-moods are between two separate women. Don't judge unless you are bi-polar yourself. Then you can witness. It is NOT a chemical imbalance, even though doctors may prescribe drugs for it; that's what doctors do. Drugs help with some symptoms, and are not a cure. Bi-polar is a mess-up between the connections in the two sides of the brain. THAT cannot be fixed, and for a manic-depressive, normality is unattainable. It is more genetic than inherited. A family line can go 50 years with no-one having the symptoms. I am 75 yr. old, and have been bi-polar since way before it had that name, since age 5. Dealt with the mood swings like a little kid would. I hid out in comic-books. I made up stories for Dick Tracy to act in. I got way up in the tops of all the trees in the neighborhood, hollering like Tarzan. Just a kid, growing up. Life went on, and 'Nam happened at age 29. Got out of there, and the USAF entirely in 1968, but it was too late. Came home and began having bad recurring nightmares and constantly running thoughts. I ate sleepers like they were M&Ms, and it didn't help. Then I got sent to be checked for PTSD, and that was when they found out I was bi-polar, and locked on the manic phase, hard. It was awful. Went to a dozen shrinks from Ft Wayne, Marion, and Indy. before they finally did
diagnose it, and did something that worked for me. The highs and lows are still a challenge. It makes it easier to deal with it when I know that there are friendly meds in the amber vials that will help out a lot. Like he said, the meds working leads to thoughts of, "I don't need the meds, I'm just fine." Nope: you can NEVER stop taking the pills. You will ALWAYS have the abnormality. If you need to talk to someone who understands your dilemma, PM me. Maybe I can help. Life is good. EBG

 

[Ogre]

My grandfather had it, and was undiagnosed until the late 1980's. My mother and Granmother knew something was going on and he was sick, he would go manic for a couple months every few years and he would come back to normalcy. The older he got, he was not able to come back down. He sought medical explanation and got his diagnosis (Lithium), and stayed in a psych. ward for about a month to get balanced out. Eventually he started getting dimensia and the Dr. couldn't get his meds right, there were many episodes. It got so bad, I had to step in for everyones safety, and he was admitted to the psych ward again. He never came home after that, he went from the psych ward to a nursing home. He was never "right" again either, I think he was dosed to stay on the more calm depressive side. I hate to think of him the way he was for the last 5 or so years of his life (very depressed and many times hatefule and resentful), I choose to think of him how he was when I was a kid.

My wifes fathers third wife was also Bipolar. I don't know much about her diagnosis or treatment. I always figured she was eccentric. She went to NYC for a business trip, stopped her meds, and wasn't heard from, aside from a few incoherent manic phones calls, for the the next month. She racked up $30k in debt on some credit cards, had "relations" with several men, and was more or less running the streets. I'm not sure exactly what brought her back down, but she was admitted in NY and finally came back a short while later(IIRC). When she was in NY, I related my families experiences with my Grandfather. I more or less told him, that If I were in his shoes, I would file for divorce (only been together a few years/ no kids) (and I am extremely anti divorce), because it was going to be a lifetime of heartache, turmoil and episodes.
Take from this what you will, but my first piece of advice, is to make certain that Children are SAFE, and try to help them cope with why mommy is acting this way towards them. And above all, make sure she doesn't have access to your firearms. Good luck, and God be with you.

 

[Ted]

Be careful not to paint with too large a brush, "as with any illness sometimes knowing you have it makes the symptoms worse". It absolutely depends upon the individual. You might say, "As with MANY illnesses sometimes knowing you have it SOMETIMES makes it worse." "... been around people with it, and I've seen a few major melt-downs ..." Well, seeing is not knowing. Moods are as varied beween any two individuals as the PMS-moods are between two separate women. Don't judge unless you are bi-polar yourself. Then you can witness. It is NOT a chemical imbalance, even though doctors may prescribe drugs for it; that's what doctors do. Drugs help with some symptoms, and are not a cure. Bi-polar is a mess-up between the connections in the two sides of the brain. THAT cannot be fixed, and for a manic-depressive, normality is unattainable. It is more genetic than inherited. A family line can go 50 years with no-one having the symptoms. I am 75 yr. old, and have been bi-polar since way before it had that name, since age 5. Dealt with the mood swings like a little kid would. I hid out in comic-books. I made up stories for Dick Tracy to act in. I got way up in the tops of all the trees in the neighborhood, hollering like Tarzan. Just a kid, growing up. Life went on, and 'Nam happened at age 29. Got out of there, and the USAF entirely in 1968, but it was too late. Came home and began having bad recurring nightmares and constantly running thoughts. I ate sleepers like they were M&Ms, and it didn't help. Then I got sent to be checked for PTSD, and that was when they found out I was bi-polar, and locked on the manic phase, hard. It was awful. Went to a dozen shrinks from Ft Wayne, Marion, and Indy. before they finally did
diagnose it, and did something that worked for me. The highs and lows are still a challenge. It makes it easier to deal with it when I know that there are friendly meds in the amber vials that will help out a lot. Like he said, the meds working leads to thoughts of, "I don't need the meds, I'm just fine." Nope: you can NEVER stop taking the pills. You will ALWAYS have the abnormality. If you need to talk to someone who understands your dilemma, PM me. Maybe I can help. Life is good. EBG

