Dear Atomheart,

I am very sorry indeed to note that you left this message a while ago and no one has answered you. I consier it to be an important message and one which requries an answer.

Being so long the situation with your mother may have been resolved in some way or the other by this time.

I feel very sorry indeed for all the upset that you and your family are going through. Very hard indeed on you all.

I know it is almost impossible if not impossible to talk any "sence" to a person who appears to me as you describe as being manic.

I would think, that your mum taking herself of the meds is the cause of her current situation seeing it is as bad as it is.
She certainly sounds to be one with Bipolar Disoder who needs to always be medicated in the good and bad times.

By not sleeping your mum can become physically exhaused and this is bad.

If and most likey she has by now, becomse worse (or you could possibly do this while she is in the state that she is in - think that you should) is to suggest to her that she goes to the local doctor or the nearest emergency section of the local hospital. And of course that you or another member of your family will go with her.

The medical people could possbily decide to put her into an institution and get her stable again on medication. If this is the case, do not blame yoursel or feel guilty for it. You would be possibly savihg her life,

I hope that things have worked out by now, or that they are well on their way of being so.

All the best to you,

JennyWren

Hi Jen,

Thanks for your kind reply. In the end we had to call the police to arrest her as she had become extremely dangerous and delusional (had 2 car accidents and almost killed someone) . She was institutionalized for 3 weeks. She has been released recently and she is fine and back on strong medication.

She still does not really realise what happened and although she has accepted to continue the meds on her own accord I think she needs a psychologist that can help her to come to grips with her problem and become more responsible with her pills. I don't really know how to break it to her though, it is such a delicate matter, and the hospital only provides psychiatric support. Any advice on that would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks for the support even if it is so late!

Mark

Hello again Atomheart (I think that your heart is bigger than an atom )

I am glad that your mum is now on medication and hope that she continues to keep taking her meds.

You could be very right when you say that she needs a psychologist. And by the sounds of it, she does need to come to grips with her disorder.

I pick up that you are not too sure that she will keep up with her meds.

If she is still seeing a psychartist, he could suggest to her that she sees a psychologist.

While a pshcyologist cannot help a person with Bipolar Disorder when they are in manic phase, they can assist when they are euthymic (steady state, level ie "ordinary"), which is how your mum appears to be at this time.

A thing that some do with Bipolar is to make up a plan as to what the process will be if family, friends, work mates, see changes happening; first symptoms that the person maybe heading for another manic episode with the person with Bipolar.

This plan needs to be agreed with by the person and those who will 'watch' the person with Bipolar.

By the sounds of your mum a plan would be a great help.

Does your family have a general practioner, ie a family doctor? You might like to go and see him and have a talk with him as to the best way to get your mum to see a psychologist. Or is it possible to contact the psychartist that treated her in the hospital, if so seek his advice.

Now the following is just off the top of my head. I am not familar with your mum. Or to be honest do I know what I am talking about. Thus much better to go the doctor route. Rather than what I say.

Maybe you can suggest to her that you and she or another member of your family go with her to a psychologist to set up a plan.

Give her a little more time to adjust to what she has been through recently. But not too much time. I would think a week or so.

Then talk gentley and without any blame to her for her actions (you can regard her actions as belonging to Bipolar Disorder and not your mum - she was not in control). I would let her know that.

I think that she needs to know the danger she put others into. However go carefully with that one. A bit hard for any person to take. But she needs to realise, now she is reasonable that she was a danger to others. And that a plan is necessarily.

Good luck and I hope that your family will not find themselves in this situation again.

Your mother is very lucky to have you,

All the best

JennyRobin