Spouses of Bipolar in Active Relationships

I remember reading a post a while back about psychosis and what it looks like in bipolar. I have looked for over an hour and can't find it, I wonder if maybe one of your might remember what thread it was in. I think someone with bipolar posted what it feels like.

Today he said he woke up feeling really depressed like the world was ending, then he sat in the parking lot at work before he went in praying to god that he would make it through the day and he said he had this overwhelming feeling from god that said just go in and things will be fine, he said it was not like he heard voices but he just sensed god there. Then he was talking about things being too much of a surreal to be true that a higher power must be at play. It was because we spent some time talking about the 3rd step in AA last night and he went to his meeting tonight and that's what topic he pulled to talk about (they all draw a topic). Is that psychosis or am I reading too much into it? I am glad he was able to feel better but worry this cycling is too much for his brain.

That's an iffy one. When I was in recovery (AA) I had some eye opening experiences too. I'm not BP, at least I don't think I am, but he could just be coming out of himself and starting to see the big picture and accepting a higher power. Don't get me wrong, I think it's good that you are on your toes and you know him best. My BPH has a pretty strong faith and has days when he sees God working in his life but never seems to let that take over. I hope that's a little helpful. Keep us updated cause maybe it's something I should watch out for too.

Enough, my husband before the right meds, said he didnt have to do a thing about his finances, he just had to show up. Now he doesnt go to church, never really had god in his life before me. He would say things like that that would be alarming to me, and didnt make sense. Sice charlie has been sober 14 years, i would be concerned, like when he was talking about buddhism etc... He has been cycling for awhile now, and that is troubling. Do you go see the counselor tomorrow? Bring it up then?

I found what I was looking for it was lolli post I was thinking about, she said her hubby's pdoc said it is hearing voices outside of their head and not in their head. That's what I was trying to remember, what way it went. Not really the same thing I was thinking of though.

It's funny cause even with all of this going on for him he still has a way better memory then I do. He reminded me last night that he has really only been sober for 10 yrs next month cause he quit once and started drinking again, he drank again for over a year, my mind just does not work right sometimes cause I can recall that he quit drinking at the end of his last big episode when he talked to god almost 10 yrs ago but still have his quit date as the first one, go figure.

I am concerned about this new issue, just like the Buddhism stuff. I am going to try to get him to talk about it at our appointment on Tuesday. I have been trying to talk him into going somewhere else cause I really don't think this lady has a clue about bipolar other then the textbook dsm diagnoses, he is pretty resistant, he feels like she gets him cause she can relate most of his behaviors to drinking. Grr.... that's a bit frustrating but I guess we will see how it goes.

Unfortunately, i think he thinks she gets him because she doesnt think he is bipolar and he doesnt want to be diagnosed bipolar. I sure hope he does go to someone else, this has gone on sooo long, i feel for you. I remember when we firsr went to jasons dr, on the way home he said to me "are you disappointed he didnt say i was bipolar?" i said no. Then i called the dr, and he said "it doesnt matter what he is, he is being treated as someone who has bipolar. I guess he could tell jason wasnt ready to hear it or accept it, so he didnt say those words to him. It worked out because once he started on the meds for his "impulsivity disorder " he was open to hearing the truth.

Hopeful, that is such an important point you made here. It doesn't really matter what the dx is, it's the behaviors they are being treated for. If not hearing that they have bp makes them feel better about taking bp meds, I'm all for it.

enough, maybe the fact that they talked about it in AA, and he's in the place he is right now, mentally, he is focused on God being there with him. To me, it probably isn't a bad thing, especially if he says God is telling him things will be fine if he goes in to work. I think it is those voices that they say come from outside of their minds that are something to be worried about. But, it might be something to pay attention to.

The new pdoc did say that sometimes people will come into his office saying that they hear "voices" in their head telling them this or that. He said true auditory hallucinations are things a person hears outside their head that no one else can hear. But as far as thoughts we have "inside" our heads, I believe like wife, if they are something that is of a negative nature...then there is the strong possibility they are entering psychosis. Psychosis is more of a "break with reality" and can include delusions.

For example, when my husband was saying "I want to be like John Wayne in the Commancheros...." Number 1) He wasn't kidding or joking around. Number 2) He wasn't hearing any voice outside his head telling him to be like John Wayne. 3) He was having a break with reality at the moment. 4) He obviously didn't have any realization that what he was saying was odd. (If he'd been kidding, it would have been understandable) 5) Finally, we realize that he was being delusional. So yes, he was showing some psychosis at that time.

The other night at the new pdoc, he asked my husband if he had any "voices" or "thoughts" about God telling him to do this or that? And my husband did say that when he was traveling to Houston to meet up with that girl, that he got very sleepy, pulled off and napped. He said when he woke up, he knew "just what to do" My husband says he believes the Lord helped him. Then I told/asked the pdoc this..."My husband is a christian. How would he know the difference if God was truly telling him something or if it was something he shouldn't be thinking?" And the pdoc said something to this effect,"Well, if he thinks God is telling him to sell the family fortune, invest in some equipment, etc. that is going to cure everyone from cancer in one year, then he might be psychotic or having a break with reality. But for him to feel the Lord is helping make good decisions, that is altogether different than psychosis." Those may not have been the pdoc's EXACT words, but very close. Maybe this will help us understand the difference between auditory hallucinations and psychotic/delusional thoughts associated with mental illness. Sometimes, it may just be sincere thoughts our loved ones are having...without the element of mental illness having any bearing on it.

Thanks lolli I think I understand it better now.

I do think it is some small type of delusion for my hubby because he is not really a religious person and he said he felt god as a overwhelming presence. As far as the thinking it was too much of a coincidence with talking about the third step he did that in the fall when he started talking about becoming a Buddhist preacher.

My boys spent some time with him today, my oldest came home telling me dad was really off today. I hate that they see him this way, I worry they will lose all respect for him.

I think you are right on spot with the treating the symptoms not worrying so much about the diagnoses hopeful, I have been calling it a mood disorder and he seems to take that a lot better. The problem is, he is to smart. He wants to look things up and find out about them, so he is not going to except a off diagnoses. Really I am thinking the only hope he has of getting on meds is for things to get really bad and for me to be there to tell the Dr about the mania events otherwise he will call it depression or for his delusions to get so bad he can't deny them.

Thanks for going over that with me, it really helps to put things into perspective for me.

Enough, don't focus on even naming what he has. Just focus on the problem behaviors. A doctor will see the behavior for what it is.

But I tend to agree with you that if your husband suddenly seems religious...well, I would watch that closely. And bring it up in your counselling session?