I've never experienced psychosis myself. But I know that psych meds can be pretty powerful, surely enough so to pull one out of a psychotic episode. As far as the psych hold, don't worry about that. It's meant to protect him and stabilize him on medication. They'll keep him until they believe he is not a danger to himself or others. I've been in the hospital quite a few times and it's not pleasant but not is it the worst thing in the world. Good luck to you both

Yeah well when a psych hold is 72 hours and they totally ignore that he's staying the weekend he's having to stay closer to a week (because he wouldnt be able to get released until Thursday morning even though he was in the ER since 7PM on Friday they didn't sign anything for the hold until about 4AM) rather than a few days. I don't see that as fair at all and that's why I don't want to have this happen again. I want to know what steps I can take to keep him home instead of having him be forced to stay somewhere for extra time because of their "protocol" of not counting weekends towards the hold. Especially since now his psychosis is no longer active just the day after.

I was hospitalized 6 times in three years due to psychotic mania. My experiences were extreme, resulting in arrest and hospitalization. While I would feel some improvement the day after I was hospitalized, I suspect that was due to
the fact that I knew I was safe and the placebo effect of that. My typical length of hospitalization was one month while my longest hospitalization was for 6 months, a sentence imposed by a judge. Don't be in a hurry to get your boyfriend
released. Us old-timers can do a 4-day hold standing on our heads. The point is to educate ourselves on the factors leading to psychosis and effective treatment. Was recreational drug use involved? Were self and others threatened? This has to be an educational process. It took me 3 years to gladly learn the lessons I needed and apply the results. The results have been very positive.

Yeah the whole weekend thing sucks. When I was in last the pdoc said I could go home on Thursday but when Thursday rolled around he refused to release me because I had been crying while on the phone. No shit! I was upset and missing my family. So he made me stay a whole other weekend. Encourage him to be calm and cooperative no matter what. That goes a long way. Also they say if you participate in the therapy groups there you will get home faster. Though I never did and was always uncooperative and allegedly that made the doc keep me longer. My longest stint was 23 days. I agree with tommy. Let this be a learning experience about how the system works and how to cope with his illness

Well there's different reasons for being sent into psychosis I'm not sure why you wouldn't feel safe at home but my bf had no reason to not feel safe at home and only wants to come home.
The only stressor he has had is his mother going through cancer and having no options left other than waiting to die in the next 6 months. He has had mostly a positive outlook about this and just trying to spend time with her and enjoy himself. This psychosis was out of nowhere there was no new scenerios that happened to send him into psychosis. If he isn't being violent I don't see any reason why he can't stay home especially if the said psychosis is gone the next day.
They said it was related to stress or possibly the cymbalta he was taking which he was taken off and theyre attempting a new psychotic med now which he hasn't even started yet.
I just want to work towards him being able to keep him home instead of somewhere that is more like a prison not to mention the fact that they sent him to a hospital over 2 hours away from me and I can't even visit when I want. If anything this is making him feel cut off from family and loved ones and he can't see his dying mother either which is only leading to more stress and depression. I wouldn't have so many issues with this if they didn't move him so far away, don't let us visit when we want and are holding him for however long they want (meaning them not including his weekend hold) rather than holding him for what he needs.

"I want to know if this has happened to anyone else and why he would be fine the next day did you yourself get better the next day? What do you do or have set as a plan for if this happened again? "

This has happened to me. PLENTY of times. My diagnosis is bipolar type 2 with psychosis. Bipolar disorder can come with or without psychosis. So yes, this has happened to me. A lot.

However, I've never gotten better the next day. I experience psychosis in almost like "swings" or "episodes". Mostly delusions. Specifically paranoid delusions and delusions of reference. I'd say it's possible for someone to get better the next day if they get help, like your boyfriend did. (And good for him!)

As far as a plan, I don't really have one. Which is not a good thing. Usually people have to tell me "hey, the place is not bugged, the neighbors are not cult spies, and you CAN open the blinds because no one is out to get you"
Or
"Hey, you know, I don't really see the connections in all of this. I don't think you're supposed to jump a train, ride it until it gets off, and be [insert person]'s live-in maid"

Then I spend a little time debating if I'm in a delusion and eventually come down.

I know that helps none, other than good for him for going to get help, and you CAN have psychosis with bipolar disorder.

1silently: perhaps thinking about whats better for your boyfriend, regardless of how scary and lonely it is for you, would be the best thing.... Psychosis, brought on over time or at the drop of a hat is not something to be managed or treated by you at home. One never knows what a patient is capable of doing during a Psychotic Break, never.....I have a very good friend and former colleague who's home is now a tombstone in a lovely cemetery that would explain that to you very well....if he could.

Your boyfriend being in the hospital or psychward or mental hospital during his psychosis and overdose was exactly the place he needed to be, where he could be kept safe and those around him could be kept safe. We always think we know what's best for those we love, we can make them better, we know exactly what they need.....unfortunately, that is just not true. The Dr.'s/nurses/security/police were not being mean to your boyfriend they were doing their job, following protocols and keeping everyone in the situation, including your boyfriend, safe. The develop these protocols by learning the hard way, after people have been hurt, killed or possibly killed themselves in these situations, they learn how not to make the same mistakes again and keep everyone safe.

Your boyfriend needs to be evaluated, properly diagnosed and have a proper treatment plan made for him. Generally once a person has a Psychotic episode, they don't just have the one. So he needs to have things in place to get him back to a point where he's healthy and safe. That's a good thing, that's something you should want for him. Because this time it was just allergy meds that he munched on throughout the day in his confusion, but next time it may be something stronger that could seriously hurt him, impair his brain function or take his life....

