My son who has Bipolar Disorder seems to have a knack for becoming manic on holidays. Before now it was Labor Day, Memorial Day, now we can add Thanksgiving!
At dinner last night, the first time I had seen him for more than a minute or two in almost a week, it was obvious things were not right.
Today he woke me up sitting outside my window on the patio listening to Guns and Roses laughing. I never knew that was a comedy act!
He also woke his SIL around 5 AM when he turned on his music to take his shower. He plays it loud enough to hear in the shower, and he's hard of hearing, so it was loud.
I have a call in to his therapist, but she's probably off until Monday, as she is a county employee and they often get a four day weekend at Thanksgiving.
I do have her cell phone number, for when this gets to the psychotic stage, which based on past experience will happen within a day or two, if not tonight.
I am thankful I have my oldest and his wife here to support me through this right now.
Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers.
Thanks!
[ 26. November 2007, 09:44 PM: Message edited by: lymednva ]
Posted by AZURE WISH (Member # 804) on :
I am sorry he is not doing well. I am glad you have family around you for support.
sending Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Hang in there! I hope he gets better soon!! Posted by lymednva (Member # 9098) on :
Thanks! Unfortunately better usually only follows a period of a lot worse first!
Posted by Geneal (Member # 10375) on :
That is no fun I am sure.
Please know that I am sending you Angels to sit on your shoulder (and his).
Hugs,
Geneal
Posted by lymednva (Member # 9098) on :
Update:
He came home last night from 2-4 AM. Then he began driving.
I called him this morning around 9 and he told me he was "following spiritual information, going to the Promised Land."
Then he said, "God's gonna take me where he wants me to go. I'm going where my faith takes me."
He is clearly psychotic.
He just called his dad and told him he is in NC, but doesn't know where he is in the state. He could be all the way to the SC border, as long as he had been driving.
He wants his dad and someone else to come and get him because he doesn't feel safe driving. I'm so glad he had a lucid enough moment to make that call.
His dad wants his brother to go with him to bring his car home. I would like to go, but am not sure what I'll be doing.
Pleases continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
I feel this phone call was definitely an answered prayer. Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
lymed
i'm so sorry to read this and especially on each holiday where we get to enjoy one another.
gld he did have a lucid moment and called for help. i do think it might be wise for you to stay home while hubby/son go to get him/car in case HE CALLS AGAIN.
sincerely hoping something can be give him permanent help. Posted by lymednva (Member # 9098) on :
He calls us on our cell phones, so it doesn't matter where we are.
He called again to tell his dad (who has not been my husband for 11 years) and brother that he was feeling better and would drive himself home.
His dad felt he was very lucid during that phone call. I hope he is really doing that and not continuing to wherever he was going before.
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
Just checking on you....have you heard from him?
Carol
Posted by lymednva (Member # 9098) on :
Thanks Carol. Yes, he made it home, but not without a few harrowing moments.
I checked in with him when he was around Richmond, which is about 2 hours away. Then he called his dad when he was closer to home and said he didn't feel like he could make it the rest of the way, but was afraid to stop because he didn't want to freak out and get arrested.
He kept repeating that he didn't want us to call the police, get tasered, or put in the hospital. All of those have happened to him in the past, some more than once.
Then he called his dad about thirty minutes later and said he was driving to his step mom's house, because it's closer than mine. He was afraid he would fall asleep.
His dad then brought him here, which worked out great since his car is now over there, so he can't go anywhere. Around here it's a two mile walk in the freezing cold to nowhere!
He went straight upstairs to his room and slept for maybe an hour. When he got up his brother told him he should go back to bed, but he couldn't fall asleep.
After a much needed shower he ate something and we just finished a fun game of Pictionary with his brother and SIL. Due to his being an artist they won!
Now he has headed to bed. I doubt he will sleep long, but we are keeping all the keys where he can't get to them, so at least he won't be driving anywhere.
We found out why he left town. He is an aspiring Hip Hop artist and apparently embarrassed himself at a show last night.
Knowing his condition yesterday I am not at all surprised. He is a long way from normal and we are taking things one step at a time.
My next door neighbor has lent me an excellent book on dealing with the mentally ill. I actually ordered it yesterday and she told me she had it, so I asked to borrow it.
Meanwhile my ex spoke with the author today after striking out with all his other connections. He gave him some good advice on how to handle this and we are just taking things one step at a time.
I have a previously planned event tomorrow, so my son and DIL will be holding down the fort while I am gone. His dad will be coming to take him to lunch to give them a break.
It will be along wait until Monday. We've gone through this on weekends before, but we know a lot more now and hopefully will handle it better this time.
We are doing our best to respect his wishes and hoping we can hold off until we can get into contact with his own therapist and shrink.
We will know if we can't wait that long though and make the tough call if it's necessary.
I really appreciate the support from all of you. This is the son I'm pretty certain has Lyme, but he is uninsured at the moment (his choice, not mine) and so I don't want to give him another pre-existing condition before he can get insurance.
