Does anyone have a mentally ill mother or father?

Question

Can you please tell me how you deal with it and your experiences.

I am finding it very hard to relate to anyone, no one understand my situation.

Answer 1

Hiya,

My mother is bipolar and my dad is a depressive also. Therefore I have a depressive illness. Part of it was inherited from my mother and part of it from my experiences growing up.

I've had to deal with beatings from my mother (she was the worst), when I was younger. She could switch at the drop of a hat. She used to shout and hide stuff and then blame us for it. There's many other things too. The worst was that she even took and overdose when she was pregnant with me.

I can understand that people don't understand you. They say that you never give up on your parents. I haven't. But it's the fatigue, the tiredness of having to deal with the same old thing. Calling you all the names under the sun and then cosying up to you when they want something. It's confusing and it rips you apart. You are torn between running away and staying because, hey, they are your parents. It's the duty and the burden combined.

My mother never has had help with her condition. She's took...*thinks*...eight overdoses altogether. I was only thirteen when I saw her having her stomach pumped and saw her vomiting with so much force that it hit the curtain around the bed.

I haven't meant for this to seem like a life story. It's just so that you can grasp that I do know what you are going through.

You cope hon, because you have to cope. You have to let things go when they say things to you. You go back time and time again because you have to. Who else would they have???

I'm 27 years old and this is all I've ever known in my life. I still live at home because I have no where else to go and no one that wants me around. I am expected to stay here forever and that is where I draw the line. I don't know your circumstances, but I have put my life on hold and that I do regret.

Hope this helps

Hang in there.

Lisa
x

Answer 2

My Mother is bipolar and so is my brother and my cousin. Yes, I come from a sort of crazy family but I love them dearly. Growing up with a bipolar Mom was very difficult because I never knew which personality would meet me at the door. She could be the sweetest most loving person, or the meanest, angriest, vicious person from one day to the next. As I've gotten older, I have studied a lot about the illness and talked to her a lot about what it is like to live with it. I know realize that when she is mean or cruel, it is the illness, not her talking. She has also become alot more balanced since they have found the right combination of medicines that work for her. My brother was just diagnosed 2 years ago and we went through a lot with him, too. Lots of highs and very deep lows but he too has found meds that are helping him be more level with his moods. I feel for you, because most people really don't understand what it's like to live with someone who has a mental illness and many people joke and laugh about it. Others think it's an excuse for bad behavior. I find the more I read and try to learn the illness, the better our relationship has become. I wish you the best and hope things will get easier for you to handle. The right medications and a good therapist are key to getting it under control. Take care of yourself while you are trying to help her. It can really wear you down physically and emotionally so remember to be good to yourself, too.

Answer 3

I don't have that experience, but you can talk to someone about it....like a Doctor or
Psychologist. If you have religion, you can talk
to a Priest. See if there is a web site with people
who have similar experiences. Just remember
you are not alone, as other people deal with the
same thing. There might even be a support
group in your neighborhood.

Answer 4

I don't. But I work with them. (Not my co-workers! lol! I'm a nurse!) It's not easy. The families suffer greatly. It hard and I try to be there for those who feel like talking when they have nobody to talk to. I've seen a lot.