You need to make sure you're taking care of you and your BiPolar w/Psychosis diagnosis. Taking the meds you need to, seeing a Therapist, the things that have to be done daily to get you to a point of safe and stable. And yes, of course you can be BiPolar w/Psychosis, many are and there are many different type of Psychosis. Some can have Psychotic episodes that last for periods of time ranging from days to weeks to months to permanent. Some Psychotic Breaks can last hours and be over in a fog of amnesia, some can just last a day or 2. Psychosis is one of the things that Psychiatrists, Neurologists, Scientists just don't know enough about yet, hopefully someday as we keep unlocking parts of the mystery that is the human brain we'll learn, but it takes time.

I know you love and worry and become scared for your boyfriend, it would be weird if you didn't....but sometimes you have to let Dr.'s do their job and you have to stand back. Just as he has to do when you're in a place where you are not you and have to be taken care of by your Dr.'s.

I hope that you both find the right treatment path that fit each of you.

Okay I understand that he needed to go to the psychward at the time of his psychosis but I'm saying they sent him hours away from home for one for two they are keeping him passed his psych hold even though he no longer has psychosis the next day. They have no explanation or are not working towards an explanation to why psychosis happened or why he was fine the next day all they're doing is trying a new medicine which he can do at home since he no longer has psychosis. Now he is dealing with severe depression and isolation because of them moving him so far away and him believeing he no longer needs to be there which is true because the psychosis has passed and they're not working towards any solution to the psychosis other than giving a different med for depression which again can be done at home. Also lets not forget he was never violent at any point. Even though at the er he was being pushed by severity guards talking crap to him and standing at his doorway staring him down and daring him to leave knowing he has having psychosis and not making sense. So tell me again how that is part of their job? Anyway I believe if he isn't being violent and a plan is set to be watched 24 hrs at home and then making an emergency doc appointment would have been better if I knew it was psychosis and not a stroke or something like I thought originally since this has never happened.

Thanks for the input guys I just wish everyone would understand the situation there were people that did things they shouldn't have and now he's going to be stuck hours from home in pretty much a prison until he abides to sharing feelings in front of an entire group of people otherwise he has been doing what they wanted taking his meds and seeing he docs. But they won't release him unless he does group which he doesn't share feelings like that and won't participate with it. He's been so depressed because of it all he won't even eat now and he has no teeth and aren't offering him food he can even eat other than ice cream.

The really big point here is, You are not a Psychiatrist, M.D. or Therapist. You don't get a vote in what they think is best for his treatment. When a person has Psychosis out of the blue and its not a usual thing, along with overdosing on meds because he was so disoriented that day....they are going to put him in the hospital, and its going to be whatever hospital has a bed, and they are going to try and figure out what's going on with him and what his treatment needs to be. And if that means he has to stay in for a couple of days or so, then that's what will be.

Him seeing you being supportive of his Mental Healthcare will generally make him feel more comfortable about his own Diagnosis and more calm about your relationship. Just let the Dr.'s do their job, nobody's going to hurt him, he'll be taken care of, but he's at a point he needs more care right now than you can give him, and you'll just have to be okay with that. Because if you continue to badmouth his treatment, and he stops whatever treatment he's sent home with to please you.....and then something happens, I can promise you that is a scenario you do not want to be in, EVER.

He'll be home soon and hopefully in a better, stable place with a good treatment plan in place.

Kat

1silently, you have been given advice here from people who are bipolar, advice that may not be what you Wanted to hear.

Bipolar is, among other things, a chemical imbalance in the brain and does Not "have to have a reason" to kick into high gear.

Often we are triggered; at times we are Not, and psychosis simply happens because of the chemical imbalance.

I hope you can try to understand. We dont always like hospitals, doctors or their methods, but we dont do well on our own.

Those of us who are answering your post and not currently In a psychotic state or we would not be able to respond. But we recognize and Remember how it works.

Olderperson and Door have a lot of info, which can be frustrating to read, but is spot on...I have bp1, have been psychotic and it is Not Pretty...I'm a female....my family, friends, strangers could not help me....I talked my way out of the emergency room while Manic as Hell....your boyfriend needs to stabilize, medications need to be monitored, and by participation in those groups valuable information will be given to psydoc...it's a process, ya it sucks....no one wants to be in a hospital, I just Thank God I was able to be in one before I hurt myself or someone else. I don't know about meds he takes....I take Lamictal as a mood stabilizer, I really like it because of the lack of side effects.......so sorry to read of bf Mother....a lot of underlying emotions happen in denial, suppression of pain....Best of luck to you...there is a bp support group here on ds for family and friends if that helps??? Best of luck to you

Agreed with all. Silently it's not what you want to heart but we have been where your husband is and the wait out is cooperation. Even if he won't talk in group(I blatantly refused to) please encourage him to talk to some member of the staff. It goes a little by way

1silently, I experience psychosis on a regular basis - like username88 - mostly in the form of delusions. I have been hospitalized a number of times, while psychotic, and even when i'm no longer 'psychotic' in the eyes of the pdocs, they have kept me for other reasons, not always clear to me at the time. I agree with that everyone has said. It sucks waiting to get out of the hospital, but sometimes it does more good than bad. Good luck, friend. I hope your bf feels better soon.

1Silently,

Hey, thought I'd check in and see how your BF was doing? Is he home yet? Hope you guys are doing well and he's on a good treatment plan.

Kat