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Thread: BiPolar

  1. #26
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    Both my dad and my older sister are bipolar. Pops was mild and all his manic episodes were religious experiences. Would swear he was talking to god, receiving messages and acting on them, like taking everything red in the house and throwing it out because it represented satan. Shit like that. Spent a couple of times in circles of care and got diagnosed, lithium mellowed him out. I was young and dont remember much of it except no crazy god talks afterward. My dad is 82 and you would never know he had issues solid stable sage of an old man for the last 20 plus years. Sister went nutters when divorcing an abusive controlling husband. Went bat shit crazy, pulled gun on neighbor thought they were trying to take kids, would get in the car and drive aimlessly until it would runout of gas because she would hear voices telling her to drive. I was older in my lateteens so I bailed her out and picked her up many times. Thought shizo but eventually diagnosed manic. Holy shit she would go off her meds and do some crazy stuff. She found jesus seems to have the bipolar under control but now its all praise jesus this and pray about it that. Will not make a single decision for herself. Much more interesting and less scary bipolar LOL. Can still sense the bipolar when i talk to her, hope she can keep it together. Her oldest son is spending 6 weeks in a psych care facility with some similar shit. They are all first borns hmmmm. Sofaking glad I'm in utah and away from the drama that comes with that shit but sometimes I wish I was there to help out and be the responsible adult....

    Its really tough to see your loved ones go through this. The worst thing you can do is ignore the symptoms. The have severe potential to harm themselves, they have no control or idea of right or wrong or where limits are. In florida where im from you can "baker act" someone buy filing an affadavit that they are mentally incompetent and a judge will determine extent and at the least sign them up for a 3 day psych eval. We did it both for my pop and my sister, I believe it was done for my nephew. I imagine there is a version of this in most states. http://www.clerk.co.okeechobee.fl.us/Baker_act.htm

    Having been through this and still dealing with it to an extent I give you ++++ vibes. You'll need it. Keep your chin up, there are good days. But there are lots of bad ones. Since this is your son I assume unwavering support. Be careful of that, this drama is infectious and has a way of effecting everyone in close proximity. Make sure you dont forget the sane people in the family when dealing with the madness.....

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  2. #27
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    Good luck, be strong and supportive ALIAS. Plenty of good advice so far.

    Read "An Unquiet Mind" by Kay Redfield for a first person account of bipolar. As mentioned above, they have no control or idea of right or wrong or where limits are and it FEELS awesome in the manic stage. Like addiction, it has a will of its own and wants to go back to crazy.
    Education must be the answer, we've tried ignorance and it doesn't work!

  3. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rip'nStick View Post
    Good luck, be strong and supportive ALIAS. Plenty of good advice so far.

    Read "An Unquiet Mind" by Kay Redfield for a first person account of bipolar. As mentioned above, they have no control or idea of right or wrong or where limits are and it FEELS awesome in the manic stage. Like addiction, it has a will of its own and wants to go back to crazy.
    A Mood Apart, not sure about the author. I found it helpful.

  4. #29
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    Yeah, key is to be supportive and understand that during episodes, these things make complete sense. Had a family friend who was a super-great guy just go and claim his parents were helping the gov. spy on him before he hightailed it 2 states away and hid out at a homeless shelter for 3 weeks. Parents were scared stiff for him. Thankfully, he came to, got on meds and has been great ever since.

  5. #30
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    Did you see the 60 Minutes interview with Sen. Creigh Deeds last night? (son with mental health issues almost killed him in Dec.).... very interesting to watch.

    http://www.youtube.com/user/60minutes

    I also read somewhere recently that for young people with a predisposition for mental issues, pot can trigger the onset in a fast and dangerous way. (something to do with where their brain is at with development). I thought that was interesting. Need to find where I read that. (just re-read posts above and it sounds like that's exactly what happened with baddancer's son. Scary stuff.)

    (Edit: found an article... looks like source is Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology. 2013.)
    http://www.medicaldaily.com/marijuan...illness-248005

    Sorry your son and family have to go through this. I hope he can get the help he needs and stabilized.
    Last edited by hikesalot; 01-27-2014 at 02:06 PM.

  6. #31
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    ^^Saw the 60 Minutes interview and it certainly was an "eye opener" . . . not that I have been unaware of situations, but have never met anyone suffering from such a debilitating illness that not only affect them, but family and friends around them. Now this thread really brings it more to the surface for me. Hoping that more will be done to help those in need now that the issue is coming more to the surface in many different ways.

    Best of luck to all of those experiencing this now and in the future . . .

