Health Forums

Posted: 17 September 2008 at 8:49am | IP Logged

You may look at my post recently

http://www.madmums.com/forum/forum_posts~TID~16558~KW~LANNYN EWMUM.htm

I did a bit of research on bipolar disorder and i could not believe how much the symtoms matched my parnter's personality. Any way the other night i took my laptop upstairs with my partner and put you tube on. I told him i wanted to take a look at something because of interest and we watched a few video's on the illness. Almost everything it said in the videos is soo much like my partner it was like hearing him talk to me!

I didn't say anything to him about seeing the relation.

The next day he took the day off work. He told me he had been crying whilst at home because he had been watching the bi polar vids and he has defo got this illness and he's been dealing with it since primary.

The problem is he won't flippin see anyone about it! It gets worse as he gets older and he has probs with his caffine,suger, alcohol intake which make the illness worse!

He hates taking pills , v against it. He went on anti depressants yrs ago and maneged 2 weeks on it. I don't know why he resitis's medication so much.

If anyone has any helpful advice of bipolar.. Specifcaly dealing with the mania as i find this part hard to deal with. pls say.

Thank you all so much for helping me deal with these difficult times.

I thought i would put this bit of text from a website on as it describes how i feel

 The healthy spouse dreams of cutting bait/jumping ship, but is filled with guilt and shame for "not being able to make it work." Worse, the spouse feels overwhelmed, and in psychic pain. What's the answer -- leave the relationship, or dig in for the long haul, no matter what? Again, this is one of those entirely personal decisions

Posted: 17 September 2008 at 12:05pm | IP Logged

I've sent you a PM with some info hun - I hope it helps.

You really need to convince him to see his GP and get help. There are lots of options avaliable. He needs to do it for you and his kids, even if he isnt ready to do it for himself.

Good luck.

Posted: 17 September 2008 at 5:08pm | IP Logged

I have sent you a PM sorry it was so long.

After re-reading your earlier topic it does sound like most of your problems with him are alcohol-related not illness.

Yes the illness may make him inclined to drink, but he MUST tackle this drinking issue and get help.

You may not know this but at anytime you can take your partner to your nearest A&E to be assessed by a CPN (Community Psychiatric Nurse) or similar. You can also visit your GP if you can find the confidence and asked for a Registered Social Worker to visit your home.