This is where I have a lot more to learn, I know.
Since I’m a family member my focus is on finding out what I can do to help my son.
First of all you have to LEARN ALL YOU CAN about this disorder. Knowledge is power in this case. Check out the web pages I have linked to on the left - that is where I got this information.
Family is an important part of the treatment team and recovery process, but if your child is an adult you may not be able to speak with their Dr. without their permission. That is very interesting to me. I think as family members, we have so much we could tell the Dr. or counselors about what is going on, how our son is behaving, how much he is sleeping and eating, etc., and often they don’t ask, don’t allow us to speak to them because he is an ‘adult’. Well, he’s a very sick adult and when he’s not thinking clearly I feel we should be a very important resource for them in finding the appropriate treatment for him.
Fortunately for us our son agreed to let us speak to the Dr. and was open to me going to an appointment with him. I’m glad I have access to the Dr. now and can call him with concerns. If your adult child does not give consent for the Dr. to speak with you, you can still tell the Dr. whatever you think he needs to know. You can fax or send them information you feel might be important. I didn’t know that until someone told me. You can give them information, they just can’t give you any.
If your child is prescribed medication, find out what you can about it and the side effects it may have. I like this web site where you can see how treatments have been rated: http://www.remedyfind.com/hc-Bipolar.asp
This is the part I have to keep reminding myself of when his behavior is hurtful or disturbing:
“When ill, people with mood disorders can behave in ways that exaggerate or are out of keeping with their normal personality. When manic they may overspend or engage in sexual indiscretions. This causes a loss of trust, hurt, and embarrassment. They may also become more critical and sarcastic and say things that can be very hurtful.
Try to remember that this is a consequence of illness and not intent. Though it is difficult, don’t take comments made during the illness phase personally. However, it is important to talk about how their behaviour affected you when the episode of illness has passed . While the harm caused may not be intentional, it can still hurt. Opening up communication and restoring trust can take time. If your relationships are suffering, seek out the support of a trained counsellor.
Recovery takes time:
If someone you loved were hit by a bus and immobilized in a body cast you would not expect them to get out of bed and go to work. A serious episode of mania or depression can be just as disabling. It takes time to recover so be patient. Excessive demands, critical communications, and impatience can actually slow the process of recovery.
However, doing too much for the person or setting low expectations can also re-enforce their sense of worthlessness and incompetence. Treat them like an adult. Set reasonable expectations for participation in family responsibilities and work together to accomplish tasks. Your gentle encouragement, and praise for efforts made, goes a long way to help healing. Look for the good things that happen. Be patient, the illness will lift with time, care, and treatment.” Karen Largent
Nutrition: There are some good studies pointing to nutrition being a valuable help in treatment. Some were able to reduce or stop taking medications. This is a good web page with information about that: http://www.mcmanweb.com/article-113.htm and you can find plenty of others if you search.