Does anyone have any experience with Bipolar Disorder?!
Question: It seems common these days, but I feel like my man has totally changed. I never know who he is going to be when he wakes up. He's on meds now, but he sleeps constantly. I'm going insane here.
Answers: It seems common these days, but I feel like my man has totally changed. I never know who he is going to be when he wakes up. He's on meds now, but he sleeps constantly. I'm going insane here.
my sister is bipolar and went through shock treatment in the seventies. she is very smart but 'zones out' when i talk about anything uncomfortable for her to listen too. she is not on any meds that i know of.
my oldest brother was also bipolar and took Thorazine? or lithium? for years. it did him a world of good - he 'crashed' while living alone and my parents brought him home and couldn't get him out of the basement - even for a shower for 4 years. with treatment, he married and led a good life.
my third oldest brother was also bipolar - but he had both the mania and the depression at the same time. unfortunately he committed suicide after refusing the meds and psych. care.
more to the point, my husband is bipolar. he has learned that the meds are bad for him - he stopped taking them and the lack of meds made him suicidal (to the point where he was pointing a loaded 9mm at his head). thankfully, the gun didn't go off and he sought psycho-analytical treatment without meds from a professional. he learned a lot about the causes (violent childhood), confronted his past and is able to deal with his issues without meds (thank goodness). he still has mood swings, but is able to identify them and handle them accordingly. i will always be thankful to his therapist.
meds or no meds - I've seen how both help and hurt the people i love.
hang in there and keep a close eye out.
god bless.
Most medications that help with people who are bipolar cause a lot of drowsiness. That medication he may be on is probably making him extra tired. If he is constantly sleeping than he should either get his meds changed or just give him another week or two to let that side effect wear off.
FYI, many bipolar meds cause an emotional disconnect. You will want to do some reading on medicated bipolar people, they really do change the person you have known to grow and love.
ouch. that can be really rough and i'm sorry you have to go through this...
i think it's super important to keep in mind that the meds used to treat bp are tricky and need tweeking along the way. no dose is the same for 2 different people.
i also think it's important to have folks going through what you are to talk to. no one can understand it from your point unless they are in the same boat.
it will be hard for you at first, i'm not going to lie. but if you love and care about him, it's worth it.
please, please remember to 'save yourself' when you need to. that means going out for a walk, or running errands or getting away when you need a break. this is a tough road. and if you aren't feeling 100%, there's no way you can be there 100% for him.
don't lose yourself in it. give yourself a breather once in a while.
if he continues to snooze a lot, keep telling the doc so they can makes adjustments and get him on the right track to getting well.
good luck to you, and keep up the brave work. keep reaching out when you need to.
They may have his dosage too high. Talk to the doc and see if they can lower the dosage a little and see if that helps. A person with Bipolar disorder can also have mood problems if they eat too many fats or carbs. Try to make his diet as balanced as possible and that may help as well. If you want to know more read Loving someone with Bipolar Disorder by Julie A Fast and John D. Preston PSYD. It is a great book. I learned a lot!
Yeah I have it. I also sleep a lot during the day, regardless of how much sleep I get at night. And I have odd mood swings and different personalities, so I know what its like. Maybe he needs a higher dosage of medication. Or if he's just recently started the medication, it may not have taken its full effect. It takes a month or two. Good luck. :-)
nah he aint bi polor. but he still might be mentaly sik in some way and the meds will make him alot sleepy ....nothing i can rly tell u just hang in there till the meds help him get over it ^_^
These articles are written by those who have:
"Understanding Mood Disorders" :
- How Others Can Help <* for you)
http://watchtower.org/e/20040108/article...
- Tormented Minds <* for your friend)
- Living With a Mood Disorder
- Hope for Sufferers
http://watchtower.org/e/20040108/article...
"When Someone You Love Has a Mental Disorder" http://watchtower.org/e/20040908/article...
How Much Mental Illness is an Allergy to Caffeine?
<CAFFEINE ALLERGY: Past Disorder or Present Epidemic?, by Ruth Whalen, Medical Laboratory Technician>
<Dangers of Caffeine Intake - Caffeine Induced Anaphylaxis, A Progressive Toxic Dementia, by Ruth Whalen, MLT, ASCP>
(These last 2 articles are also online, but the links are considered 'commercial', & thus unacceptable on Y!As
A Web search will turn up their links. Copy-paste the <>s.)