Re: Concerning bi-polar~~~~

[Guest guest]

>

> , I too have bi-polar. It took many years to finally realise

how important staying on my meds really was. It is one reason this is

so hard to treat, most patients are unwilling to keep taking all the

meds as some do have unpleasant side effects. I had double the

problems with most due to the sensitivities caused by the fibro. Now

I am on, and staying on, a regimen that works for me without too many

bad side effects. I am using Lamictal in conjunction with tegratol,

both are off-label for bi-polar, and also Celexa. I also take

Klonopin. These seem to do the trick. It is so important that we do

stay on our meds. I don't know why your nephew's mother would

encourage him to be off of meds. He will NEVER get better without

them. There is NO cure for this disorder. It is a lifelong commitment

to stay on the meds. There are so many people living on the streets

because they refuse to stay on their meds and then cannot deal with

life. I'd say about 80% of street people (and that's conservative)

are either bi-polar or schitzophrenics who refuse to follow drug

therapy. It's really sad. If they would only work with their psych

doctors, it would be possible to find a 'cocktail' without so many

bad side effects. Of course, a lot of psych doctors, I guess, don't

want to bother with these patients. They maybe don't care if they do

have bad side effects, and some of the drugs can have horrible side

effects, so it's not always the fault of the patient. I can see both

sides of the story. I just wish your nephew's mother would work WITH

him to find a drug regimen which would make his life better. I will

keep my fingers crossed for him. I know how bad it can be.

>

> Peace and Love

> Caroline

>

>

> >> In Caroline's posting, I realized something about SOME - not all

> > people in the medical field not believing in various meds! One

of my

> > nephews is bi-polar and many of us in the family were exposed to

some

> > of his behavior when he was in a manic state the weekend and days

> > following my mother's funeral. I won't go into details but the

> > police were called to the hotel where my sister's family were

> > staying. He had the choice of going to jail or to the hospital

and

> > he wisely chose to go to the hospital. My sister had known of his

> > condition for several years at the time and as a nurse who is

married

> > to man with panic disorder, I would have thought she might have

seen

> > the signs prior to his behavior that evening and perhaps watched

him

> > a bit more closely. I understand that as an adult, his mother

can't

> > necessarily step in, but I also found out when I spoke to one of

his

> > paternal aunts that he had left her a message asking for a ride to

> > the airport. L said had she known why he was going to the

airport,

> > she might have made other arrangements as she knew that he was at

the

> > beginning of a cycle.

> > Well, nephew was put on meds to help with the bi-polar disorder,

> > don't know which one(s), but as someone who has had friends,

spouses

> > of friends who have bi-polar disorder, I know the importance of

the

> > meds. My sister, the nurse, does not believe he needs the meds

but

> > rather has researched and had conversations with a friend about

him

> > taking vitamins and supplements. I know there can be advantage to

> > those things, but I also know that the prescription meds can

target

> > his disease more specifically than supplements or vitamins.

> > So, yes, I do believe there are people who are nurses or other

> > medical related fields who do not believe in medicine!

> > And I do worry about my nephew -- I used to call him pretty often,

> > but I have gotten to the point that it is difficult to talk to

him as

> > I don't know what to say to him. So from perhaps a call every few

> > months of calling him, now I seem to only call around his birthday

> > and Christmas. And I have also stopped calling his paternal

aunts as

> > I know he has pushed them to the limit with his behavior. Oh,

and I

> > should say that his mother is in a midwestern state and he lives

in

> > California and does not see his mother that often.

> > But this is just one example of someone in the field who doesn't

> > believe in medicines.

> > I even sometimes wonder what she may think about the fact that I

take

> > antidepressants among other drugs --- she's never really seen me

when

> > I was in a major depression so she really has no way of knowing

how

> > much I need the meds.

> > Perhaps this was off the topic of your co-worker, but I just find

my

> > sister's attitude not so good --- oh, and her reason is that the

> > medicine's cause too many side effects.

