self distruction

My son had an episode last night where he stabed himself in the hand over and over. He cried, cursed and laughed. Today he doesn't remember alot of things that happened or what brought the episode on. This is the 2nd time he used a knife on himself.  Last time wasn't as bad this time it looked like a slauter took place. There was blood everywhere.  I got him home and to bed.  He slept and today he is down and remorsful and agrees he needs help.  Is self destruction part of the manic bipolar disorder?

[ILADVOCATE]

Could be manic but part of it sounds psychotic as well. There must have been a reason he did this and one doesn't know if he was reacting to some form of psychotic thought or command hallucination in addition to being manic (or more likely an agitated mixed state where a person can have the speeded up quality of mania but the anger of depression). Having recovered (read through my posts) from schizoaffective disorder I am well aware of all this and haved lived through it (except for engaging in behavior quite that self destructive but then again I sought treatment early on my own).Only a psychiatrist would be able to make a conclusive diagnosis but if he is engaged in behavior this markedly self destructive he needs psychiatric help right away. I would suggest going with him to wherever you can find immediate psychiatric help. Keep track of what has happenned in the past and now and exactly when and explain everything to a psychiatrist and they will know what to do.

[paranoid_cataclysm]

I've been diagnosed with the same form of schizophrenia by evaluations by two different mental health people after I finally described it accurately although I've been told by everyone else it should be schizoaffective disorder and did something similar where I did something a bit more dangerous because I thought it would be funny and sat there laughing at the serious bleeding until I snapped out of it which I don't understand now what was going through my head at the time.  Mine was most likely a result of a relapse into psychosis due to stress because I never had mania and I wasn't depressed at the time.  For a few days after that until I guess my blood replenished I kept trying to go into shock from exerting myself just normally from where I guess I didn't have enough blood to supply adequate oxygen for normal activities.  This was also before I started taking psych meds however.  Don't do like my family and just pass it off as nothing or non important and not try to get help for it, this can lead to serious problems.  Stabbing in itself can be really dangerous and then plus I had to explain to everyone at work why I had a tourniquet where I did to cover up the wound.

[Xila31]

Well, I am not a cutter myself, I'm a hitter. When I'm in a really bad state I will just start hitting myself in the head. I know this sounds dumb and like it must not do much damage, but I can do a lot of damage. I've left big knots on my head before. I have also hit myself with books, rammed my head over and over into the wall, and then when it is all done I feel sick and terrible and I shake all over. It is horrible. There have been times I don't remember what happened. I've also done things like try to rake off my face with my nails and left big scratches on my face.

These things are all terrible and I am sharring with you because I right now I know that hurting myself is part of my bipolar. It only happens when I'm aggitated to a point that my emotions are too strong and they explode outward. I attack myself. Those are very dangerous times. I'm hoping someday to be recovered like ILADVOCATE is, and I hope your son can be recovered, too.