What type of Bipolar phase is this?!

I would highly recommend that as a condition that you stay together that he has to either deal constantly with his illness by taking medication and maybe even counseling or whatever works. If you feel the medication isn't working properly have him go to the doctor and maybe try something else. Not all medications work for everybody.

I had a friend once who was similar in some ways and it started to drive me insane too. We didn't have enough going I guess that he would get treatment for my sake, so it didn't last that long, and I was lacking the experience to deal with it too. But he could be the most charming person at some time and then suddenly the mood would change and he would be extremely nasty, threatening suicide and had persecution mania. He didn't get better by himself. He keeps having new girlfriends as he can be charming for a month or two and then it inevitably breaks up as he cares less to leave a good impression. If he is like that friend he also has a lot of financial problems, and no, they don't get better either. Basically he needed somebody to support him, despite he made honest efforts to support himself he never could keep it up for long enough. Not a good basis for a life together.

If your boyfriend isn't willing to go for real treatment in whatever form it takes leave him. It's not going to get better and it's going to drive you crazy forever. It can be really hard to do, but you will have a better life. You deserve a life too... if he is willing to get treatment work with him and maybe you can make it work. But you both need to want it enough, just one isn't enough.

You are in for one wild roller coaster with this guy!
The best thing you can do is go to the library, or the bookstore, and get a book on Bipolar disorder. You really need to learn about the different symptoms and how it affects people.

Your boyfriend does seem to have a lot of the behavior-control problems that are typical. And these problems unfortunately tend to destroy relationships because they are so volatile.

It really is in his best interest to make sure he is seeing a therapist and *taking medications.*
He may find that holding a job, and providing for a family is quite difficult if he doesn't get his act together soon.

Occupational Therapist in a hospital
My ex-husband has chronic schizophrenia.

I don't agree with the advice that ALL folks with bipolar should "stay on their medications" because in my case, and my brother's case, the meds made us MUCH worse off, with more suicidal ideation by far, and much more outrageous behaviors. In fact, we don't even have outrageous behaviors OFF medication, just depressed as hell. Perhaps we aged out of mania, which I gather is common. I think the main thing is having a regular schedule - my husband does not want to go to bed alone, so i go to bed by 11 every night. In the past, when I had more energy, I might be remodeling the kitchen or banging away on the piano at 3 AM, and there was nobody to complain about that when I lived alone. I am sure this behavior ended up fueling my mania. Since I no longer do that, no more mania.

Some stuff is not bipolar. Lying is not a symptom of bipolar. Now, if a person is really manic, they may do stuff they normally wouldn't, and if someone is bent on suicide, they may lie so they can accomplish that. But in the everyday course of event, bipolar does not cause lying.

For me, 95% of the arguing and rudeness was actually CAUSED by ativan, a benzo, which xanax, valium and klonopin are other ones, and ambien and lunesta are chemically very similar. Adderall did the same thing. Antipsychotics did the same thing, unless I was on such a high dosage that I would put on 30 lbs and do no chores for months, but rather sit and stare at the TV all day.

When I had all these problems, the docs all said it was the bipolar or I was borderline (this was in the hospital also) but my husband figured it out - it was the ATIVAN. Within 3 to 4 months of getting off ativan, no more holes kicked in the walls, few arguments anymore, no going off on strangers anymore. So it became very clear when I would get that way again on a wide variety of medications.

So my opinion is that the meds are a load of BS. There is NO QUESTION that I have bipolar disorder, even though I think it was caused by antidepressants (which many bipolar researchers think is happening). i'm still not functioning well off meds, either, but my personality is back to how it used to be, few arguments, no more property destruction, etc. And my husband says my thinking is much sharper than before. so anyway, when everybody pushes that all people with bipolar should be on meds, they are stating the party line, which is just to sedate the hell out of anyone with bipolar, to shut them the hell up. these treatments are not very effective unless you give such massive doses that the person can't do anything, and are basically a zombie.

Obviously there are exceptions.

Anyway, there's some alternative background for you. If your bf is actually going on and off meds all the time, that is worse than either staying on meds, or getting off them entirely. you end up in withdrawal all the time.

PS there are a LOT of people with stories like me and my brother, so we are not "rare cases" like our doctors told us. The truth is, the other people mostly dropped out of treatment, so the doctors were unaware of these other cases.

During a manic episode, a person might impulsively quit a job, charge up huge amounts on credit cards, or feel rested after sleeping two hours. During a depressive episode, the same person might be too tired to get out of bed and full of self-loathing and hopelessness over being unemployed and in debt.

He's going through manic and depressive episodes. It's the two sides of bipolar. He needs to take responsibility for himself and take his meds. If he can't be bothered to take them then he's going to keep cycling in and out of the manic and depressive phases. That to me is enough reason for you to take a step back from him.

I know people who are bipolar and take their meds and can function fine. It's up to him to do what is best for himself and the same goes for you. If the phases are taking there toll on you and he isn't willing to help himself I would recommend rethinking the relationship.

Good Luck

http://helpguide.org/mental/bipolar_disorder_symptoms_treatment.htm
http://www.mentalmend.com

Well he sounds pretty manic to me. The guy I knew who was bipolar killed himself when he was manic so I'd be pretty concerned if he's talking about suicide. When you're depressed you don't necessarily have the energy to go through with it but he has plenty of energy. (The overconfidence is grandiosity).

If you'll permit a mom to give you advice, I'd like to suggest you meditate on the saying, "Never get involved with someone who has more problems than you do."