Bipolarism

[Shea]

Can anyone tell me more about it?  Maybe something more specific than your average research?

[Buffy]

It's a big topic. You might want to look at Wiki first and come back with questions. 

 

I have a close friend who has been diagnosed with it. There is a lot about it we do not understand, and treatments for it are less than perfect, but it can be managed.

 

 

The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they're okay, then it's you, :phones:

Buffy

[Verona]

The thing that gets me about bipolarism is that 20-30 years ago, who knew this condition even existed?

 

I remember back in the 90s, a lot of my friends' children seemed to be diagnosed with ADD but not specifically with bipolarism. How come back when I was growing up (1960s) no one ever talked about someone being bipolar?

[arissa]

There are many things out there that they never knew about. Something does not exist without proof and a label. We tend to label many things and sometimes I think we over think some of the stuff too.

[Laci]

I agree, arissa. Touching on what Verona said, many of the children that I knew were being diagnosed with ADD back in the 90s. I found it hard to believe at that time that all these children were affected. Some of them may have needed some type of support, but many that I observed were exhibiting normal child-like behaviors. I see far too many medications being prescribed far too freely for this. Granted, there are some people that do have very real mental illness issues, especially bipolar disorders. There are also some that are labeled needlessly. Anxiety is a part of life and many people feel that they need to be medicated for it. This is so common in society now, but not heard of often back in the day.

[Deepwater6]

I lived with someone who was truly bipolar for a long time. I also agree that it is misdiagnosed and often given out too easily by doctors. My ex-wife was truely tortured by bipolarism.. As a consequence all of us in the family incurred the problems that came with it.

 

She would often be kind and seem very social, but it could change for any reason at any time. When she had an episode it made everyone uncomfortable and the disease seems to enjoy that. We had gone through dozens of dentists, doctors, even hair stylists who refused to let her back. Unhappy with something the dentist said or did in a innocent way would set her off. It then turned into her screaming at the doctors or the nurses, and receptionist. It's almost as if someone had threw a switch and she was a different person. It ruined vacations, holidays, and birthday parties. Of course the "calm down" and 'take it easy" just enraged her more. It was pure intense rage way over the top.

 

I would often apologize for the incident to whom she directed her rage and make up some excuse like she is under a lot of stress at work. But she didn't work anywhere long because of it. Most people accepted the excuse understanding that we all have bad days until it happens with her a second and third time. Holiday get togethers were very stressfull for me and my relatives.

 

At times I could actually see her trying to fight this. straining to keep her composure she was in there, but she wasn't successful. There was a part of her that did not want to do what she was doing and when it happens it rips her apart. Basically she seems to have tortured soul. I always thought doctors would fix her, but none ever did. 

 

There were times that she was conscious of the disease. moments of clarity that she was sorry for what she did. We went to doctors and psychologists to help us. One doctor prescribed a drug that didn't allow her to care about anything and I mean anything. On that drug I could tell her I was burning the house down and she would say "ok I'm good with that= I don't care". Its really kind eerie to have someone so close never ever question anything you do.

 

It got so bad that she stopped caring about important things, like picking up the children from school. when I asked her if she felt bad for not picking up the children it was the same response "I don't care".

 

Obviously we had to get away from that. It was nice while it lasted for me and the kids in one sense though. For that brief period of time there was no fear of violent confrontations with teachers, store clerks, neighbors, relatives, co-workers, or anyone else we came in contact with. We did not have to hear about any conspiracy theory's as to why the neighbor is purposely blowing some grass onto our yard etc., etc.

 

There was also a flip side to this behavior as well. She would always find a new church or boy scout troop and throw herself entirely to it. When on that flip side she would be very happy, positive, and involved. It's almost as if she needed to get there acceptance. so she would go above and beyond in these groups. She wouldn't just go to the services at a new church she had found, she would volunteer for anything and everything the church had available. She wouldn't just sign up to be an usher one service as was the norm, she ushered all the services. All the bake sales, plays, (including building the sets) and clerical work. When she was on this high she was a tremendous people pleaser. But the inevitable always came, the switch would get hit by someone at that was it. The whole church was conspiring against her, people were lying to her and another uncomfortable screaming match. She would  act very obtuse completely ignoring people from the group who have no idea what's going on. People who were friendly yesterday would get no response when they said hello to her at the grocery store or it would be a screaming event. Because from then on everyone at the church was talking about her and conspiring against her.

 

We were together for 25yrs. Why did I stay so long? I have several reasons that kept me with her. I did not want my young children growing up and seeing her disease as to how one normally acts when dealing with their peers. I would more than likely only see the kids on the weekends and stayed with her to act as a buffer for the children against this disease. I also loved her and honestly still do. The real person was in there and it still is, the one that's not high or low, the one with clarity, is a beautiful person. We are still close and she would do anything for me, but the kids are grown now and it's time for me to take so time for myself away from the disease.

 

I don't look at bipolarism as being any different from other diseases. It affects lives the way breast cancer and diabetes sufferers go through. The only difference is you cannot see it. there are no physical traces easily found by doctors, there is no ways to measure it like your blood pressure or your sugar, but there are serious, often harmful consequences that occur because of it.

 

RenTohimaru- I'm not sure if you are just interested in this topic or have someone close that you suspect is bipolar. I sincerely hope for your sake it's not the latter. All this disease can offer is unpredictable chaos. 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited June 7, 2014 by Deepwater6

[Laci]

I am so sorry for your anguish, Deepwater6. I know how difficult it can be. Unfortunately, I do know a couple of people who suffer with this that are dear to my heart. I also work in the field of medicine taking care of people with this and other mental illness. It is very discouraging. Your heart is like a yo-yo right along with their personalities. You never know really what approach will work most effectively with them, as they are ever changing. You have to just continue to be the rock and be stable because they are not.

 

I totally understanding your reasoning on why you stayed. It takes a strong person to do that. I wish you the best. :)

[arissa]

That is something that really irks me, the whole normal child-like behaviors deal. We had a teacher this past year who swore up and down that our youngest was having issues in the classroom. When we dug deeper it seems the teacher is brand new and barely out of her newbie teaching years. She has no kids but expects children at a very young age to follow orders like little soldiers. We were advised to take our child to the doctor because she was "exhibiting ADD/ADHD like behaviors". When we dug more, every other kid in the classroom was getting written up just like ours was.

[Laci]

I knew a children's counselor like that. He was at one of our schools and had no children of his own. You can be very educated and earn your degree in child education, but having your own and being around other people's children really enlightens you to typical children's behaviors.