  7. #32
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    Appreciate all the replies. According to the doctors my son presented textbook bipolar I. Think my son will be discharged next day or two. We had a meeting with social worker today and my son is slowly and with an odd cadence to his speech, agreeing that locking up kitchin knives is a good idea (we don’t own a gun).

    All I can think is where the fuck did my son go,and why did he leave? Keep wanting to scream come back, damnit, I want my son back.

    Man is this hard.

  8. #33
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    He's the same son. Best o' luck to him, you and your family.

  9. #34
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    Alias.. Get ready for a lot of sleep and low stimulus. I mean really low stimulus.
    Take him on walks and don't try to ask him too many questions. There is plenty of time to figure things out. Keep him close. He needs a lot of rest.

    Not sure what medication he is on if any. My guess is he is on something. My understanding of a manic state is that there is too much dopamine in his system. The meds are usually a "dopamine blocker". The dopamine is what makes him high on life and feeling awesome all the time including no sleep. His brain has gone through some sort of "trauma" and will require a fair bit of non thinking, rest, and sleep. Don't let the sleep scare you if he wants to sleep, let him sleep.

    I completely understand your feeling of "losing" your son. I still have that feeling most days. He is still my son but not the same guy I went camping, surfing, mountain biking, track racing, bla bla bla. He's still there, I just need to figure out a way to crack him open again. I am going to get it dialed and am sure you will too.

    It's really hard but remember to take care of yourself too. Go out with friends, have a beer or two and ride, ski or do whatever you do. You alone can't fix him and you need to remember that you have a life to live as well. Get some couselling and take to the pros as well as your friends. I have found out that the pros don't always have the right answers. Sometimes those closer to you can help you more. Don't be afraid to use your friends as sounding boards.
    What if "Alternative" energy wasn't so alternative ?

  10. #35
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    I feel for you guys, keep plugging.

  11. #36
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    Mental health issues are hard. For some reason it is socially unacceptable to be mentally ill, and there is no outpouring support like there is for physical ailments.

    My cousin was bipolar and struggled with much of the same things bad dancer mentioned. Manic episodes writing a book, voices in his head telling to stop his meds and telling him he was the second coming of Christ. He was institutionalized twice because he was a danger to himself. He published his book online, got the URL tattooed on his chest and was going to crucify himself in Mexico. He was released from the hospital the 2nd time and went to Guatemala, but returned only to commit suicide.

    I didn't see him very often after his diagnosis. He was always on his meds when I did see him and seemed normal, but I would hear of his manic and depressive episodes from my aunt. Drugs and alcohol played a large part in triggering his episodes. His parents put him in the hospital against his will and that strained their relationship until the end. He didn't think he wasn't sick, he knew he wasn't sick and he was Jesus. That was the hardest part to overcome.

  12. #37
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    Life's a trip ALIAS, you have been dealt some interesting cards.

    Another thing to keep in perspective... is that it is all a beautiful and magnificent expression of life, the life that we see all around us. What WE thought life should be is irrelevant and unrelated to what we experience.

    If you have ever had a drink from a stream high in the mountains where there is nothing but the sound of wind and occasional water, and you feel that peace with the way things are, then you have some understanding of why it is as it is. No mistake, you seem to have a larger pack than the rest of us. But the path before us is to see new heights and see the valleys from where we came. Or we find the burden cuts too hard into our back and we walk down to the familiar valley, to live in the comfort of a home, on the side of a hill we think is stable, but we will never really know.
    Education must be the answer, we've tried ignorance and it doesn't work!

  13. #38
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    Solid advice already handed out by solid maggots. My experience ranges from a friend's wife that threw herself on a moving car while pregnant, to a girl I dated in school, to the thousands of patients I have seen that are trying to punch me in the face at work.

    Get medications. Get a good psychologist to work with you. Depending on how extreme his swings are, you may be able to manage this just with meds. I dated a girl that was bipolar, and she managed it with depakote. Kind of a fucked up relationship.

    If you can control drug use, do it. It only exaggerates bipolar. Alcohol also induces swings.

    Best of luck to you. I hope this is resolved with medication regime.
    "Yo!! Brentley! Ya wanna get faded before work?"

  14. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by bad dancer View Post
    Alias.. Get ready for a lot of sleep and low stimulus. I mean really low stimulus.
    Take him on walks and don't try to ask him too many questions.
    Very helpful. First few times I went I asked him a lot of questions trying to access what was left of who he was. Saw saturday with wife's help that's just making it worse.

    The thing, like someone reaching in and grabbing my heart in ther fist, the first thing he asked for in the hospital was his homework assignments so he could keep up. Was asking about it last night.

