I have a daughter that was diagnosed as bi-polar years ago. I can tell you that living and loving someone afflicted with bi-polar disorder, or what used to be called manic-depression is not an easy thing.
Alot of the behaviors that seem common or typical to the disease is very distressing. There are alot of up and down emotions for both the patient and anyone who cares for them. Pain and shame seem to be a big part of the picture for both the person and their loved ones.
It is a disease charaterized by out of control behavior. There are spending sprees, screaming fits, drama (the likes of which would blow your mind), confusion, confrontations with the law and other authority figures, anti-social behavior; as well as, overly friendly behaviors considered odd or over the top by the people around them, alot of extreme love-hate relationships in the patient’s life.
It is extremely sad, depressing, frustrating and hard to maintain a relationship with a person who is bi-polar if they are not diagnosed and treated with medication, that they faithfully take combined with therapy.
The problem is…when they take their medication , often life is good; and then because life is good, they decide that they no longer need their medication. Then, the roller coaster of extreme emotions and behaviors start again.
A person who is un-diagnosed often will “feel different” and they often will self- medicate by drinking, sexualizing their behaviors, spending sprees, gamboling, manipulating others, taking illegal drugs, all of which only lower inhibitions and cause more problems for the individual. These behaviors only add to the distress that the individual (and their families) experience.
The disease is so damaging because a person who has it can be so loving and appropriate at times and then extremely destructive the next. Often, they will have a low self-esteem as well, because it is hard to feel good about themselves when so much in their lives feels out of control.
I remember my daughter often said…”no body likes me”. As a young child…she would bribe other children to be her friend by giving them things. As a teen it became more apparent that she was different. She had difficulty getting along. It got much worse as she headed into young adulthood. She couldn’t maintain friendships…they would start out good and progress into dead end relationships.
I heard rumblings through news reports that Britney is rumored to have the disease; whether that is fact or not…alot of the reported types of things going on in her life, bring back memories for me as a mother of a person afflicted with a bi-polar illness.
I pray it isn’t true for Britney and her family; but, it sure would explain alot of things. If it is true…she is an adult and therefore has to get to a place in her life where she reaches out for help.
Hopefully, her family is reaching out for help as well. You can’t make someone get well; but, with prayer, medication and lots of love and patience it is possible to have a better life. Check out this website for information on the illness, as well as, support group info: http://www.dbsalliance.org/.
Write where you are 
I have a 47yr old,who still lives at home & is very moody at times,unhappy at others,lives in the past & doesn’t seem to want to let go of it. Hates me(Mother) for things that occured in the past.He was sexually molested by my brother at the age of 15,holds it against me.I was not home at the time it happened,he says had i been home it may not have happened.My brother was living with me at the time. He also sexually molested my younger son at 13yrs old,he does not hold it against me,but likes to look at naked women & is over sexed b/c of it.Brother was 30yrs old at the time,he was over sexed too at the time,he took pics of my sons naked & sent them to different woman he knew.
I truly think this has caused my 47yr old to be BiPolar.I can’t get him to go to a DR,b/c he doesn’t think he has anything wrong with him.I don’t know how i can get him to admit that he has problems.
Thank you for listening to my story!!
My name is: Pat . My son’s name is Richard,47yrold,other son’s name is John.
I have a Bi Polar Mother, and my 18 daughter is Bi Polar.
It is a very difficult thing to deal with. It effects everyone around them, not just those that have the disorder.
I have kept up with the Britteny stories, and to be honest, I have wondered if she was Bi Polar. I pray she gets the help she needs.
Meds are a vital part of getting it under control, therapy is just as vital. My mother lets her disorder control her. My daughter was diagnosed 2 years ago, and we are still getting her where she needs to be on her meds. But, she has been into treatment, and goes to therapy on a very regular basis. She is learning to control it, instead of letting it control her, but it is difficult being a teenager and being BiPolar.
She does know what can happen if it is not kept under control (my mother has been a perfect example of that).
We still walk on eggshells in the house, although it is getting better. Still, it is a task getting through each day.
God Bless You
My daughter may be bipolar, and I’m praying that she gets diagnosed as soon as possible. We’ve had her in therapy but nothing has been diagnosed yet. The more I see, the more I am believing she needs meds.
She is an absolutely charming girl. She has met with a psychiatrist in the past, and very convincing that she’s fine. The psychiatrist came back to us and told us how beautiful and normal she was during the 20-minute session.
My daughter beat me up this week. She was upset about something, wanted to go for a drive, and I held back her keys saying I didn’t think she should be driving in this condition. She beat me severely and was in a rage, cursing and screaming the whole time. This terror lasted about a half-hour, until I finally realized I had to give her the car keys in order for my own survival.
She then drove out, went to the ATM machine and withdrew money, and went and had her nose pierced. She’s always tried such behaviors in order to spite me, but now that she’s 18, I couldn’t care less if she pierces and where she pierces.
It was all irrelevant, though, because the police removed the piercing when they put her in jail.
I’ve read about bipolar disorder and the extreme highs and lows. In her case, we see extreme love and genuineness and wonderful qualities, and then extreme hatred and rage. She shows the good side to the outside world, then comes home hating her mother and father.
The word going around school is that “her mother must have really pushed her buttons, since she is so docile.” Nothing is further from the truth.
Any comments or support anyone can give would really mean a lot to me.
Thank you so much,
Holly