Introducing myself

[buttmunch652]

I am getting very high right now and my family seems to think I can control myself.  They grt mad, like last night, I got up at 4:00 in the morning, I was wide awake, feeling great.  So my husband gets up at 6:00 and starts berating me with questions like " Did you take your meds?  I have never not taken my meds, but he has become very stern with me.  This happens every time I go high,  family and friends get mad.  Of course I'm very sensitive, and sometimes irritable.  I don't know what else I can do.How can I handle this and because I take a handful of meds that have somepretty horrible side affects is their any way to get off them?

[buttmunch652]

I'm seeing my family dr. on thursday, I don't think he knows too much about psychiatics, but maybe he can help.  My husband doesn't seem to want to learn much about bipolar, he's just very stern with me.Maybe if I print off just a little bit of info, it won't be so overwhelming.  A whole book is just too much for him.

[bastet56]

Can you find a way to be seen before the end of Sept? Your anti manic needs to be increased. With proper management you should not have the ups so much. I take my meds in front of my husband for the most part so he KNOWS I took my meds, may be overkill but it stopped the accusations. Maybe a book on living with a bper? Good luck to you.

[opus88]

If thats where you feel safest than for heaven's sake don't hesitate to go....at least there you will get some understanding, when things are tough at home its even harder to cope. Can you not see another psych before the end of Sept??
Ya I know good ole small towns eh....I guess we need to time our illness's better.
good luck to you

[buttmunch652]

Thanx for your kind words.  
Sometimes I just can't deal with illness for one more day.  Of course, just because I'm getting pretty high my Psyc is on holidays.  I can't see him until the end of
sept. I usually end up in some psych. unit in a hospital until I start coming down.  Sometimes I feel it is like a refuge, I don't have to see family or friends there. B
ut I not really a nut job and always end up with schizophinics clinging to me. Thanx for listening.

[opus88]

welcome frm saskatchewan!!
family/friends...dear NO ONE understands another unless they have been there themselves...I don't have highs so to speak, mostly lows and mood disorder that seems to respond to lamotrigine(for now anyway)...my psych is at a loss as we have tried everything...
But theres has been and still is BP in my immediate family for 40+ years...at first back than I didn't understand either. ...they are angry with you because you disrupt their otherwise perfect lives and feel its within your control..and we know its not.
I can't tell you how to deal with them...other than educating them if they so wish to learn??
Don't go off your meds if you need them, its you that you need to look after if no one else will, don't put your health in a cookie cutter to please others...get as well as you are able on your meds and fit into their perfect world.
hang in there!!

[ILADVOCATE]

Speak to your psychiatrist directly if you have concerns about your medication. That way your family will be less out of the picture.