do you think my lack of support?

Question

with me going in and out of jail has caused my wife to be manic depressive? i'm a recovering meth user. she is taking topamax and lamotrigine. but why does laugh tysterclly right after she takes it? do you think its contagious? do you think she probably caught it from me? she's never done drugs in her life but the thinks she does is because she is manice depressive but me personally is because i was a meth user. how could that happen to my wife?

Answer 1

I don't believe your problems CAUSED your wife's manic depression. She had a proclivity towards a biochemical imbalance. But the stress certainly didn't help, and may have affected it's severity. But you're doing better now, you're obviously concerned about her well being, and that's a good thing. Try to live as simple, serene, and stress-free a life as is possible. It is the best for both of you.

Answer 2

Manic Depression or what is now usually called Bipolar Disorder cannot be "caught". It is a chemical imbalance in the brain that is thought to have strong genetic links. In other words, it tends to run in families. However, a person's environment probably contributes to whether or not the illness actually develops. So if your wife is genetically predisposed to bipolar disorder, anything from taking certain drugs (legal or illegal) to having a very stressful environment could trigger the illness. Lamotrigine is one of the newest medications used to treat Bipolar so it sounds like she is seeing a psychiatrist who has diagnosed her. She should discuss any concerns about the medications with whoever prescribed them.

You couldn't have "caused" her to have manic depression but you can be supportive and help her deal with her illness. There's a lot of info on line if you do a search for bipolar disorder. There are many informative books, too.

Answer 3

It is not catching, however, what you are going through can definitely affect how she is coping. I hope she sees someone in addition to taking medication. She needs to take care of herself. What are you doing to have a better life for you and your wife?