Bi-polar any advice
Discussion
This is a good website, and the learning courses are worth registering for;
http://www.bipolaruk.org.uk/beating-bipolar/
Encourage them to do as their doctor recommends and persevere with the medications and minor lifestyle changes that follow diagnosis. Without appearing unsympathetic to their struggle, remind them it's very common, ~1 in 100, so they're not alone and it is well managed in most people.
Other than that people vary. Some people can remain functional with incredible levels of internal distress and minimal support, others will need to take some time and talk about it. Neither is wrong.
Like any sickness though, the trick is just to be there for them.
http://www.bipolaruk.org.uk/beating-bipolar/
Encourage them to do as their doctor recommends and persevere with the medications and minor lifestyle changes that follow diagnosis. Without appearing unsympathetic to their struggle, remind them it's very common, ~1 in 100, so they're not alone and it is well managed in most people.
Other than that people vary. Some people can remain functional with incredible levels of internal distress and minimal support, others will need to take some time and talk about it. Neither is wrong.
Like any sickness though, the trick is just to be there for them.
Everyone always talks about Stephen Fry and how great he is. It's b
ks, not everyone's the same. If you're a close friend, family member or partner to the person, decide who you are in the relationship, because at some point you'll need to choose between the person you are vs a carer.
At times, as with non bipolar people, you'll both be somewhere on this triangle and it's important to step off it to avoid a circular and fairly destructive argument
ks, not everyone's the same. If you're a close friend, family member or partner to the person, decide who you are in the relationship, because at some point you'll need to choose between the person you are vs a carer. At times, as with non bipolar people, you'll both be somewhere on this triangle and it's important to step off it to avoid a circular and fairly destructive argument
I think you've taken the first step already, which is to care. You'll need to understand that sometimes your friend may not feel like going out or doing anything, and equally other times they may be very hard to be around. The vast majority of people don't understand or care and it can therefore be hard to keep close friends if you're bi-polar.
The only other thing I'd say is for them to persevere with the medication. There are many different types and most have some side effects, so it's usually a case of trying a few different types and finding something that works and also has side effects that are the least disruptive of that person's ordinary life. Each one will need time though, because they have to build up in your body before they work properly.
HTH
The only other thing I'd say is for them to persevere with the medication. There are many different types and most have some side effects, so it's usually a case of trying a few different types and finding something that works and also has side effects that are the least disruptive of that person's ordinary life. Each one will need time though, because they have to build up in your body before they work properly.
HTH
Zoon said:
I know someone who is bi-polar.
They go on massive spending sprees and get themselves into debt and then bury their heads in the sand.
Impulsive behavior is typical of manic episodes. Mood stabilisers can help with this.They go on massive spending sprees and get themselves into debt and then bury their heads in the sand.
Without help symptoms can become much worse, if they've not already done so they should seek a referral from their GP.
In the case of someone I know, the GP referred them to a mental health clinic and that's where their diagnosis came from, including the prescriptions, the out patients stuff and the information. They werent great, but they were better than what a GP could have done in the timeframe that a GP has to work with.
On going back to the GP for anything after that, he'd have to cross check against what the mental health unit were prescribing and planning for even the most basic of things. Mainly down to lithium prescription which needs balancing against blood levels.
I think because there's no exact line drawn it's hard to find the exact problems, for your friend there'll be triggers that are probably 3 layers down from what's on the surface and they need to unpeel each problem to get to the root.
For example, the ex g/f of mine, went fairly rapidly downhill with her b/p over a 3 month period. Said I was trying to kill her so she had to fight me to stop it, and this was in Tescos, shouting and screaming just after I'd stuck some lettuce in the trolley and was heading off to the tomatoes. Bit surprising, but after a bit of digging into why I'd want to kill her, what she meant was she wanted to have breakfast in the cafe before doing the shopping as she was so hungry, and by me doing the shopping first I wasnt letting her eat anything, ergo I was starving her, so I must be trying to kill her
There's a few different flavours of bipolar, and some of them can come with other things, such as BPD. Rationality can go out of the window, so when an exact science takes on irrational behaviour something's got to give.
