Bipolar husband - help?!
Question: Bipolar husband - help!?
Ok, how do I approach this subject with my husband's family!. I've been married for 8 years!. I know my husband was diagnoised bipolor before I met him!. I also know he was committed prior to being diagnoised and on medication!.
Since the day I met him, no problems!. You would never know!. 3 years ago we had our first daughter!. Without telling me he stopped taking his Lithium 1 1/2 years ago!. Honestly I didn't notice any change but was understandibly furious that he didn't consult or tell me!. Now I find out through a slip of his mother that he was actually committed 5 times! I swear I would have never married him or brought children into the world with him having know this!. I tried to broach the subject with him because i want to know why!. I think it is very important to KNOW why!. He won't talk about it!. How do I get his mother or aunt to open up to me and be honest without scaring them away from the topic like I did him!? Like I said - he seems fine right now!.!.!.!.!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Since the day I met him, no problems!. You would never know!. 3 years ago we had our first daughter!. Without telling me he stopped taking his Lithium 1 1/2 years ago!. Honestly I didn't notice any change but was understandibly furious that he didn't consult or tell me!. Now I find out through a slip of his mother that he was actually committed 5 times! I swear I would have never married him or brought children into the world with him having know this!. I tried to broach the subject with him because i want to know why!. I think it is very important to KNOW why!. He won't talk about it!. How do I get his mother or aunt to open up to me and be honest without scaring them away from the topic like I did him!? Like I said - he seems fine right now!.!.!.!.!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
It's totally understandable that you're mad that he lied to you all those years ago!. However, what happened in the past is gone, and you can't change it!. Anyway, I'm sure you wouldn't want to "undo" your kids, whether they may inherit his disorder or not!. If a person is bipolar, whether they are hospitalized 1 time or 100 times, they're still bipolar!. I think you need to sit down with him, tell him that you were hurt by not knowing the truth, and make a plan for the future!. Tell him what you would like (the full truth, for him to make sure his disorder is under control, or whatever it is you want) without screaming or calling names or putting him on a guilt trip!. Then if the 2 of you can come to an agreement that you will BOTH work on, that will be productive!. Dredging up his past with his family will probably only make him more uncomfortable!. Being hospitalized 5 times is not a lot for some people with bipolar disorder!. It doesn't mean he's "more" bipolar than if he were hospitalized just once!. It may mean they had trouble finding the right meds for him!. It also doesn't mean he did horrible things that made him be hospitalized!. Let go of the "mental illness" stigma!. People with mental illness are a LOT more like other people than they are different!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
sounds like a sticky situation!. my dads bipolar and his side of the family was in denial for the longest time and never wanted to talk about it!. he may seem fine now w/o his medication but soon it may all go downhill!. you need to approach him and tell him to take his meds or else you'll move out or something!.Www@Answer-Health@Com