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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Bipolar Disorder
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.
Bipolar Disorder
by song hui, Mar 06, 2000 12:00AM
Dear Doctor,
My mother is a 73 yr-old Korean lady. She has a bipolar disorder. She had been committed to a mental hospital in Jan 95 for a month due to a deep depression. Although she was still depressed I brought her home as soon as she had been stabilized, and she she has been living with me for five years now. Last year I find out that she has not been swallowing her meds; now she is taking liquid meds; paxil and seroquel didn't do any good; therefore, now she is on prozac 20 mg since Nov 99.
MY QUESTION: Why my mother is not recovering? This is the third time I witnessed her mental episode. Last two times (depression in 1973 and menic in 1993), she snapped out of it within a few months. Terrible news seems to trigger her mental episodes. I will do anything to bring her normal way. She used to be such a wonderful human being who was exceptionally bright. She is oriented, but she is careless about everything. By the way, she is a smoker and has emphysema (she uses neblizer twice a day). I take my mother to her psychiatrist once a month. According to her doctor, there is a hope. But I really do not see any progress. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Song Hui
My mother is a 73 yr-old Korean lady. She has a bipolar disorder. She had been committed to a mental hospital in Jan 95 for a month due to a deep depression. Although she was still depressed I brought her home as soon as she had been stabilized, and she she has been living with me for five years now. Last year I find out that she has not been swallowing her meds; now she is taking liquid meds; paxil and seroquel didn't do any good; therefore, now she is on prozac 20 mg since Nov 99.
MY QUESTION: Why my mother is not recovering? This is the third time I witnessed her mental episode. Last two times (depression in 1973 and menic in 1993), she snapped out of it within a few months. Terrible news seems to trigger her mental episodes. I will do anything to bring her normal way. She used to be such a wonderful human being who was exceptionally bright. She is oriented, but she is careless about everything. By the way, she is a smoker and has emphysema (she uses neblizer twice a day). I take my mother to her psychiatrist once a month. According to her doctor, there is a hope. But I really do not see any progress. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Song Hui
Doctor's Answer
by HFHS.MD-AJ, Mar 07, 2000 12:00AM
Mental illness can often be a strain on caregivers, especially family members. It is difficult, if not impossible for me to say why your mother is not getting better, but it seems her treating psychiatrist is hopeful. Other medical and psychiatric disorders (including dementia) may need to be ruled out. Consideration may also be given to increasing medication doses, trial of different antidepressants and/or mood stabilizers, and Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT). Please discuss your concerns further with your mother's treating physician/psychiatrist.
