Topic : Bipolar Disorder

Thank you for the information, spoke with the husband. Both of us will sit down and go through the website you recommended together, it is a start, something we have not had before. He also recently accompanied me to my appointment (with the doctor), and was able to ask questions, and participate. I believe this has allowed him to feel he is more apart of this, and will help strenthen our bond. Thank you again.

 

Forget me not

Regina Rea

i am a stay at home mother to my 18 month old son. my husband works 40+ a week, and i have no family or friends in this city. i have a family history of depression, as well as a personal history of depression and anxiety. i am a survivor of sexual abuse, and have had a very very difficult time coping with various other hardships and losses in my life. i do not have insurance, hopefully my husband's company will provide our family with it this year, but my problem is this: i cannot cope. before we had my son, i was a fully functioning alcoholic, as a form of self-medication.  now i do not drink at all. i have no desire to. but i am really the only person raising our son, since we can't afford help, or pre-school. i find myself coming in and out of depressive states, and fight panic/anxiety attacks on a daily basis (dealing w/ a toddler, you can only imagine why). i would love to seen a phychiatrist, therapist, or anyone that would even be able to help me with pX meds to maintain a healthy balance - but i can't afford it.  i don't know what to do, and i'm starting to have more days of feeling imbalanced. i can't stand for my son to see me this way, and many times i leave him in his crib so i can go into my room and cry. please someone. i need advice. i love my family and am otherwise healthy and happy, but there's just too many triggers now, and i can't control them all. i have no help, and feel SO alone. any advice is appreciated.

Please go to your social services office. They are so helpful. They can get you on Medicare, based on your income. My husband makes $33,000/year and we are allowed to have me on Medicare which makes my prescriptions $2-$5 tops. I see a Medicare psychiatrist, who is wonderful. Med. pays all her fees. It took 2 weeks for me to get all this help, due to a kind social services worker. Don't give up!!!

You are right, a brain dysfunction like bipolar disease cannot be cured by diet. It is good to have a proper diet, exercise & vitamins. I take folic acid, which helps b/c the brain can get depleted of B vitamins when in a manic phase. But I have to take Depakote & seroquel or I never sleep. Montel may have very mild manias, as some people do. But for the rest of us with very serious levels of this disease, do not believe in any "quick cures."

Each person needs a specific med/s. I cannot take Risperidal but it works for others (makes me very hyper). Ambien kept me awake! So do talk with your MD/psych & make sure s/he knows all the symptoms you are experiencing. Most meds take 4-8 weeks to settle into your system but if you are having bad reactions (super mania or suicidal thoughts), call your doctor immediately! My husband went with me to the first 3 appointments & that helped him a lot.  A good book for him to read would be Patty Duke's "A Brilliant Madness," her own story of dealing with bipolar disease.  You will do well!

Often, a person in high mania will experience hallucinations, etc.  This is from lack of sleep & also from deprivation of folic acid to the brain. Your daughter should be on a good combination of medications which specifically work for teenagers.  Meds have different effects on teens than on adults. I take seroquel for good sleep, to ward off psychosis. Best of luck to you! You are a caring Mom

I am currently on Lamictal, Abilify, and Temazepam.  I've had a lot of past meds that I couldn't tolerate for one reason or another.  I have been on my current med combo for a couple of years now, and it is the best combo I have ever had.  Some meds left me emotionally dead...my current meds let me have feelings without the extremes.

 

I agree that different people react differently to different drugs.  It is wonderful that there is such a wide range of choices for meds...if one combo doesn't work, different drugs can be tried.  It does take awhile to find the combination that is right, but it is worth the effort.

 

I haven't read that book...I think I'll go to the library and check it out....I was diagnosed with bipolar in 1995, after a previous wrong diagnosis of depression, and subsequent WRONG meds that made it worse for 5 years...the doctors just would't believe me that the drugs were doing more harm than good...now that I am on the RIGHT meds, I'm doing fine. (I've had bipolar all my life, but it went undiagnosed).

 

Another book that you might want to find is "Salt and Sugar" by Jane Thompson.  It is her personal account of her struggle with bipolar disorder and how she got her life back.

 

Becky

For the money problems, you might try social services, or try applying for Social Security Disability, then you can get Medicare for yourself.

 

Congratulations on quitting drinking...keep up the good work.

 

As a mom of three boys, I know the stress of raising kids...the toddler stage is difficult...they are so active, and so obstinant.  Just wait until they get to be teens...

 

For a doctor right now, try going to your local community mental health center...call the hospital if you don't know where to find it...they'll direct you.  The community mental health center will use a sliding fee scale, so you only pay what you can afford, and they can link you with the drug companies to get your meds for free, or nearly free.  Don't go it alone.

 

As far as getting a break...I understand about not having family or friends around...my family all live three hours away, and I still don't have any close friends.  BUT you need some time with adults to keep yourself sane.  Try joining a local MOPS (Mothers Of Pre-Schoolers) group...they meet all over the US, and they are usually linked with churches.  They wouldn't be in the phone book, but you could call some churches and find out where and when they meet.  I was in MOPS for a number of years, and it was really helpful to be around other moms of toddlers.  They have babysitters there, so you can meet with the moms and take a break from your child. 

 

I've been in the deep depressive state where I couldn't even move...Don't let yourself get there or stay there...you need to reach out...contact the community mental health center, and get involved in a group where you can meet with other people...I've also been the route of anxiety attacks so bad that I thought I was having a heart attack...again, get some medical help...you can't afford not to.

 

Another option is to check for a local chapter of NAMI (check www.nami.org for a local chapter).  They have regular support group meetings for people with different mental illnesses.  There is a local chapter near our home, and they have a support group just for people with bipolar disorder.

 

You owe it to yourself and your child and husband to get some help...meds make a huge difference for me, and I know that they can for you too.

 

Take care, Becky

my son is 7y w/bipolar-ADHD he is out of control we can't get him help he maybe only 7y but some of the things he does would scare or shock most i had to call the police 2-days ago we do get him help at the local MHMR  med's, counseling, the whole 9-yards iam at a point were i see no hope he needs long=term placement the state won't pay {He gets ssi } I looked also paying out pocket UH-NO $2500 month the worst part is i have cancer my life now is borrow time most of it because i can't get treatment on time there is no one elas to take care of him & he is a VERY hard child to mannage at least once a month we have to put him {mental hospital} there a 5-10 day program i want to help him in every way i give 1000% every day there has to be an answer some where some how if we don't find it fast i won't be here to help,support,him when he needs most  {thank all of you who takes time out to hear a mom crying out}

 

Hi Everyone from New Zealand!

 

I am a surviviour of bipolar disorder and have been on meds for quite some time. My question is I have been on olanzapine for over a year now but i am starting to get dizzy spells after I have taken my dose at night. Is there anything out there that I could use that we could get here in NZ that helps?

 

Thanks

Sandy Dickinson

Wellington NZ