Struggling with my husband who has bipolar disorder

[Racheeii]

Hi, I’m new to this forum but feel like I have run out of places to turn too.

My husband and best friend of 15 years has bipolar disorder, he has chosen to stop taking his medication and this has now started to affect our marriage, I also suffer from years of anxiety and depression, I am so scared of losing our marriage, he tells me that he loves me and doesn’t want to lose me but in the same breathe I feel like I’m doing all the trying to keep things on an even keel. I know I should back off a bit and not put too much pressure on him but I’m really scared I’m going to lose him, I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t.

[quirkywords]

Racheeii,

Welcome to the forum.This is a caring and supportive lace and I am glad you have made this first step to ask for help.

I am wondering why he has chosen to stop taking his medication. Is it because he was feeling so well he feels he does not need it anymore. I have bipolar and this often happens we feel so stable because of our medication that we feel we dont need it. Is your husband seeing a doctor.?

I think you are right that more pressure you put on him to take the medication the more he will resist it. You need support and to look after yourself.

You say that his not taking medication has started to affect his marriage - in what ways?

If you google bipolar husband on the forum you will see quite a few threads on this theme which may help.

Has your husband gone off medication before or this a first time?

Post here as much as you want to.

Quirky

[Racheeii]

Hi Quirky, thank you for your post. My husband has been on and off his medication for a number of years now, he says it makes him feel too dumbed down, I don’t think he gives it enough time to get into his system, he will take it for a couple of days and then stops completely. He is seeing a very good doctor who thinks he is taking his medication. When I say that it is affecting our marriage he just seems to be pulling away from me in many ways, I am trying not to be pushy but I just need to know he really loves me and wants to be in this marriage. The hardest time is when he is having a high, he can be very excitable, takes lots of risks and generally be quite out of control and then when he comes crashing down he is very depressed and quite agitated. I have done a lot of research on Bipolar but still after all these years find it very hard to deal with. I am hanging in there and will continue to support and love him. I just hope he sees sense soon and goes back on his meds but he has to do this of his own back.