People who have not had to take this poisonous medicine should not opine about it. Take some yourself and see how sick it makes you, how groggy, and how not yourself. I hate it when my spouse reminds me to take them. Family and friends who are not MD's do not need to quiz me. I have already lost a gland and an organ to the meds I'm on now, and the first medicine was nearly fatal. Nevertheless, I take the pills, and my wonderful doctor works with me. It's easy to say going off the medicine is bad--unless you have taken them yourself. Thank goodness there was no fog-inducing medicine for Winston Churchill, who had bipolar disorder. Otherwise, we'd be writing in German right now!
I have a loving and supportive spouse, but he doesn't know what to do sometimes. I am going to show him the tips from the previous writer, which seem more useful than the ones in the article. We have a lot in common: my mother was also bipolar and possibly my father, too. My spouse and I have been married 22 years. He's the rational one, and I'm the creative one. Maybe that's why I have to fight for my identity and my art.
I am one of those parents that remind my sons to take their meds. they really do forget to take them and need help at times remembering. As a mother I do know what the meds are doing to them and that they have side effects that can kill them. I hate knowing this and yes it does bother the mother, father, or spouse. Speaking as a mother I can not begain to say how much it hurts at times to know the very meds that my sons need to live their day to day lifes could someday cause their death. If there was any way I could make that illness go away I would do that for them in a heart- beat. The best I can do at this time is support them and when I see that they are haveing trouble remembering to take their meds i remind them, because I know and they know the pain of not takeing them.
I also forget to take my meds and I thank them for reminding me, I have Fibromyalgia and when I miss my meds the pain is beyond bareable. I do forget age does that to us parents.
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I have bipolar disorder (probably since 15 when I had my 1st suicide attempt), but was not properly diagnosed & treated for many years. I have been married for 34 years & my husband has been through quite a few trials with me, but he has been amazing. His supportive & helpful attributes are:
** When I am depressed, reassuring me that I have been through this before (unfortunately, many times) & will get through it again & have so much to live for
**Helps me to recall the GOOD times we've had & the good & successful things I've done in my life when my self-esteem crashes during the depressions
**Expresses his love & commitment to me often
**Listens when I need to talk & doesn't discount how I am feeling ("You shouldn't feel that way."
**Laughs & has a sense of humor & when I have a convoluted way of coming to a conclusion that is so different from his way (he is so darn RATIONAL) he says I am "creative"
**He encourages me as I strive for wellness with individual therapy & dialectical behavioral therapy group after a serious relapse 2 1/2 years ago (despite my doing everything "right"--taking meds, etc. but still went into a hypo mania then crashed into a sudden depression & overdosed); he doesn't blame me for my relapse & tries to ease the guilt & shame I feel about it. He also doesn't talk about the EXPENSE as our insurance doesn't cover but a pittance & then only a certain # of therapy visits per year & then we have to pay the full fee ourselves. He could certainly think of other ways to spend that money that would be more fun for himself. He also is saving money for long-term nursing home care should I need it as I've been turned down by 5 insurance companies due to my diagnosis, whereas he got it immediately.
**Treats me like someone he enjoys spending time with & not a "mentally ill" person
**We even laugh about some of my symptoms sometimes--as I do still have some lingering phobias that don't hinder my life too much but do pop up occassionally.
My mother had bipolar & did end up committing suicide. They didn't have the medications they have nowadays, of course, but she also did not have a supportive & loving husband as I do. I often wonder whether she could have survived if my father was able to support her & help her & love her while she struggled.
Hi Suzanne,
That's a great addition to the 'tips' approach. Thanks for such a thoughtful & articulate posting.