Comments on: Bubba http://www.finkshrink.com/blog Information and support Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:57:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: highlymedikated http://www.finkshrink.com/blog/bipolar-stories-and-insights/bubba/comment-page-1#comment-1947 highlymedikated Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:39:09 +0000 http://finkshrink.com/blog/bipolar-stories-and-insights/bubba#comment-1947 My best advice is psychotherapy on top of meds perscribed by a CARING psychaitrist. I take 1500mg lithium(helps mood swings), up to 600mg seraquel(miracle drug), 200mg lamictal, and 40mg celixa all together 10pills a day plus seraqeul prn for racing thoughts. I cannot tell u the coaktail off drugs it took to get me here. A good Psychaitrist knows it can be alot of trail and errors. you should defintaly look into seraquel and lithium. My best advice is psychotherapy on top of meds perscribed by a CARING psychaitrist. I take 1500mg lithium(helps mood swings), up to 600mg seraquel(miracle drug), 200mg lamictal, and 40mg celixa all together 10pills a day plus seraqeul prn for racing thoughts. I cannot tell u the coaktail off drugs it took to get me here. A good Psychaitrist knows it can be alot of trail and errors. you should defintaly look into seraquel and lithium.

]]> By: Joe http://www.finkshrink.com/blog/bipolar-stories-and-insights/bubba/comment-page-1#comment-42 Joe Mon, 01 Oct 2007 08:21:21 +0000 http://finkshrink.com/blog/bipolar-stories-and-insights/bubba#comment-42 As you describe, bipolar disorder can ravage a family, especially when the person who has the disorder has not received appropriate treatment for so many years. If your son has reported having voices speaking to him in his mind, he may even be experiencing symptoms of schizophrenia or psychosis related to the bipolar, which compounds the problem. The first order of business is to obtain an accurate diagnosis from a psychiatrist. It sounds as though you and your family are taking positive steps. I would highly recommend that you, Bubba’s dad, and perhaps even your siblings take the NAMI Family-to-Family course if it is available in your area (http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Family-to-Family). One of the most important things is for Bubba to take ownership of his condition, get into a psychiatrist for a diagnosis and the medications he needs and work with a therapist. The NAMI Family-to-Family course can help you and other family members set boundaries, which may encourage Bubba to take more control of his situation. What I’ve learned from bipolar disorder in my family is that I cannot control others, but I can set boundaries and control my response to what I consider unacceptable behaviors. Bubba should not have free reign to bully everyone in the household. It is not fair to you or to Bubba’s siblings or father. Bubba needs to understand that bipolar is a treatable medical condition. You can help him as a family obtain the necessary treatment, but he needs to follow the advice of his psychiatrist and therapist, take his medications, and take care of his health. You then have to decide what you will do or not do if Bubba does not follow through. Try not to judge Bubba–he probably does not understand what is going on any better than you do. Work with Bubba’s psychiatrist and therapist and with whoever is counseling your family to set boundaries and consequences, and then enforce the consequences when necessary and without judgment. This is advice from someone who has been there and made plenty of mistakes himself. One therapist told me not to expect the problem to be resolved overnight, because it took a lot longer than that to get to this point. Expect setbacks, know you’re going to make mistakes, but give yourself a pat on the back when you see progress… however small it may seem. As you describe, bipolar disorder can ravage a family, especially when the person who has the disorder has not received appropriate treatment for so many years. If your son has reported having voices speaking to him in his mind, he may even be experiencing symptoms of schizophrenia or psychosis related to the bipolar, which compounds the problem. The first order of business is to obtain an accurate diagnosis from a psychiatrist.

It sounds as though you and your family are taking positive steps. I would highly recommend that you, Bubba’s dad, and perhaps even your siblings take the NAMI Family-to-Family course if it is available in your area (http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Family-to-Family). One of the most important things is for Bubba to take ownership of his condition, get into a psychiatrist for a diagnosis and the medications he needs and work with a therapist.

The NAMI Family-to-Family course can help you and other family members set boundaries, which may encourage Bubba to take more control of his situation. What I’ve learned from bipolar disorder in my family is that I cannot control others, but I can set boundaries and control my response to what I consider unacceptable behaviors.

Bubba should not have free reign to bully everyone in the household. It is not fair to you or to Bubba’s siblings or father. Bubba needs to understand that bipolar is a treatable medical condition. You can help him as a family obtain the necessary treatment, but he needs to follow the advice of his psychiatrist and therapist, take his medications, and take care of his health. You then have to decide what you will do or not do if Bubba does not follow through.

Try not to judge Bubba–he probably does not understand what is going on any better than you do. Work with Bubba’s psychiatrist and therapist and with whoever is counseling your family to set boundaries and consequences, and then enforce the consequences when necessary and without judgment.

This is advice from someone who has been there and made plenty of mistakes himself. One therapist told me not to expect the problem to be resolved overnight, because it took a lot longer than that to get to this point. Expect setbacks, know you’re going to make mistakes, but give yourself a pat on the back when you see progress… however small it may seem.

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