um hi

i have an older girl friend and shes bipolar. her meds seem to be working but recently she forgot to take them because she was in a rush....not a fun night chatting to her. she got angryish and said some stuff.

she seems stable when shes on her meds and stuff. i was just wondering if its like other meds and if eventually you keep having to go on higher doses and stuff. i dont know much about bipolar disorder and i was just wondering more about it. all ive seen about bipolar disorder was on tv and about people getting violent before they found out really so not very helpful. i was just hoping someone could help me out a little and tell me about it.

thanks.

As far as the media's coverage of bipolar disease i am not sure which programming you saw. Some people self medicate on alcohol and drugs before they are diagnosed. That can exacerbate symptoms.

If your girlfriend is stable, missing one dose will not do much harm for most people. Meds taken consistently at regular intervals is the best senario.

You are not alone...we are here for you.

thanks

If you really want it to work it will if both of you agree on it. That is true in any relationship...

Her part is taking her meds, and living a healthy lifestyle to manage her illness. And if you chose, you support her in that and work toward a goal of mutual respect.

We are here for you...sometimes if you have a specific question it helps to post it in a discussion so you can get the response of several people.

And read the threads on this site..there is a wealth of information there.

We care

I am not sure how long you and your girlfriend have been together or how serious you are but the one thing that helped my husband to understand Bipolar was to go with me to see my doctor and she answered a lot of questions he had. He really wasn't even sure if he believed that it was a "real" illness until he spoke to her. Once he got all the information he needed it was also easier for him not to take things personally when I was having a "bad" day and took it out on him with some very colorful language.

Read everything you can there is some great information here. Lot's of good books etc. Don't take anything at face value that tv or hollywood has to show you...just like any other subject...they are out for the sensationalism!

Browse around and you will learn a lot!

Welcome. There are alot of people here, with bipolar, and those who love them. I have bipolar disorder, and so does my son.

I have to get my meds adjusted, periodically. I see a pdoc, and a therapist. I am pretty stable. Not taking my meds for a day wouldn't effect me too much. It would effect me a little. If I need my meds adjusted, I will have more extreme mood swings.

There is a lot of info online about bipolar. There is alot of info on this forum, too. There are also a lot of stories by other spouses of people with bipolar, too.

Anyway, feel free to vent, share, and ask as many questions as you like.

http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Startling-Fact-About-How-To- Support-A-Spouse-with-Bipolar-Disorder&id=665126

http://www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer? pagename=about_helping

http://www.pendulum.org/

Post edited by: kimminentdanger, at: 05/13/2008 23:23