> >

>

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Caroline, the one person whom I have spent the most time around

is/was the husband of a college roommate (the reason I included the

was is because when we moved halfway across the country, I finally

just had to let the friendship go!) But I could tell when I lived in

Chicago and would call them, when Mike need his meds adjusted. It

would be in his voice and other things that I could pick up on since

I had known him before the diagnosis. I do NOT KNOW how the bills

were paid for his very lengthy stay in a major hospital in a large

midwestern city -- perhaps it was gratis as his father was a doctor.

But I had seen him the previous fall/late summer and he wasn't too

bad but with in a month or least he had hit his pregnant wife with

such force she fell backwards --- fortunately on the bed!, either

that same time or another one close to that even, he put a fist

through one of the walls in their apartment. After their daughter

was born either her doctor or another family doctor realized it was

time to step in and intervene. I can't remember if he was in just

one hospital or if he was moved from one to another --- not that that

matters. But he was in for close to a year. And with bi-polar as I

remember it, it's almost a shot in the dark to make that diagnosis. I

did visit E and the kids one weekend and we visited her husband in

the hospital --- he did not know me! And somehow, he had permission

for a few hours time outside the hospital. So we put him in the back

seat along with their 3 year old son and the baby was in his arms.

In order to get to our destination, I was going down a steep hill and

the light changed before I expected it to; so I slammed on the brakes

of my little VW bug and M was not holding the baby very securely and

she slipped out of his arms and fell onto the floor. I was so afraid

that she had been injured because of the way that car was built.

Thankfully she wasn't. I continued to stay in contact with them for

another 20 years, baked cookies for sales at the kids schools, had

lunch or dinner with them, etc. And not long after he was diagnosed

and put on lithum (the only drug, I think back in those days), but he

got a job working for a county agency that was a part of the medical

field. And in that he was fortunate because his boss was a doctor,

knew his family and probably his doctors, so he could keep an eye on

him. There were times when the meds would get off balance and they

would have to adjusted them, but, Caroline, if you have been

diagnosed for any length of time, you may well known some of the not

so pleasant side effects. Everything at his job was ok until he got

a new lab partner who would get very upset and I think made fun of

his because of one particular side effect. So I know that an

individual with bi-polar disorder needs a good pyschiatrist who can

monitor the dosage and who will see the changes. And I cannot

believe my sister, who also knows that couple CANNOT see what she is

doing to her son!!! And I really feel bad that I don't call him but

after we spent part of 6 days with him several years ago while we

were in California, I can well understand why his paternal aunts have

problems. And since one of them has children, she worries about him

hurting one of them. And his father has told me that he pays part if

not all of his rent --- small apartment, and he is fortunate that

when he had an accident at work (he works about 4 hours every evening

at UPS loading or sorting packages --- so he does have insurance and

he is in a union) --- but when he had the accident, he admitted that

he had been smoking pot and for sometime there was a big question

about him actually keeping his job! Fortunately the union steward

was able to get him into a program and the last I knew he was going

to a support group at least once a week. But what is sad is that

he's got a great mind, but he cannot cope with all of the

responsiblity that most young people in their late 20's can. And

despite what his mother said to one of our cousins last week about

the fact that she would be content with her life were it not for

worrying about him, I would like to punch her! And she will cry

because she feels guilty if he has to go into the hospital. Well, if

she feels so guilty, I wish she would show more concern for him.

One of his brother's seems to laugh at some of it and I am not sure

how well he and the son my sister gave up for adoption get along, and

yet, in some ways they are both " odd ducks! " Tim is 38 years old,

has lived in Japan where he taught in a private school, now he lives

in Shanghai, so he is never really going to stay in one place for

very long. Although, all three of them share a love of basketball!

I have to stop. But I do wish someone would take the blinders off of

my sister's eyes!!

Oh, and I got an email joke that I may send someone and you can

perhaps see if it can be posted. While it is aimed an elderly

population, it could well apply to many of us here!