On going back to the GP for anything after that, he'd have to cross check against what the mental health unit were prescribing and planning for even the most basic of things. Mainly down to lithium prescription which needs balancing against blood levels.
I think because there's no exact line drawn it's hard to find the exact problems, for your friend there'll be triggers that are probably 3 layers down from what's on the surface and they need to unpeel each problem to get to the root.
For example, the ex g/f of mine, went fairly rapidly downhill with her b/p over a 3 month period. Said I was trying to kill her so she had to fight me to stop it, and this was in Tescos, shouting and screaming just after I'd stuck some lettuce in the trolley and was heading off to the tomatoes. Bit surprising, but after a bit of digging into why I'd want to kill her, what she meant was she wanted to have breakfast in the cafe before doing the shopping as she was so hungry, and by me doing the shopping first I wasnt letting her eat anything, ergo I was starving her, so I must be trying to kill her
There's a few different flavours of bipolar, and some of them can come with other things, such as BPD. Rationality can go out of the window, so when an exact science takes on irrational behaviour something's got to give.
As you say a GP cannot diagnose Bipolar, it's done by psychiatrist and that's why you need a referral for a specialist diagnosis.
If there is a positive diagnosis by a psychiatrist they will almost certainly prescribe medication. The routine bloods will depend on what they prescribe, Lithium is a well established mood stabiliser, but has a narrow therapeutic range and is more difficult to manage, and so requires closer monitoring of serum levels. Sodium Valproate is a common alternative and better tolerated, however not everyone responds to it. There are others as well. Patients may also need additional medications such as sedatives to help them manage their symptoms. We are all different after all.
The management of bloods and medications does not always directly involve your GP and can be done via community health if this is easier. The GP and psychiatrist both receive copies of bloods, but I would expect your GP to contact you if anything is out of range as they would any routine bloods. In the case of Lithium, your dose may need adjusted especially during the first months of treatment, and typically this means you go back to the mental health for an appointment to discuss, however sometimes this is just a phone call. Not all mood stabilisers rely so heavily on blood results, after some time it can even just be a phone call, followed by a drop in so they can see you're ok.
A clustering of mental health issues is common in many ill people, in addition there is some variability in bipolar disorder itself, as I said earlier as well. Paranoid delusions resulting in screaming in supermarkets, is from my understanding, thankfully pretty rare in the patient population, and is often successfully medicated. Afterall if it's 1 in 100 of us, the supermarket would be a much more dramatic occasion were this not the case!
If there is a positive diagnosis by a psychiatrist they will almost certainly prescribe medication. The routine bloods will depend on what they prescribe, Lithium is a well established mood stabiliser, but has a narrow therapeutic range and is more difficult to manage, and so requires closer monitoring of serum levels. Sodium Valproate is a common alternative and better tolerated, however not everyone responds to it. There are others as well. Patients may also need additional medications such as sedatives to help them manage their symptoms. We are all different after all.
The management of bloods and medications does not always directly involve your GP and can be done via community health if this is easier. The GP and psychiatrist both receive copies of bloods, but I would expect your GP to contact you if anything is out of range as they would any routine bloods. In the case of Lithium, your dose may need adjusted especially during the first months of treatment, and typically this means you go back to the mental health for an appointment to discuss, however sometimes this is just a phone call. Not all mood stabilisers rely so heavily on blood results, after some time it can even just be a phone call, followed by a drop in so they can see you're ok.
A clustering of mental health issues is common in many ill people, in addition there is some variability in bipolar disorder itself, as I said earlier as well. Paranoid delusions resulting in screaming in supermarkets, is from my understanding, thankfully pretty rare in the patient population, and is often successfully medicated. Afterall if it's 1 in 100 of us, the supermarket would be a much more dramatic occasion were this not the case!
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