Question was asked:
My mum is really suffering with her bi-polar disorder. Despite taking handfuls of pills to treat it, she’s depressed all the time. What can I do to help her?
Manic depression is usually chronic illness. It is a spectrum illness which means on one end of the spectrum somebody could have severe mood disorder (Mania/Hypomania with or without depression) and on the other end of the spectrum it may be mild and easily treated with medications and therapy. It is important to take the following factors into consideration.
* Number of years of being ill.
* Family History and genetic loading.
* Stresses of life – Psychosocial, Financial, illness, death in family etc.
* Medications and doses tried in the past and responses.
* Severity of Symptoms.
* Prior Hospital Admissions due to Mental health Problem.
The way to help your mum is to take her to a doctor after making a note of her history.
Treatment Compliance is vital, because Psychiatric medication may have latent time period before there is observable treatment effect.
Correct knowledge of a medication’s response time and treatment is necessary to deal with frustration of not having immediate response. The doctor also needs a plan to deal with acute symptoms.
How ever even treatment resistant cases may show improvement with good strategy and use of right medications at right doses for sufficient duration.
Disclaimer: All contents on this site are for general information and in no circumstances information be substituted for professional advise from th relevent healthcare professional, Writer does not take responsibilitiy of any damage done by the misuse or use of the information
This reminds me of my siutation. I am completely without my family that may end up dead in Lebanon. I was abused til I left and I’m not psychotic. I just fought back the ugly insults til I could take no more. I am as most bipolars will tell you very sensitive. I remember every word. Me begging why are you doing this to me. It started with the very first hospitalization when he was on the phone and I touched his arm and he brushed it away like I was scum. If he really loved me he would have been my rock, instead he became my worst enemy. I forgive him and my daughter for becoming him and have no contact anymore because even over the internet it was all my fault. It did not help my illness. Now after being back since November, it took two months to get stable. I was just crying and depressed daily. So I made the decision to cut it off. I am very stable now. My parents are very supportive. I see doctors and don’t understand why you don’t change psychiatrist if this one is not helping you to stabilize. It is truly possible with family support and love. I hope and pray you stay together and work it out. It can be done if you work together. Every one has feelings, every one has their needs. Every one has to stick together if you want it to work. So stand by each others side and help yourselves. I hope and pray it works out for you. I regret it could not for me. By the way my husband also had polycystic kidney disease (9%) function and even being bipolar I was willing to donate a kidney to save him from having dialysis the rest of his life. Now that’s love and unconditional support. I only have a mental disorder, if he was willing he could have consoled and helped me not tear me apart. He told me once he felt like a dog when he had to drive me to my (individual) therapy appointments and sit outside and wait. I told him I could take the bus if he wanted. He never questioned the doctors if I was on the right meds. I had three different psychiatrists and it never enter any of their minds to try something else. Today I’m taking lamictal, klonopin and pristique and restoril for sleep. I was changed immediately with my first psychiatrist here and my new one changed the doses a bit. I am just sharing my experience to show you what can work. I hope I helped. I know what I felt there hopeless, worthless and abandoned, abused, but never again.