Posting for traffic.
My dad has a long term serious undiagnosed MH condition that rears its head every couple of years with no successful diagnosis to date.
My armchair diagnosis is something like bipolar disorder with additional stress induced "absence" seizures, I know that might not be helpful to diagnose this way, but we're desperate and still waiting on official diagnosis and support as it's never happened over nearly a decade.
Initially presented several years ago as massive seizures all through the night, followed by strange behaviour - e.g. up all night for a couple of weeks, (spending 4 hours smoothing the bed clothes, up all night picking tiny bits off the carpet)... grinning manically like he's posessed, joining in like a child when at kids event, running into random peoples houses, stripping off in inappropriate places, wetting himself, etc etc. These episodes last a week or two then subside and don't appear again for a year or so and seem to be triggered by stress. My mum said she now recognises some of the recent symptoms (staying up late) happening gradually more over a couple of months until it hits crisis point.
We've had a handful of episodes over the last few years or so but due to lack of diagnosis, no treatment- just waiting until it passes and everyone very stressed out during, despite visits to A and E, GP he is just sent home again and told to take his seizure drugs. He is a danger to himself when he is undergoing a seizure.
initially he was given epileptic drugs for the seizures (which still happen) (and is still on the same meds today) - a subsequent visit to neurologist eventually said he was not epileptic (seizures are real but stress induced not epileptic). This never got any further than the neurologist e.g. no referral to MH services, apart from some eventual group therapy that he didn't make it to and was never followed up. (he is not a responsible adult and despite encouragement cannot be made to pursue his condition as he seems mostly unaware of its severity and is very stubborn)
GPs have been absolutely useless, turning him away, or sending to A and E, who just send home again...
At the moment he seems to be in "manic" phase bought on by recent stressful events, intermittent "seizures" e.g. frozen a few minutes at a time, staying up all night, not eating, being sick, strange behaviour.
We took him to A and E, the MH person saw him and have referred him to a psychologist but said it could take "some time", despite seeing him having these absence seizures in her presence.
This could mean weeks / months / days??? But the crisis is going on now and we need help.
They would not prescribe anything - no diazepam, no lorazepam (he's been prescribed this in the past) and just sent him home again. He's completely in crisis mode and we don't know what to do.
My mum has a job to go to and can't stay at home as his carer, maybe a day off work but he needs more.
Any help or ideas of where to turn to is very welcome. We've been pulled pillar to post by the NHS with no-one seeming to take any responsibility for furthering his diagnosis nor providing the crisis support / drugs he needs right now.
thank you