Bipolar Spouses Online Support Group

I felt like such a wreck yesterday - I only slept for 2 hours Tuesday night, as my loving wife went out until 4AM and I just could not sleep - I wrote about this already in my rant form yesterday.

Yesterday I got home at 4:30ish because I had to pick my son up from day-care, where he has started so she can "work". She was sleeping on one of our couches when we got home, and at some point got up and went to bed. At 9:15 my son fell asleep, and I carried him to bed. She was just getting up, getting dressed for another night out or something. I did not care, I was so tired.

So - half an Ambien and off to bed for me. I was determined to sleep, a little scared that I would not be able to. I actually slept from about 10PM-5AM. I feel like a different person today. I know things still are bad @ home, but I feel so good today.

Indifference+ambien=good day.

Saddler you might want to look into therapy for yourself if you haven't - we can be very strong but to a point - make sure you take care of yourself and maybe your councellor can help with your wife too, maybe give you some professional advice

Hang in there for your son - he needs some stability... HUGS....

I have an appointment w/a counselor Monday. She works out of our church, but I talked to her about the need for confidentiality and she said she is completely bound by HIPAA as would be any other counselor.

She used to work with a "mobile crisis" unit here locally and I would say she has had 1st hand experience with BP types.

That's good.. I hope that she can really help you. keep posting and venting your way thru... I really need to research why September is crazy hard on ppl... hmm. Something about season changes.. idk. I hope she comes down from this really soon before she really screws up her relationship with you and her son... be strong...

this is interesting..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_affective_disorder

SAD can affect BP and other mentall illnesses more aggressively...

Other signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder

Signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder can also include:

Seasonal changes in mood. As with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), some people with bipolar disorder have moods that change with the seasons. Some people become manic or hypomanic in the spring or summer and then become depressed in the fall or winter. For other people, this cycle is reversed — they become depressed in the spring or summer and manic or hypomanic in the fall or winter.Rapid cycling bipolar disorder. Some people with bipolar disorder have rapid mood shifts. This is defined as having four or more mood swings within a single year. However, in some people moods shifts occur much more quickly, sometimes within just hours.Psychosis. Severe episodes of either mania or depression may result in psychosis, a detachment from reality. Symptoms of psychosis may include false but strongly held beliefs (delusions) and hearing or seeing things that aren't there (hallucinations). In some people, sudden psychosis (a psychotic break) is the first sign of bipolar disorder.

Ambien was my life saver. We need our sleep, it allows us to function better .

The problem with Bipolar is that we are taking care of them and we get sick and depressed ourselves. Pretty sad when you know that they do not even care and abandon us so often for the most part.

We have a heart and they do not. They have no clue what love can be. So sad.

love love love my ambien...couldn't sleep b4 I got them...

Yes, sleeping aids are the best. Lunesta is good, too. I am taking klonepin for sleep. Slows down the thoughts. Sometimes you can be so worked up, that ambien/lunesta doesn't work. THOSE are hard days!!

In regards to SAD- absolutely. When my ex had an obession with tanning at one time, his horrible ex therapist encouraged it. She talked about SAD. She saw him for over a year, how the hell did she not see the signs? She was very unskilled.

Just got on to check in again, but need to be quick because sleep is coming (that Ambien thing). Today when I got home from work no one was here I thought until I went upstairs and my son came out of the LR asking for something to eat - seems mom picked him up at daycare and then "went back to get his backpack". I was a little earlier than she expected, and she pulled up as my son and I were going back to the car to actually go get his forgotten backpack. She had no backpack.

When we got back, she told me she was planning to start a business, and that she needed to go pick up our dog, which she had left at her mom's house. This about 30 seconds after the dog walked in to the garage where we were standing. Later on she told me she needed to go get some cigarettes and go see her mom. I said "I'll see you in the morning then". Made her mad, but what else is new. Then she told me I was gone 8 hours a day to work and that she needs to work too. WHATEVER.

Much love and thanks to all here.