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noelle01 Posts: 160
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hi, i have a questions and couldnt find the right forum for it (and posted it already in the wrong one..). my boyfriend was diagnosed with bp three years ago after he had a breakdown and got hospitalized. i didnt know him then and dont know the details. the only thing i know is that no one knew about his drug addiction. i've met him two years later. so, we have been dating for about a year now. he showed pretty much all bp symptoms i've read so far. so, you probably can imagine that our relationship has been quite a roller coaster. he was also on meds from when he got diagnosed with bp but stopped taking them beginning this year. well, he got another breakdown just recently and is now in rehab for his drug-addiction (cocaine). this facility seemed pretty good and they also focus on finding out where the drug-addiction may come from. they are also specialized in personal disorders and treatments and so on. so, i just talked to him the other day and asked him if he has bipolar (since he actually never told me about that). he said he actually doesn't, the doctors checked him and say his diagnoses three years ago was wrong and his bp symptoms came from his cocaine-addiction. i tried to do some research on mental disorders caused by cocaine use but couldn't find anything connected to bp and i wonder if anyone might now anything about it? as far as ive read about it, bp is usually heritable (there is also no bipolar case in his family) or due to an imbalanced of chemicals. could it be possible that he had all the symptoms because of his drug addiction and in fact, won't have them any longer when he overcomes his addiction!? thank you so much p.s. sorry for my english. im a non native speaker. |
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Catbaloo  Posts: 4834
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I'm no expert, but it's my understanding that cocaine and other drugs can cause symptoms similar to mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder. That's why you need to be clean and sober in order to get a proper diagnosis. I sincerely hope that your boyfriend is able to break his addiction. Big hugs. My opinions are just opinions, and should be taken as such. I am not an expert on medicines or BP disorder. |
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noelle01 Posts: 160
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thank you very much. i keep my hopes up and so far he is doing well and is very motivated to change his life and deals with his problems. i'm very hopeful he stays clean and stable. thanks again |
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livinginablender Posts: 11428
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cocaine can cause symptoms that mimic bipolar disorder. bipolar can look like someone high on coke and cocaine can be used by bipolar folks to self medicate. one must be clean from drugs for some time, (more than a few days or weeks) to be able to make a diagnosis of a mental illness. either way, it takes a lifetime commitment to stay clean and sober. what caught my eye in your post, is that your BF had a prior diagnosis of bipolar, and someone in the rehab now tells him he does not. i call bullshit on that. a pdoc in a rehab would never ever do that with a prior diagnosis, early in the detox process tell a client that, unless he is a terrible dr. most of these rehabs, have councilors, not dr's. a councilor is not licensed nor permitted to diagnose a mental illness. prior diagnosis of a mental illness IGNORED by the staff in a rehab is extremely negligent, and not in the best interest of the client. it can set the client up for a relapse on the cocaine of the bipolar is not addressed. i can qualify , as knowing this to be true. |
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noelle01 Posts: 160
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its not the same facility. and the former doctors did not know about his drug use. so he explained it to me on the phone a few days ago that his cocaine use caused bp symptoms and since the former stuff/doctors did not know he was high as shit they diagnosed bp. his mom wrote me today and said no one actually can tell right now what he has or not has because he has to be clean for a few month before a proper diagnoses can be made. so i guess he just told me that the doctors said he doesnt have it and actually meant by that: we dont know yet. what they do know he has a serious anxiety disorder.. so, we will see! |
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SadDee Posts: 134
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Most bp people do not like to take the drugs that make them act "normal" to the rest of us. My husband loves to be manic, so he doesn't like the mood stablizers. I know there are exceptions, but many just do what "feels good" to them. I am suspicious of anything someone says in either rehab or the hospital. This is my experience talking. Of course the counselor doesn't know if he is bipolar...only a psychiatrist can diagnose him. He, of course, will/may twist that around to claim he's okay. Sorry to tell you, but having bipolar and a substance abuse problem is VERY difficult to treat. Ask any doctor. My husband's diagnosis: bipolar I, borderline personality, and substance abuse. He has had doctor's give up on his treatment... If they can't help him, I know I can't either. |
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bxrgrl Posts: 925
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Got to get him clean and sober before you know anything. My husband is also an addict, diagnosed with bp2 in April. It's a tough road either way. Relapse happens in addiction and meds.only go so far to treat bp. In both cases.the person has to want sobriety or to be stable from bp in order for anything to work. I will say this, however. My husband used meth for many years when I first knew him. While his behaviour was similar to what I now see as the hypomania/depression there are some distinct differences. He was a grumpy, mean jerk back then, but none of the really odd behaviours I see from him now. |
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invisiblenyc Posts: 400
