Bipolar Support Group

Hi everyone. Sorry I have been so absent lately. Life has taken over, and been keeping busy.

So Sunday my son calls and he was very nice and cordial. He has depression and takes no meds for it. Then my daughter called and told him something scary was going on, and not to tell me. I knew they were trying to keep a secret from me, Well, we got home, and looked on Twitter, and my son had done something to harm himself. Life has been pretty rough on him lately. Losing his job, breaking up from his girlfriend, and so on and so on. He got the state troopers on the phone, non-emergency. Next thing you know there was an ambulance, and 6 troopers. He refused care from the ambulance, and I understand that. But he was in such a bad way that the trooper took him to the ER, but didn't go check him in. Just dropped him off. Of course, he never went in to the ER, instead walked home.

I told him he needed some time away, and to come home. I gave him an 2 hours to get home, if not, I would be driving to his place and get him. So he has been here since sunday night. We talked, and I have been trying to get him to see a pdoc, but he keeps refusing. Hubby has not been very helpful to try to get committed. My son is 24.

He is leaving tomorrow, and just don't know to do. Any words of wisdom?

Thanks all

Lisa

He had done something to hard himself? If that were the case.. i would think you could get one of those 72 hour pyschiatric holds. That way he would have to be visited by a pdoc. that would probably not make him very happy though. Maybe just try to sit down and have a talk with him.. ask him what is the worst thing that can happen by seeing a doctor? Let him know they aren't going to make him do anything, just give him an option and possibly some relief, advice and some treatment options for the depression. Let him try to do it on his terms, let him know that it doesn't have to be this way, and that doctors and medicine really can help.

I would speak with his father and ask him does he want to lose his son? If not, then you work together to lead your son to reason.

I'm not sure what to tell your son, except life can be much better than he is experiencing now. There is hope, but he needs to reach out for it. Many young people, even men, experience depression. Many turn to drugs and alcohol. Surely he knows people like that. He can choose to skip all of those futile behaviors and get help now. Think of how much of his life he will improve by getting help early.

Yeah, it's hard to convince someone who doesn't want help that they need it.

I think a good way would be to use some analogy...the you wouldn't build a house by first chopping down the trees..rather you'd go to Home Depot and buy nice slabs of wood and start from there kinda thing. Meds/pdocs/tdocs are all just tools that make day to day living easier...things don't have to be so hard all the time...

Also, maybe point out that going to get help for this depression doesn't mean he's 1) weak, or 2) going to forever be taking antidepressants.