my best friend's husband has that

I'm getting to old playing highs and lows with bipolar when is enough either your in the real world or your not in the real world I think if my friend keeps going off the pill they lock him for ever one day

I have a cousin who is also bipolar and won't stay on his meds. You can't tie people down and force them to do what's best for them. Just walk down the street and that's obvious. When someone is really ready to change their life and be the best they can, they will accept help, take their meds and do what ever it takes.
Until then, all you can do is let them know you care and not help them destroy themselves.

It is very hard for bipolar people to understand they need help sometimes. When I was in a manic episode everyone noticed that I was not myself and acting foolish, except for me, and I didn't believe them when they said I needed to calm down and get right.


"Love is like a butterfly. It goes where it pleases and pleases where it goes."

So true butterflygrl. I have found the same with my kids. My daughter will cycle about four times a year. She's a blast to be with during her manic mode but is horrible to be around in her depressive mode.
My son didn't cycle as often but his manic wasn't as severe as my daughters. But his depression was worse. He ended up killing himself in 2005. Their father was bipolar also but his was so mild we didn't know it until it was too late and he killed himself also.

Oh, my, dear Mermaid, I am so sorry for your loss. I don't think our medical community points out that nearly strongly enough that the LEADING cause of death for bipolar people is suicide. If you aren't fully aware of and understand that, you can't set your mind, friends, family, and life to avoid it. Things do get better after a depressive episode but that's so hard to see from the bottom of the episode. All my best with your daughter. I am living proof that you can live with bipolar.

Oh, yes, I'm living proof you can live with bipolar--and living proof you're still going to have mood swings even when taking meds faithfully. I realized last Wednesday I was on a downward swing. Fortunately my depressions are very mild compared to most. I fear if they were not I wouldn't have survived this long. I have to concienciously take every action to get up, get dressed, and do ANYTHING. I know this will pa** and probably in just a few days, but when you spend most of your days on the other side of this thing it seems to go on forever. Good food, good sleep, and being kind to myself will help. To the rest of you out there living with this, or someone who has this, hang on. It is quite a ride!

Oh, H20, that is so sad. I understand. Sometimes you have to do what's best for you. You can only try so hard to help someone who keeps proving they don't care about themselves. It's a hard road to take but in some cases necessary for the sanity of the family and friends around someone too sick to understand that they can get better. Most of the mentally ill can't yet get well, but most can, if they choose and work at it, get better. The key is--they choose.

my stepson has that and he is 15 now. Its awful