"Bipolar is what all of us here share in common. We are all traveling in the same direction, and we are all here to help each other. But we are all on different paths, hacking through unique thickets - different brains, different life experience, different personalities. As Tabby concluded:
It is my disorder, it's not everyone else's and I have to manage it, not everyone else."
AMEN
We CAN be a help to one another but only I can decide what is best for me. Only I can choose to try different recommendations; only I can listen to my doctor and decide to take or leave his expert advice. Only I can have the revelations for myself. I have only myself to praise or blame for the results of the actions I choose. I can choose to be a blessing or a bitch to others. I can choose to be kind or demeaning to myself or others.
Keep up the great conversations John. Lots of food for thought!
I too was so glad when "it" finally had a name, however, I wish I'd realized that that was going to be the easy the easy part. I was diagnosed in my early 30's & was told that I probably had BP from early childhood. In addition, I was diagnosed w/attachment disorder & PTSD. I jumped on the merry-go-round of meds. I couldn't take lithium & my body chemistry reacts oddly to most meds so i am limited in what i can use & tolerate. About 5 yrs. after diagnosis I found a workable combo that also included daily meds for chronic migraines. As everyone well knows, you just have to try to manage the effects of the meds. I've been in & out of therapy for many years but have found it counter-productive. I am very open about being BP1 & don't hide it from anyone. i consider it an illness just as diabetes is an illness. Unfortunately, the stigma is greater. I am now @ a point in my illness where it is in charge. That is my bipolar. It's helpful to communicate w/ppl who have some idea of what you're talking about & going thru but it is also frustrating b/c when it comes down to it you are still the only one living in your head. *Sry if this went off subject*
I would just like to know, how people are diagnosed.....what tests are done? My son overdosed on Ecstacy but was revived, and was then diagnosed 2 weeks later with Bipolar. I don't know alot about the disorder, but I have been trying to get my son help for the last 3 years, with no avail. All the doctors seem to want to do is dope him up, or sedate him to the point where he can't think, or even function. I can't give up, he's my son, even though he is 18 almost 19, I feel compelled to find him help. Anybody out there with any answers to the question about how they dianose you with the disorder, would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you,
Mom
I applaud your strong maternal instincts. I too have have sons & they have inherited some of the issues that run in the family. Your son is lucky that you are willing to be there & want to help, it can make a world of difference. Family involvement & support are 2 of the most important gifts anyone can give to someone suffering from a mental illness. I've never had a spt system & the affects have been quite extreme.
There are different diagnostic tests given-written tests,verbal "conversational" tests, having a complete physical completed and a full medical history taken including as much information as possible about your parents' history, emotionally & psychologically, as these types of disorders have been shown to run in families, altho' not neccessarily as the same disorders. In addition, a detailed behavioral history should be included. As your son has substance abuse issues, doctors often choose to look at this as the problem rather than as a symptom. Self medicating is pretty standard in those w/mood disorders.
Now, all that being said, your son is of legal age, therefor your hands are tied in many ways, as I'm sure you already know. (my sons are 22 & 24, so I understand). Much of what you are able to do depends on him. I will tell you this, you can't force someone into diagnosis no matter how hard you try. As w/anything else-they will just push back & if someone is going thru a mood issue it will be greatly exaggerated.
Just like the illness, the diagnosis & treatment is different based on the individual, but one thing is universal, having a safe & supportive place to be is the best of medicines.
I wish you & your son a safe journey.
I also wanted to note that there are some resources out there that you can check out. I found the DBSA - The Depression Bipolar Support Alliance - helpful. There is also NAMI -National Alliance on Mental Illness. Both of these have excellenct websites. Depending on where you live you might have a local NAMI or similar office. Some social service agencies also have referral resource lists as to contacts for specific issues. I've spent a long time doing my own "research" as i live in a smallish place w/no support groups, etc.
I've just about concluded that all mental illnesses are spectrum disorders and are unique to the individual. But in a way, physical illnesses are, too. We each bring to the table our own personalities, ways of coping, physical strengths and weaknesses, biases, chemistry, etc. The illness may generally follow a proscribed and generic course, such as cancer or diabetes...or bipolar. But we each come alone to the awareness of what it means in our own lives and how we will choose to deal with it.
All said, however, I do think it would have been helpful if my initial diagnosis had included enough information from my doctor to have a starting point as to what it could mean and what I might expect. I was simply given a medication (Trilafon) and shoo'd out the door. And there was no adequate info online at that time, either. I think coping skills are increased in proportion to the amount of information that is readily available.
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Yes, but how do you manage when you are deeply depressed and can barely function? What do you do with the anxiety which borders on the intolerable? For me this has lasted for a year and a half with no relief in sight despite meds and talk therapy. What can I do to help myself get back to "normal"?