Bipolar Support Group

You know how we compare BP to diabetes saying that if a person was diabetic they would not hesitate to take insulin, eat properly and exercise? Why, because Diabetes is a physical medical condition. So is BP!

What we never say is that people diagnosed with diabetes and who manage it very well can eventually die from their disease. MY MIL was a stickler for checking her blood three times a day, eating healthy, and maintaining low body weight. She lost her eyesight, was on dialysis and eventually lost her life to her disease.

That senario is me I think. I take my meds, see a pdoc, tdoc, go to DBSA, belong to NAMI, take DBT, eat as healthy as possible, lost weight and really exercise alot of self control Is it enough? Today I feel that no matter how stable I become eventually I will lose my life to this all consuming disorder.

You are right in saying those with diabetes can die of it even when managing it properly, but that really has no bearing on BP. The analogy is simply to help us learn to accept the fact that we will be on medications the rest of our lives and that is all. I haven't ever heard or read of anyone who's death has been the direct result of BP. I don't think there is such a case. This is a mental illness that is a chemical imbalance, it is not systemic at all. It doesn't affect your heart or your lungs. Are meds hard on the liver? Yes, but the liver is an amazing organ that kind of takes care of itself for the most part. It can handle an awful lot.

I don't fear dying due to BP. I am probably more likely to die in a car crash or heart attack or something that affects the body as a whole. Try to not let this worry you. I can't promise anything, but I think there aren't any documented cases of it as far as I know. Maybe someone else knows something I don't.

I've never heard anything about dying from bipolar. The diabetes thing is just something to let others know that the only way to control it is through medications like diabetes sufferers. Don't let this worry you too much. I hope this puts your mind at ease.