I also appears that your illness has also created an inability to structure sentences and paragraphs. Your post most resembles a jigsaw puzzle with only some of the pieces properly assembled.

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

My Mom was a short-cycling Bi-Polar. Made life very difficult when growing up. Take the time to shelter your daughter from the madness. As she gets older, she is going to have a lot of questions about her own self worth. Be honest that Mom's anger, rage, and depression is arbitrary and not normal for day-to-day living. She and your newly expected child are going to need a lot of extra love and support.

 

[EvilBlackGun]

You need to get out more.

And by all means, have yourself checked. Your messiah-complex is showing. You rolled right over the quotes. But you made a nice catch on that particular symptom of the manic part of it all ... even a hyper-manic symptom. And to others: there is no use for such a word as "normalcy" when "normality" is what you mean.

I also appears that your illness has also created an inability to structure sentences and paragraphs. Your post most resembles a jigsaw puzzle with only some of the pieces properly assembled.

 

[strahd71]

I also appears that your illness has also created an inability to structure sentences and paragraphs. Your post most resembles a jigsaw puzzle with only some of the pieces properly assembled.

wow what a douche bag comment

jake

 

[spasmo]

I'm not sure how this thread turned into insulting each other but it stops now. Someone asked for help. Either help or keep your mouth shut please. Any more insults and some banning will occur.

 

[strahd71]

I'm not sure how this thread turned into insulting each other but it stops now. Someone asked for help. Either help or keep your mouth shut please. Any more insults and some banning will occur.

yea i dont know how it got that way either!

jake

 

[gungirl65]

That wasn't very nice!

Sometimes the grammar police just need to stay on their own pedestal and bite their tongue. When someone is brave enough to share you shouldn't kick them in the teeth for it.

 

[strahd71]

Sometimes the grammar police just need to stay on their own pedestal and bite their tongue. When someone is brave enough to share you shouldn't kick them in the teeth for it.

now doubt, it took a lot of courage for EBG to post that, and to have someone come up with that is just wrong and disrespectful.

jake

 

[Scutter01]

Ok, it's time to move on.

 

[miguel's sister]

Prayers and best wishes to you. I worked with a woman who is bi-polar. It was not easy to deal with, and that was just in a work environment. I hope the doctor comes up with the right combination of meds for your wife. From what I saw with my coworker there were times they had to be adjusted to find the right balance for her.

 

[Aggar]

Thank you everyone for the information and support. It's going to be a long road but we'll get there. I think this is partly do to her having brain surgery in September 2010.

 

[Ted]

As I just got home, please allow me to reply. Particularly when I've already been called out by name.

Where is the courtesy to not utilize some semblance of structure when posting?

Why should I be forced to have to decipher someone's convoluted post, particularly when I find a post title of -1 with my name attached?

I'm not the grammar police, and I don't expect absolute perfection, but I do expect that someone use something that resembles punctuation, sentences, and paragraphs to provide the reader a bit of ease to understand when reading. Otherwise, what is the point of posting?

I got to what appeared to be the fourth sentence in EBG's post, and I no longer had the patience to attempt to decipher the meanings. This, despite the potential for any number of valid points in his reply.

/rant.

 

[Scutter01]

As I just got home, please allow me to reply.

When a mod posts a warning to "drop it" or to "stop the fighting", you are well advised to let it go. In this case, there were two mods giving two warnings. This is not your opportunity to get in your two cents one last time. Goodbye, Ted.