Bipolar Disorder Support Group
Bipolar disorder is not just a single disorder, but a category of mood disorders marked by periods of abnormally high energy and euphoria, often accompanied by bouts of clinical depression. This is the place to talk about your experience with bipolar disorder, learn from others' experiences, and find support.
My mother is untreated/undiagonsed bp and is in complete denial that this could be her, even though she is so classically bp its scary. She believes that if she lives as god wants her to her life will be fine. That her symptoms are evidence of her living in sin. She also has always hated medication and cant even manage to take vitamins because they bother her stomach.
Now she tells me she's worried about my 14 year old sister because shes been getting so angry and alternating this with sleeping all the time. Of course this sparks the fear that something might be developing with her. I asked my mom to take her to the doctor just to check and she refused based on her principles.
I love my family and I want them to be well what can I do to help? I try to convince her that they need help and she just fights with me about it.
Now she tells me she's worried about my 14 year old sister because shes been getting so angry and alternating this with sleeping all the time. Of course this sparks the fear that something might be developing with her. I asked my mom to take her to the doctor just to check and she refused based on her principles.
I love my family and I want them to be well what can I do to help? I try to convince her that they need help and she just fights with me about it.
-
theatre and I are there already. I'm having a very berry tea with crackers, cheese and cherry tomatoes and she's having a joint with some beer and we're both on really comfy recliners on thick pile carpet. we need some help with the decor if anyone is around??
-
I'm trying to exercise daily. I was doing fairly well until I sprained my ankle 2 weeks ago but now I'm getting back on the horse. Today I walked over a mile with my arm weights that are about 22lbs total. I was out of shape and it was hard on my arms. I also did my 30 situps. I'm also going to drink a lot of water and try to eat healthy. I do tend to have a sweet tooth but I'm cutting...
That said, I got some good advice a while ago: "It is not up to us to change our parents. Accept them as they are."
My family is simlar to your experience. I am the only one who has gotten help and stuck to it.
Try to be there for your sister like you'd want someone there for you. unless your mom does something that need a social worker visit to protect your sister, I don't know what else to advise unless you go down the road I took in life and tried to change my mother's and siblings mind about mental illnness.
How many reformed alcoholics do you see that waited until late in life to attend AA?
And some alcoholics die before they seek help despite all the pleas for them to get help.
Otherwise she'll just be nonmed compliant bp and not helped. I just want to be able to reach my sister ... sigh ... I hate having to meddle
Back in the 60s and 70s when my treatment started, my religion in our area frowned on metal illness and any help for it. So I understand people and parents from that era who might still see mental illness as a stigma.
It has become more acceptable now and even recommended from the pulpit by current leaders but my parents were from a different generation.
I'm sure our parents and their parents could only relate to mental illness as those people who needed shock therapy, labodomies and locking up in an asylum.
Society as whole contributed to this way of thinking. Religions have been slow to change.
I didn't mean to go off topic and make this a religous debate.
I'm just saying in my experience that I understand why my parents seemed to avoid accepting my illness and treatment years ago.
My mother knows the feeling has changed at church but the pressure and stima still seems to be there for her.
I hope getting the pastor to help is a workable option in this situation. Good suggestion.
It is a hard situation...
I don't know of anyone in my family who is BP or who could possibly be BP. My uncle has had depression since he was a teen but that came form a traumatic experience of his. So I don't know!