Hello,my mom has bipolar disorder for 30 years. what are the best treatment options?

Question

She is generally depressive from october to March and after March her manic period is beginning. Around February2006 she had a surgery for guatr (hpertroid), and her hormones will still in need to become stable. I really appretiate, if you can share with me about what to do..

Answer 1

Sounds like a fun mix of bipolar and Seasonal Affective Disorder (actually, it sounds just like SAD: does she have an official bipolar diagnosis?).

Assuming that she is bipolar, and on medication, then I guess you need to look at light therapy. There's a very helpful site at http://www.crazyboards.org with sections on both bipolar and SAD.

Answer 2

I'm 49 and have had bipolar 1 since my late teens but I wasn't diagnosed until about 15 years ago. Since taking the mood stabilisers my mood has improved, has become less wild and, even though I can't go back to work, I can do some very meaningful voluntary work. I'm a rapid cycler and I have very rapid mood swings at times from extreme highs to extreme lows four or five times a day. This means that with mood stabilisers I can lead as near as normal a life as I need to. The normality of life means that even those without mood disorders face mood swings even though these are very gentle. No-one feels exactly the same all the time. Nona - I didn't realise you were in Pakistan which, as you quite rightly point out, makes a big difference culturally and treatment wise in the treatment of Bipolar. I have a friend (doctor) who worked in Pakistan for a year and knows a little of the medical set up there and see what he can come up with. Take care.

Answer 3

There are already some great answers here. As someone who has in the past worked in the mental health field, and who is bipolar, I want to clarify a few things people said.

1 - Do not use just "natural" remedies. Bipolar depression is a serious life-threatening illness. It goes way beyond what supplements and new age therapies can do! She needs to find a good medication or combo of meds (as recommended by a psychiatrist, who is an M.D. that prescribes medicines) and STAY on it. Adding natural therapies at that point is okay, as long as her medical doc agrees (because some natural remedies react with other meds and can KILL).

2 - All those who say she may need to see a counselor or psychologist are correct. Some patients need to see someone to talk about what chaos the disease creates in their lives, and how to cope with it. But Bipolar is a disease in which the brain's chemistry is off, and only meds can correct it. A psychiatrist will be required to help with that ( a psychologist is not an M.D. and cannot prescribe meds).

3 - The person who cautions you to take care of yourself, is absolutely correct. Your responsibility is to take care of yourself FIRST, as living with a bipolar parent can really screw you up pretty good. But that being said, your wanting to help out your mom too is wonderful, and I commend you for your maturity.

4 - Hormonal imbalance will really throw anyone off into mood swings, and those already dealing with a mental illness are most vulnerable. A 'goiter' is a condition which affects the hormonal production and output of your 'thyroid'. This is a gland in your neck. These hormones are essential for good health - of your heart, skin, mind, metabolism, and other things. The good news is, this will eventually be controlled in your mom. Removal of the goiter is necessary to curb production of the "thyroid hormone" - which if a goiter is present becomes too much (making her "hyperthyroid"), and the docs will help her regulate it now. About 3-6 mo after surgery, that should be under control.

5 - Surgery is indeed hard on the body, but NOT because of anesthesia. In the past decade, drugs used in anesthesia have changed greatly. Most people still believe it stays in your body, but it doesn't. Today we use some 'pre-anesthetic' drugs before surgery, which are muscle relaxants and painkillers (so they are on-board alread when your body needs them during the surgery). After 72 hours at the MOST they are gone from your system. For 'general' anesthetic during surgery, your mom probably received Propofol, which is injected into the blood, and maybe a gas such as Isoflurane or Sevoflurane - these are out of the body within minutes after the surgery. The Propofol would have worn off completely before your mom even woke up. These drugs do not linger in the system.

As several here said, support your mom and love her. That is the best you can do.

Answer 4

I decided to move and was interested in communities located in various counties and states. I looked up information on mental health care and it seems like every county provides some type of service in this area. Mental Illness is a sensitive condition and people helping those that have a mental illness, especially bipolar disorder should understand that professional help is always recommended. I hope that your mother sees a licensed psychiatrist and therapist a minimum of once a month. I go once a week and feel great. I continue to stay on top of taking my medication and routinely checking any updated side effects or news about my meds on the Internet.
Go with your mom to her psychiatric appointment and express your concerns to the doctors. Make sure you provide a complete description of all medication taken by your mom from all doctors. Explain her mood swings and other situations. Only a professional licensed person in the medical field should be able to determine if new or adjusted medication should be taken.
As always and with all medicines, please pay attention to the side effects and report to the doctor and pharmacist any additional side=effects you are experiencing.
Good luck to you honey and God Bless you for the love you have for your mom!!!!

