Bipolar Taking Its Toll

k,
I know how you can feel overwhelmed when a loved one is having an episode. If she is in a manic state, there is not much you can do because her reality is not yours. Stress seems to be the catalyst for many relapses. Just multiply your stress by 100 and that can be what she is feeling. I have learned to recognize the warning signs and tried to educate my son as to when and what might trigger an episode. But if he is manic, I don't try to reason with him as much as try and change his stress level by regulating his sleep patterens and lessen his exposure to large public or crowded areas as he has varying degrees of social phobia.
Why is she no longer seeing a doctor? Med are must I am realizing.
Take care,
G

Hi g,

she no lnger is seeing a doctor because the recent one just dropped her last week. I just she thought she was strong enough to go without therapy. What would the difference be between a relapse and an episode? She has been this way, or even progressively getting worse since over two weeks. My goal is to get her to go to the doctor when she returns and get her back on the meds (amount) she was taking before. Then we can find a therapist together when things do not feel so overwhelming.
We'll see if it works. If not, I will have to leave her because of what it is doing to my own health.

K

k,
Why would a doctor drop her? I would say a relapse is when she is stable for a period of time and then enters back into the manic/depressive cycle.
For my own definition, I consider an episode as when the person is at the peack of mania, (maybe not so much in hypomania) where they are out of control and doing something highly inappropriate. My son would start with racing thoughts and then I knew he was becoming manic. If he got stressed out in the following days, he would become delusional and have many of the symptoms described in a manic state. This would flucuate during the next coulple of weeks until medication was adjusted. We are still trying to find the right combo of drugs. Lamictal will be started up soon. Klonopin seems to help him from being overwhelmed in social situations. Seroquel helps regulate his sleep cycle. Fortunately he seems to not fall into the depressive part of the cycle, only very short bouts of depression, (minutes or a couple hours). I always thought therapy was the only way to help him but am now realizing the importance of drug therapy. You don't say how she is getting worse, is she manic, or depressed? How does she view your relationship with her. Obviously you care for her and want to help, is she willing to let you?