Bipolar in the family Support Group

Hi everyone, I'm new here. I couldn't stand feeling like I was alone anymore. My husband is manic-depressive and almost ruined our marriage in a recent episode. I found out I was pregnant, and I guess that was the little miracle we needed to get him to seek help.

Even though he's medicated now, it's hard to accept that there is no cure for his condition. I just needed to hear from other people who have continued fighting and loving their bipolar spouses. He means the world to me and I don't want to lose him, but it hurts to think that in a single day, he can go from loving me intensely, to not wanting to be around me anymore. He's a workaholic and it's just hard being pregnant and all alone at night. I also can't help wondering if our baby will have this, too. I hope not, but I'll love him anyway.

Welcome to the group, Patientlove! How long has he been on meds? If he is still being titrated up to a therapeutic dose, he might still be cycling like that. If he is at a therapeutic level, I think you need to tell his pdoc he is cycling (going from loving you intensely to not wanting to be around you IS cycling) like this. He should not be doing this routinely. His meds need adjusting.

He just started his meds, maybe 1-2 months ago. He talked to his psych and she gave him something extra to help with his sudden impulses. He hasn't filled it yet, though (ugh) but he did drop off the Rx and will hopefully pick it up this weekend.

Welcome, patientlove! There may not be a cure, but with the right med and some counseling he really can live a good life. Learn all you can about this disorder and healthy ways to cope with it. NAMI and DBSA are good resources, as well as the book "Loving Someone with Bipolar."

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I read somewhere recently (sorry I don't know where, exactly) that although it's genetic, it doesn't necessarily mean your baby will have the disorder, especially because you don't have it.

patientlove , Welcome to the group congrats on the baby . Bipolar or any other mental illness can be passed along to children I know that my boyfriend has it and his dad i am sure had it too but never diagnosed . His mom to does some for some sorta of mental illness as well just not bipolar. Now his daughter who does not have bipolar but suffers from borderline personality disorder. Now as Sallyo stated that does not mean your child will . There is always hope for those that suffer with the meds and counseling things can be stable for many years My aunt also suffers and she has been on meds 20 plus years although they have had to change hers recently she has been stable and maybe hospilaized once . Now everyone is different .Goodluck to you