Bipolar

[ConcernedDad]

Hello, I’m new to all this, just jumped on to try to get some understanding of what my daughter is going through, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and has been in hospital now for 5 weeks. Her mood and thoughts are way out there and it hurts me seeing her going through all this.

[Quercus]

Hello Concerned Dad and a belated welcome to the forums.

I'm sorry you have had to wait for a reply. Sometimes posts slip though and are missed but that doesn't mean we don't care.

Firstly your daughter is lucky to have a Dad who is willing to reach out to find out how to support her. Good on you.

Unlike depression and anxiety bipolar doesn't have it's own category on the forums (maybe one day). But this thread is frequented by many members who manage bipolar...

www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/staying-well/this-bipolar-life

It is a long thread but please feel free to jump in and ask questions, the regular posters there are lovely. Maybe reading may help you get a feel for what your daughter is going through. You can also ask others if they would feel able to check out your thread.

I hope that you are able to find some practical ways to help your daughter. But in my mind what you are already doing is awesome.

Nat

[quirkywords]

Concerned Dad,

Hello. I replied to you in another thread and suggest you start your own thread but I didn’t realise You already had.

I was diagnosed with bipolar when I was 16 and it was called manic depression

Has the doctor explained to you what is happening? It can be very confusing and sad to watch your daughter going through these changes.

What was her behaviour like before she came to hospital , was she very depressed or very high?

the mood swings affect people differently.

I got extremely depressed and also very high. When I was high I thought I was wonderful, invincible and everyone else irritated me and felt it was best feeling. only when I came down and was depressed that realised the chaos I had caused .

I want to say you and your daughter are not alone and there is Hope things can get better .

I have been relatively stable for over 28 years with the help of the right treatment, support from friends and family .

Nat has mentioned as well about This Bipolar thread which has information esepicially on the very first post where there is a an easy to relate explanation about what bipolar feels like.

Please feel free to ask questions on this thread and or on this bipolar life thread.

Quirky

[quirkywords]

Hi Concerned,

was just wondering how you and your daughter are going.? I realise you are too busy to post but when you feel up to it, you may want to post here.

Quirky

[Bipolar53]

Hello,

I was diagnosed with Bipolar. In 1996 after a period of High Anxiety, I went into severe depression as a result I ended up in Hospital for a number of weeks. There I could not sit still, read or concentrate. Then I went high, giggly, silly and paranoid. Eventually I had recovered enough to be released from Hospital. However I still needed help from a Psychiatrist. However treatment with the first Psychiatrist did not seem to be working well. So my GP referred me to another Psychiatrist, with great results. Since then I have been able to hold down a teaching job, I am still married to my wife. However I still have periods of lows and highs, but these tend to be for only one to 2 days and the intensity is not as extreme. I would recommend that she stays on her meds., for some people go off their meds with very bad results.

CJL

[quirkywords]

hi concerned dad,

I wonder how things are going.

Welcome to Bipolar53, Your post was very supportive.

I am pleased you have managed a teaching job.

There is a thread called This bipolar life if you want to check it out.

Alsomit is great you are helpin g other posters and if you ever want to start your own thread you can do that too.

Quirky

[ConcernedDad]

Hello CJL

thank you for your response, my daughter was discharged from hospital a few weeks after being in there for around 4 weeks, she felt that she didn’t need her medication now the nurses come to see her every night to make sure she takes her medication, I try to imagine what she would be going through from the things I read about bipolar but I can’t, I am just hoping that she does see that the medication does help her as it did when she was in hospital, which was a complete turn around from the way she was prior and I actually felt that I had my daughter back. I know that it is going to be a long road ahead for her and all I can do is support her in any way I can.

Cheers

concerned dad

[ConcernedDad]

Hello quirky,
thank you, I’m still trying to understand it all, my daughter was discharged from hospital since then there has been a few ups and downs, the main downside is that she feels that she was wrongfully diagnosed and that she doesn’t have any issues?? It gets hard at times to distinguish the difference of being a dad and being someone there just for support for her, I try to read a lot of things about bipolar just so I can have an understanding myself and that way I can support her yes as a parent but also just as a person that she can rely on... probably not making sense from what I trying to say but hopefully it does...
cheers
concerned dad

[quirkywords]

concernedDad,

thanks so much for replying and updating about your duaghter.

Your post makes a lot of sense and I see you are a very caring and loving dad.

I can see how hard it is to want to be both a parent and a support person for your daughter.,

Bipolar affects people differently somwhile it is helpful to read information , there will be individual differences. Also the way I experience bipolar now is very different to someone who is recently diagnosed.

Like your daughter I was I. denial and felt I was fine .and that there was nothing wrong with me. I think what happens is people take medication and feel fine and then say they don’t need medication,

Also no one wants to feel different and it can come as a big shock being in hospital.

Your daughter is lucky to have your support. it is also very confusing for her and sometimes the one thing she clings onto is the fact there is nothing wrong with her as that is a safe place for her.

I think the fact you love your daughter and am willing to help and accept her ups and downs will be reassuring. it is very early days for both of you and things will probably change.

Do you have anyone who can support you?

You are not alone and feel free to post here and let us know how things are going and you are most welcome to pop into This bipolar life thread.

Cheers

Quirky

[ConcernedDad]

G’day quirky,

i get my advice from my psychologist (who I see for depression and anxiety due to a work place injury) he is good and I try to incorporate what my daughter is going through in my session and he alone has helped me a great deal to be able to be a support post for my daughter. I’ve always heard of bipolar but really have never understood it until now, and all I can say is wow and at somewhat way saddens me that so many people before they are diagnosed correctly live their life and go through all the symptoms on their own and get misunderstood, mind you I’d be the first person to say I always assumed my daughter was A: either a drama queen, B: a drug user and C: someone that just wanted attention, but on the contrary how wrong was I??? And I sit back now and think for how many years my daughter suffered alone. That is the hardiest thing for me to get over. At times after knowing all what I know now, the signs were all there. The erratic phone calls or texts up to 50 times a day, saving money then just blowing it all, the religious beliefs, the I’m gonna do this or I’m gonna do that.... so now all I can keep telling her is just take one day at a time and only stress or focus on what you can do today not next week or next month.

Cheers

concerned dad