This will definitely set him back in his job hunting. He will have to stabilize again and that will take a lot of hard work and willingness to be compliant from him.
Maybe the fact that he embarrassed himself in front of his peers will help, but it's so hard with this stuff. They don't think there is anything wrong with them. It's everyone else!
Posted by Tracy9 (Member # 7521) on :
How old is your son? Does he live at home with you?
He is so fortunate to have you and the rest of his family there to watch his back the way you do.
We are all with you, and praying for you!!!
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
lymed, so glad he made it back home to your home. the agony of wondering every time he goees out; i just feel so bad for you.
his dad; wonderful that he contacted the author of book for guidance and received it.
you've got so many thing to deal with plus to get him tested for lyme and getting insurance! you all are in my thoughts/prayers! Posted by Cobweb (Member # 10053) on :
The stress of a situation like this must be very draining-understatement, I'm sure.
This seems extreme enough to use the cell phone number. A few moments of his doctor's time could save you and your son several days of agony .
Hope you are able to "contain" him until this episode is resolved.
Carol
Posted by Vermont_Lymie (Member # 9780) on :
Thinking of you, and I hope things with your son get better now that he is home. You mentioned that you think he has lyme; I hope that you can get him to go with you to see an llmd and get evaluated. Hopefully, that could help with the psychiatric symptoms. My best to you and your family.
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
I have no advice but know I am thinking of you Lymed. Posted by lymednva (Member # 9098) on :
Again, thanks for all the supportive posts. They mean a lot to me.
He is trying very hard to be "normal" now, but he doesn't always make sense. The fact that he is lucid enough to do that is a good sign.
Some of this was triggered by something he said or did on Thursday night and a resulting post on his My Space page.
He has since removed that and his message on his cell phone, which he said made him sound like he was crazy. He was right, it did!
Right now he needs to be back on his meds. He doesn't think he needs them. We are hoping that we will be able to keep him stable enough until Monday when he can talk to his therapist.
He is 28 years old. As I mentioned earlier, I do not want him to have Lyme as a pre-existing condition since he is uninsured.
The good news is that he has a working relationship with both a therapist and psychiatrist now, which he hadn't in past episodes.
I did call her cell phone, but got no response. It is, after all, her vacation! She'll be in touch on Monday, we are certain of that.
I agree that getting him tested for Lyme and into treatment, if he has it, are important steps, but at this point they are not going to solve the immediate problem.
I am working hard on making time for myself and not letting this consume me. It helps that he is better than he was in past times, and also that I've been through it before.
Having his brother and SIL here is also helpful, but his dad and I both feel that he is OK to be left alone right now.
His dad is an author and has been on panels with the psychologist who wrote that book. In fact, he is at Columbia, which make me want to ask if he is familiar with Dr. Fallon and his work.
I'm off to get my hair cut now. It's long overdue!
I'll keep you posted. Thanks again! You are all wonderful support for me right now! Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
quoting lymed......
His dad is an author and has been on panels with the psychologist who wrote that book. In fact, he is at Columbia, which make me want to ask if he is familiar with Dr. Fallon and his work....
yes, please do this! use this opportunity! *****************************************
have you ever called the mental health 1-800 nos. the have
or SUICIDE HOTLINE no. 1.800.784.2433 now please! If he is feeling suicidal, please call the SUICIDE HOTLINE. We care about you.
Posted by Cobweb (Member # 10053) on :
Sadly a close friend of mine who is bi-polar seems to be most resistent to treatment at the very time she needs it the most.
But after the last episode-she has hooked up with a good therapist and psychiatrist and has been fairly stable-working, but living with her parents-at age 48.
Cobby
Posted by lymednva (Member # 9098) on :
A lot of them are resistant to treatment. They don't think they are ill, there is nothing wrong with them. That's what the book I'm reading is about.
He's not suicidal, at least at this time. He tends more toward mania and psychosis, although we have noticed some depression this week.
Right now he's playing Pictionary with his brother, SIL and a friend of his brother's who just happened to finish a psychiatric rotation in med school before Thanksgiving.
Posted by lymednva (Member # 9098) on :
After a few very long days things are looking up! First his brother and SIL convinced him to take one pill yesterday. He wouldn't commit to any more, but that was a start.
Today his therapist called and made an appointment to come to the house tonight.
By the time she left he had agreed to take his meds in front of me for the next 3 MONTHS!!!
She is also going to talk to his psychiatrist about when he should be back to a therpuetic blood level so that it will be safe or him to drive.
His car is still at his dad's house, about 15+ miles away and there's no mass transit between us.
Only problem is I have to drive him to and from work, but I am finally feeling better, so that should be OK. It's only 3 miles away.
If he stops taking his meds, he loses the car! Meanwhile, in his sessions they will continue to discuss whether or not being on meds makes a difference in how he feels/acts.
I am feeling so much better about this situation now!
[ 27. November 2007, 09:36 AM: Message edited by: lymednva ]
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
lymed, so glad you feel things are better, and that each made a house call to you!!
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