Mental Health Issues Causing Family Stress?!
Question:
Mental Health Issues Causing Family Stress?
Hi , im 19yrs old and last year i was diagonosed with Bipolar schizoaffective disorder , a not so common disorder in males and it has ruined my life. I have to take medication which can make me sleep for up to 23 hrs in one go. It has caused stress levels in my family too near bursting point. When diagonosed it was a problem which we as a family accepted but when my sister fell pregnant my family (mum and sister) could no longer live together and i was shipped of to my dads (someone i never saw eye to eye with) and this just made things worse as my dad didnt want me because i couldnt work and he sent me packin back after a horrible two months. My mum and sister got used to not having me around and i was very unwelcome and with my sisters moods cause of her pregnancy matching mine , arguments were common.
But i was given a lifeline by my grandma, so much i got a job , now i have lost 3 jobs in 2 weeks and she has had enough with my illness , she just cant cope
what should i do HELP
Answers:
You need to talk to your psychiatrist about the medication. A friend of mine has the same disorder and it took her about 2 years and 2 hospitalizations to find the right medications. She also has a team of social workers, psychologists, therapists working on her. She's had a part time job for a good year or so now and may or may not be on disability or welfare. You should look into that. Most people who apply for disability will get turned down the first or second time, but eventually you'll get on it.
Your family is going to be stressed, it's unfortunate, but it happens. You can talk to them about how much their stress is bothering you and your frustrations with your illness. It's important to keep that out in the open otherwise they may start to feel as if you are just using your illness to take advantage of them.
As for your behavior and fights with your sister and so on, you shouldn't blame that on your illness alone. You need to talk to your psychiatrist about adjusting medication so that these kinds of spats don't happen. It would also be a good idea to see a psychologist to help you deal with your moods in an appropriate way. Good luck!