My Father's behavior

I"m not sure exactly what my dad has been diagnosed with, but he has had 2-3 "nervous breakdowns" and has been on Mellaril 150 mg at bedtime for 30+ years.  Recently over the past 4-5 months he has experienced several manic-like episodes.  He doesn't seem to understand that his family is very concerned with this "hyper" state.  He will say very hurtful things to my mom then apologize days later.  He wants to "preach" the Bible to everyone he meets in town.  He is very talkative and loud.  This behavior is completely opposite of my dad.  He is a very calm and gentle man. The doctor has switched his meds to Klonipin (klonopin) and Vistaril.  He seems to be more calm but he still is very talkative and says those mean things and will continue to "preach" to everyone. It seems this new medicine has calmed him but has not improved his thinking.  Is there something else we can do?  Would going back to Mellaril help?  Will his disorganized thinking ever improve?  What can my family and I expect?  How can we make dad understand that although he likes this manic state, that he does still have a problem?

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

The most important thing to manage now is your father's medications.  Finding the right combination that will get him back to a good state requires trials with several different medications over a period of  time. It is important to consult with a psychopharmacologist and not rely on physicians who have not had this specialized training, unless of course, they have a great deal of experience in this area.

Your father's recent changes may be because of age related changes in his cerebral blood flow, or he may be worrying about something that is increasing his stress level. If you could talk to him about whatever you guess that is, that would be helpful in reducing his symptom and preaching episodes.

Hope this helps.