Answer 5

I would suggest the obvious: seeing a psychiatrist/psychologist and getting meds and therapy. Also, I would suggest that she find some kind of support group, or find some kind of online support group. Personally, as a person with Bipolar disorder, just looking at this Yahoo Answers thingee has made me feel a lot better; that is seeing how I'm not alone suffering through this. It sounds like your mom has been through a lot. Also, I'm guessing that you have been through a lot too as the child of a bipolar parent. You might want to seek support as well. As far as meds go, it really depends on the individual. There really is no "best" medicine. It will probably take a bit of experimenting (i feel like a guinea pig most of the time) and most likely some patience. Well, best of luck.

Answer 6

Out of experience as the child of a parent that had been diagnosed as being manic-depressive (They call it bipolar now) She's been that way for about 20 years. There's different types of bipolar disorder. I'd say that you need to seek counseling for her before her behavior becomes out of control. Has she stopped taking her medication, because if she had been diagnosed...I'm sure she was on meds. She needs to talk to an experienced Mental Health counselor..so they can prescribe medication according to her symptoms. That's a long time to be depressed without meds. My heart goes out to you, because I know what it's like to see your parent suffer so. Your mother's mind needs to stay occupied, and she needs to spend time with people. If she's alone that's too much time to think about promblems. And I would suggest a lot of prayer, and for you and her to get involved in church. If she's not feeling up to that,..it would be really good for you to stay involved in ministry. Because dealing with mental illness is much more trying and difficult than people think. And sometimes people who are bipolar think they do not need to take their meds. But when they take their meds they do so much better.

Find a support group for yourself as well. I have been thinking about finding a support group..people who understand. Because unless someone really goes through it I don't think they really understand...The role reversal of parenting. It's difficult to try to help someone who resists to be helped. Be In courage in Jesus name.

Answer 7

See this site under bipolar for natural help. Also it sounds like the bright sunlight helps her so if she can spend a few days in S. CA or Florida every month during Oct to March then that would help.

http://www.phifoundation.org/heal.html

Answer 8

I was diagnosed with Bipolar 2 years ago....i'm currently taking 100mg of Seroquel at night and 50 mg of seroquel and Klonapin (Anxiety meds) in the morning, and its helped me a lot. My husband used to not be able to handle me now he can i'm a happy person 95% of the time. I LOVE IT!!!

Answer 9

I think that the wisest thing that you possibly could do is have her see a mental health professional...you know, because they are more qualified than all the Psy-D-wanna-be's on Yahoo! Answers. Good luck to your mommy.

Answer 10

I hate to tell you, nothing! The only thing you can do is get help for YOURSELF! Learn how to deal with yourself when her moods are too upsetting to you. I am bipolar as well, and my moods are in the same, (at least close) as hers is. After March I'm a much easier person to live with.
I see bipolar as living with an alcoholic, or some other form of dysfunctional behavior. If I choose to live with this person that has behavior that is difficult to deal with, I have to decide if I'm going to continue to live with this person, and if I am going to, what do I have to do to protect myself, emotionally and mentally, so I don't pick up on their moods, or become cranky and relapse into their behavior.
Is what I have done, gone to 12-Step programs. The Serenity Prayer is wonderful! We can't change them, but we can change how we respond and react to their behavior. That is the only thing we can change, is ourselves. We certainly aren't going to change them, whether they are bipolar, alcoholic, abusive, or any thing that we don't like. The only thing we can change, is ourselves.
As far as helping her, you can't. You can love her! You can even support her emotionally, and let her know when her behavior is inappropriate, like hurting your feelings, or if she thinks you are mad at her etc., but as far as actually helping her to have more acceptable behavior, she has to do that for that for herself. She needs medication and counseling. (something us bipolars don't like)
Also surgery, messes with us a lot, emotionally, when we are bipolar. It does any one, but when you are bipolar, it intensefies.
It is even more important for your Mom to take her medication and to stay in counseling during her healing period, until all that anesthetic is out of her system, which doesn't happen over night. I don't know how long it takes, but you could find out. (at least to where it is completely out of every thing.)
Hope you find the answer you are looking for, us bipolars are worth loving. My motto: THOSE WHO DESERVE TO BE LOVED THE LEAST, NEEDS IT THE MOST! Sometimes we have to apply this to ourselves.
Also the bible tells us to "be peaceable among all men as far as it depends on you."