Told that Son is bipolar, What does that mean?

Question

Son 23 years old has been displaying very strange behavior and very disillusioned. Took him to hospital and there was no signs of drugs but doctors feel he may be bipolar, Can you be cured of this? Should I be afraid? How can I help him

Answer 1

http://www.bipolar.com/

good website. Im bipolar and it explains things pretty well.

Mark

Answer 2

Some of the answers already given do a good job of describing what bipolar is.

How can you help your son? Educated yourself! As to your question about cure, it depends on your definition of cure. Bipolar is a central nervous system disorder and as such it can certainly be treated. For me, psychotropic drugs were tried unsuccessfully and actually made the condition worse. Eventually I was led to a vitamin and mineral supplement designed specifically for CNS disorders such as bipolar. I was able to get off all psych meds and I am now happier and more productive than I could have imagined possible! I am stable and can deal with life as it happens, without undue fear, depression, or manic episodes.

I strongly urge you to read a book called These Painted Wings by Autumn Stringham. She grew up with a bipolar parent, was eventually diagnosed with the disorder herself, and has found stability and wellness after years of instability. As well, I'll put a site under 'source' for you to read. It relates to the supplement I now take, the one that has changed my life, saved my marriage, and basically made me into the person I had always hoped was somewhere inside. You see, it treats the cause of the illness. None of the drugs the doctor gave me ever did that.

Normally people (including parents) can sign up for a support program; however, that part of the site is down for at least another week while it is updated. We do have an amazing support system there and it does include many parents of kids of all ages with bipolar disorder. So keep checking in and once all aspects of the site are up and working again you can check out the message boards; we'd love to hear from you.

You'll notice on the main site a link to a Discover magazine article about the product. It's very interesting and written in an unbiased fashion. Do check it out.

I wish you and your son the best and will keep you in my prayers.

Answer 3

It means he can't get off the roller coaster... yet.

He'll go way high up. He'll go way low down. Some bipolars take to the bed for a long while, just no energy. Some bipolars can't sleep for long stretches. The longer we stay up, the crazier we get. (Rumor has it that bipolars crave salt; I definately do. Perhaps bipolars evolved to seek natural lithium...)

No! Do not be afraid. Get ready to FIGHT the disease. Find out EVERYTHING you can. Read the DSM-IV criterion and familiarize yourself with the language of the bipolar entry.

If the doctors prescribe a medication, study it carefully. Sometimes, it takes MONTHS of trying diffent pills to get a medication that actually works, so patience is key.

If you have the money, and he'll cooperate, hire a personal trainer to encourage him to exercise half an hour five days a week. It helps as much as anything, but I can't make myself do it. Also, some days he may too physically drained to move. (I call this the "boulder on the chest." It basically feels like there is a great weight holding you down. Sometimes, I've fought through it, but most times, I just can't.)

For starters, try reading the story of Patty Duke in "Call me Anna," and "A Brilliant Madness." "Madness" is great as a primer on what bipolar IS.

Sleep hygiene, including a half-hour or full-hour ritual to cue sleepiness at bed time, really helps too. (Again, I just don't do it the way I should.)

Finally, excellent nutrition helps, too. If he goes to long without eating he can trigger a flare up.

Learn all you can, and help him fight to enjoy life. Good luck!

One aside: I have a beef with the mental health profession in it's entirety. If you are not satisfied with a doctor, find another. Many Gen Prac's can treat depression, but bipolar has additional issues so most GPs can't treat most bipolar. (There are so many forms of bipolar that your head will spin!)

Answer 4

There is no cure for bipolar, but there is effective treatment. Medication is extremely important in managing this illness and anybody who tells you otherwise is not educated about it. And for the record, not everybody is bipolar. Ignorance about this subject drives me up the wall because it's a very real and very serious condition. Bipolar disorder greatly effects pretty much all aspects of a persons life, mostly in negative ways. Especially untreated.
No, you shouldn't be scared. But you should be concerned. The best thing you can do for yourself and your son is to educate yourself thoroughly. If you are interested, I can give you a list of books that will be helpful.

Answer 5

Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric condition in which the sufferer will experience manic and sometimes depressive episodes (it used to be called manic depression). Manic epsiodes consist of things such as reduced need for sleep, increased talkativeness, recklessness and generally higher energy. BD is usually treated with a mood stabiliser called Lithium, which does not cure the condition, but does help to reduce the manic episodes. The best thing you can do to help him is read up on the condition and try and understand his problem (wikipedia is usually a good starting point).