  15. #40
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    Dont think of this as your son gone, its a change, a hurdle, a challenge... there is no reason to think that this is going to end badly or that you son's future is over or limited.. he can still succeed academically and in life.

    As many bad outcomes you are hearing about, there are good ones, too. You wont hear them as much because people don't like to talk about or admit to mental illness... if its managed, only those very close need to know..

    Take a deep breath and dont let your son believe otherwise. Make sure he knows you arent disappointed in him, havent lost faith in him and most importantly, that you have his back..

  16. #41
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    one of my best friends is bi-polar. takes his meds as prescribed and he is very successful. drinks also and makes it work.

  17. #42
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    I know this might seem way out of left field, but you might take a serious look at his diet. I had a friend from high school that was bipolar. I watched her destroy about 15 grand worth of windows, tv's, and what ever she could get her hands on trying to throw stuff at her sister. Her parents had a bit of money, and finally came across a doctor that found out she was Celiac. Within months of her changing her diet, she was much better. She said she went to support groups for a couple of years, and almost every person that made permanent changes to their diet saw great results. It's worth trying.

    http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...mental-illness
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  18. #43
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    I have a brother some of the old timers here have had flame wars with. I'm pretty sure he's bi-polar but not diagnosed. He was diagnosed with depression a couple years ago but everyone who knows him thinks they got it wrong. I was chatting with someone who mentioned that when the snow is good he is easier to deal with, she figured it was because he tours his fuckedupness out. She also said that most people don't like him once they really get to know him. He tends to be mentally abusive to his partners. I've heard he doesn't sleep much. He's always been moody and had a short temper.

    He smokes tons of weed all the time and has since high school (he's 50yo). As his brother I can say he was always a prick but I was usually able to look past that. A few years ago, before he was diagnosed with depression, I did something (don't know what) that pissed him off and he hasn't spoken to me civilly since. Every time I see him around town he blows ups and spews a torrent of profanity towards me.

    Not much I can do so I just avoid him but I suspect one day he'll blow out completely and come after me.

    Good luck Alias101, it must suck to see your offspring like that.
    You are what you eat.
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  19. #44
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    nice thoughts mtn. girl.
    b
    .

  20. #45
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    Quote Originally Posted by flowing alpy View Post
    nice thoughts mtn. girl.
    b
    A positive attitude from support and staying in the day often helps. Projecting only shows the fearful aspect. One way to look at it is to realize that this problem has probably been around for years. The opportunity to address it is hear and it could mean a whole new happiness. Prepare yourself for good things to happen!

  21. #46
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    What people have said about substance use is important. In bipolar folks and those with a psychotic illness abstaining from drugs is really important. I wonder how legalizing marijuana will affect the people I see.

    Also, watch alcohol intake. Many of the mood stabilizers are broken down by the liver so using alcohol heavily in conjunction with these
    medications can cause harm.

  22. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by CantDog View Post
    What people have said about substance use is important. In bipolar folks and those with a psychotic illness abstaining from drugs is really important. I wonder how legalizing marijuana will affect the people I see.

    Also, watch alcohol intake. Many of the mood stabilizers are broken down by the liver so using alcohol heavily in conjunction with these
    medications can cause harm.
    lithium and alcohol do not go well. i think my friend goes off his lithium if he is going to drink. he is married and I think his wife helps him with the meds

  23. #48
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    Bipolar bump.

    Hope you and your son are doing well Alias !
    Just finished reading through all the posts and already gleaned some more info that I missed. Still incredibly helpful.
    Journey is going OK for us at least. Meds are helping. We have been back to hospital two times since last post in this thread. Last admission was unbelievably brutal ! Holy Fak is it every outrageous when mania hits !! Do not take the spring full moons lightly. ! If you are still out there, PM me for any updates and questions. Would love to here how things are making out.

    Dancing badly as always.
    What if "Alternative" energy wasn't so alternative ?

  24. #49
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    Stay strong BD... you may be a bad dancer, but you sound like a great dad.
    Screw the net, Surf the backcountry!

  25. #50
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    Quote Originally Posted by iceman View Post
    bad dancer, that sounds more like a psychotic episode than a manic one, vibes to you, that's rough either way.
    SIL is bipolar and holy hell has she put us all through the ringer. As Bad Dancer said, the disease sometimes goes hand in hand with psychosis. My SIL swore my home was infested with ROUS's, like capybara or some such. She believed I had trained them to eat her. No shit. That's just the tip of the iceberg for her.

    Vibes BD and anyone else dealing with this. Although I gotta say, this week has me pretty close to wearing a rakusu, ingesting random tinctures and generally living in my backyard.

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