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Noelle: SadDee is on the mark about how it is that a person who is in treatment for mental health/addictive behavioral issues cannot be relied upon to give accurate information about their mental health/atypical behavioral patterns. Unless you have an agreement in place with your BF's doctors that allows you access to the details of your BF's treatment and diagnoses then your BF will be able to spin stories to both you and the members of the medical staff who are treating him. For all you know your BF has been recently diagnosed with BP or a PD and he is telling the people who are giving him medical treatment that it is you and not him who cannot emotionally handle the nature of his diagnosis/illness and thus that is why you are not involved in his medical care. A broken human psyche will do all that it can to maintain the lies and enabling mechanisms that keep it hidden from the light of day and the unbending reason of logic and science. Right before my BP-ex went psychotic she mentioned to me that she "loved" cocaine. At that point I had no idea that she has BP. Over 2 years have passed since her meltdown and she has lied to the police, the courts and our former mutual friends and acquaintances in order to cover up her mental illness. Behind the scenes her mind is a horror show that I've repeatedly seen in full bloom. I don't sh*t on people with BP. Separately, given your BF's history of behavior I would say do not trust a thing that he says to you. Best wishes with your situation and well being. Post edited by: invisiblenyc, at: 07/09/2012 10:51 AM "It is important that we remove toxic people from our lives even it is painful for us to do so. If we do not do so then the long-term negative impact of their presence in our lives is often worse than the short-term pain of cutting them out of our lives." - me
"He or she had these problems before you, while he or she was with you, and left untreated will have the problems after you are long gone." - Circles2007
""virtuous personality traits, such as loyalty, empathy and being non-judgemental towards others, can unintentionally act as as emotional "gate way drugs" to becoming co-dependent." - me
"We all have a little of something in us I think. The question is does it prevent you from functioning and leading a productive stable life...if the answer is yes...then your little something is actually a big something that needs to be addressed." - kalissalea
"It's a process, and some days will be easier than others. I can't be with someone who blames me for their behavior. It's too emotionally draining, and prevents us from having the close relationship I deeply want.' - kalissalea |
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noelle01 Posts: 160
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today was a bad day... i had a phone call with him. he was talking of some ridiculous ideas i don't even wanna get into . . . he doesnt take his condition serious (for now his drug use) which is very disappointing. you are right with saying that a broken human will maintain his lies ...  i really dont know what to think or say or write... i just sometimes wish we never had met. |
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invisiblenyc Posts: 400
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noelle: Don't ever feel that there are things that you can't express in writing in this forum. If you want to curse at G_d or the universe or BP or you BF then just do it. If you need to ramble and rant then do it. I say that because when a person is involved/close with someone who is mentally ill they in some way or another have their own mind pass through/take on the issues that their ill loved one is experiencing. Almost all of us here in this forum have had to go through the madness of our respective BP partner/ex. Don't hold in your pain and confusion and the echoes of your BF's madness. If you do so then you will steep in that unhealthy mixture of painful and confusing emotions and thoughts. We can't choose who we fall in love with but we can choose how to respond once that person, that love goes bad. Your BF's illness is already making you feel badly enough, so don't let your second guessing get tangled up with shame and anger. That kind of emotional cocktail can magnify the damage done by a BP partner's BP influenced behavior. Put yourself first in your life and take each minute/hour/day as it comes to you. You're going to have a lot of work to do to get past this dark period of your life. However, if you engage rather than fight the healing process you may very well come out of this experience wiser and stronger than you were before you met your BF. Big hugs. Be well. "It is important that we remove toxic people from our lives even it is painful for us to do so. If we do not do so then the long-term negative impact of their presence in our lives is often worse than the short-term pain of cutting them out of our lives." - me
"He or she had these problems before you, while he or she was with you, and left untreated will have the problems after you are long gone." - Circles2007
""virtuous personality traits, such as loyalty, empathy and being non-judgemental towards others, can unintentionally act as as emotional "gate way drugs" to becoming co-dependent." - me
"We all have a little of something in us I think. The question is does it prevent you from functioning and leading a productive stable life...if the answer is yes...then your little something is actually a big something that needs to be addressed." - kalissalea
"It's a process, and some days will be easier than others. I can't be with someone who blames me for their behavior. It's too emotionally draining, and prevents us from having the close relationship I deeply want.' - kalissalea |
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"MDJunction has become a lifeline to my recovery. I use this site as a daily coping tool where i can share my thoughts,my fears and ask ways to cope with living life with a illness. I also found new friends here and they have restore my faith in humanity. People everywhere come here to share same problems or solutions to problems we encounter in our lives. MDjunction is a wonderful site and has help not only myself but also my family and friends. I recommend this site to anyone who thinks they are alone dealing with an illness and also to those who have love ones who suffer from illnesses. I will keep spreading the word about MDJunction to organizations who deals with illnesses that would benefit having MDjunction as a support system.Bottom line is.. I found myself again through MDJunction" (mobey)