Answer 6

This means he is depressed and disillusioned. He may go through many moods at a time. No, this is a mental disorder that cannot be cured unfortunately. You should not be afraid of this. You can help him by being at his side and helping him, telling him how much you love him and showering with hugs. He may forget who you are or may reject love, but don't take this as a serious sign. He may not be aware of this. I hope that your son gets through as easily as possible, good luck!! :))))

Answer 7

bi polar means your son is suffering from a mental illness that causes severe mood swings. usually extreme highs, which causes feeling of euphoria, poor judgment, and can have some delusional content. also there are mood swings were people with bipolar illness are extremely depressed and lethargic. unfortunately there is no cure for this. however there is medication for the mood swings, and usually have good results. it may take a while to see what medications are best for him so he can function properly. hopefully he has been diagnosed by a psychiatrist, not a GP. you do not need to be afraid of your son, and you can help him by learning what bi polar means, there may be groups or on line help for you and your family how to deal with it. my brother was bi polar and when he was on medication he functioned very well. without it he could not function below is a link that may be help full. be care full of sites that ask for money, i have worked with bi polar people for 30 years and usually seeing a psychiatrist, and medication seem to be the only answer while he is going through this difficult time, support him as much as you can, and remember it is not his fault, or yours good luck to you

Answer 8

Bi-polar disorder is another name for manic depression. Mood swings from Highs to lows are common. New medications have been successful in treating Bi-polar disorder, there is no cure as of yet. Read up on the subject so as to better understand the disease and how you can effectively help your son. Get him properly diagnosed first, before starting any medication regime.

Answer 9

So far it can't be cured, but with the right medication and therapy, it'll be easier on him and you. Just give him a lot of support, he's going to need it, and you might want to check out www.nami.org, they'll have info there about bipolar and other mental illnesses.

Answer 10

Id Like to Answer this Question from the standpoint of someone who Cared Soley for a Individual who was Diagnosed with Bi-polar and Borderline Personality Disorder. I Married this woman before she was diagnosed. I watched her Go through many Highs and Lows, and both were Equally as Hard to Deal with. My Case was Extreme, With Highs Leading to wanting to Leave her Family and go live as a nomad in a RV, to lows that would involve DAYS worth of Staring at the Celing wondering why she lived. There were MANY Hosptial Stays and Many Crisis Interventions/Centers Throughout our 5 year marriage. A Common thing to Watch out for, and this will Help you Help them understand the World for what it is, Not as they Precieve it, is Splitting and Dissassociation. Splitting is Taking One Person, place or thing (usually a person but with my case, it was all 3) and Butting it against another. For example, She would Tell "bob" that I was Doing Something Wrong, and then Tell me that "bob" was doing something Wrong. This would Cause Lots of animosity between many of my Friends and my Family beacuse of the Constant Lying to Try and Create a world where everyone was Sorrowed for her. Dissassociation is another where she would "loose Control" of where she was at and what she was doing, Being able to see everything that was going on, know what she was doing is wrong, but not be able to control it. Did I mention that she was 24 when she was diagnosed? You CAN Help him, But He has to WANT to be helped first. If he Does not, Nothing You can Say or do will help. The Correct Cocktail of Meds will be great symptom relief. (Lexapro, Risperdal) was the Correct conversation for my ex, But it took 3 years to Find this cocktail, and the balance is ever so touchy that any instability in the meds causes major instability in the person. I know that my Answer to your question May not Be as Cheerfull and Hopefull as everyone Else, But im not going to paint a Picture of Absolutle perfection. Bi-polar is Very serious, and needs to be Treated as such. Many can return to being functional. She did return to work and was able to hold a decent job, but not anything spectacular. One thing that i Must Mention. Your Mental health is Just as important as his. If he Is Truely Bi-polar, and you choose to Care for him, ensure that you stay mentally healthy as possible. If you start to feel Depressed, Unstable yourself, you are no Help to Him. After i found out of the infedility in our marrage, i tried for a long time to repair the rift between us and try to Chalk it up to her condition, but i was unable to do that after all the mental angush i had went through treating the disease. My Suggestion, Get Him Evalulated by a psychologist, and a good one. A Short hospital stay may also help (a 5 day commitment was what my ex needed to be clearly diagnosed as they fumbled 5 diffrent diagnoses around for a long time). I hope that everything works out with your son. no Doubt you love him and Want to help him. Get as Much education as you can, and Remember, some things he will say or do may Be Strange to you, but to them, its perfectly normal. Good luck moving Forward!