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Messages By: sunny23
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March 10, 2006, 11:43 am PST
 Quote From: gibson8313 You have both given my a ray of hope. My husband also was orginally diagnosed ADHD. He was also told that he had anxiety disorder. After trying so many medicines the doctor, in late 2005, said he also believes my husband has Bipolar tendencies. Over the last year his anger has gotten progressively worse and it disappears as suddenly as it hits. After reading some of these stories I felt my self becoming overwhelmed with grief, would my husband every get better. We are currently not living under the same roof because of his anger. the medications he is currently taking are adderall and zanax nothing for the bipolar unfortunately, this is because he has no health insurance and we don't know where to turn for help for him. Hi there - I am so sorry to hear about you and your husband! I understand feeling overwhelmed and helpless so here are some thoughts/ideas that have helped us. keep in mind that I am not a professional...just a wife helping her husband beat this thing! :)
First...i can't imagine how hard its been living apart, but I absolutely think you made the right decision. not only did you protect yourself, but you also protected him because he would probably never forgive himself if he hurt you!! physical safety has to always be considered. Second...i would research/learn as much as possible about bipolar disorder, especially since his doctor mentioned it. when i finally read the symptoms of bipolar II disorder, it was like seeing our life in print. most bipolar patients are misdiagnosed and treated for yearsbefore being diagnosed bipolar. based on your post, it sounds like your husband is willing to seek medical help but just hasn't found the right treatment. i am sure he is tired and discouraged, but if you can get him to track his moods DAILY (websites have mood charts you can download and use) this may help his doctor make an accurate diagnosis. Third...if he does have bipolar disorder, then your next step, and maybe the hardest, is to find financial help where ever you can because he needs to find the right mix of treatment/meds to have the greatest chance of managing his symptoms. he may still need the adderall and xanax, but he will more than likely need an anti-convulsant or anti-psycotic med to stabilize mood swings as well. Last...set boundries and expectations regarding his seeking/using treatment in the future. sometimes when my husband is in the middle of a severe depressive episode, i am so overwhelmed & exhausted watching him suffer that I wonder if either of us can keep doing this over and over again...and that is probably not even a 10th of how bad he feels! But we've made a deal - as long as he is willing to seek help and fight no matter the outcome, then I will be there to support him & fight it too. I hope you & your husband find some answers and can get back together soon! |
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