Rapid cycling bi-polar

[mumof2teenboys]

Hello

Could anyone help me? My son has just been diagnosed with rapid cycling bi-polar, he is currently in the manic phase (apologies if I'm not phrasing this correctly)
What can I do to help him, he doesn't live at home (he's 22) and we only see him a couple of times a week.
At the minute, I just want to pick him up and hold him like I used to when he was small and had hurt himself.
What constructive things can I do?

TIA

HI well its good news he has a diagnosis, hopefully the medication will make a big difference although it can take a while to get it right (i was dx 2 years ago and am still faffing about with dosage) to help i think if you make it clear he can phone anytime if he needs to talk, and it may be that he needs to come home until he gets stable. (I had to move back in with my mum when I first got ill, I was there for several months and she had to look after the kids as I was too poorly.)

I would also recommend going along to a local bipolar support group and check out this website www.bipolaruk.org.uk/

Hello

Thanks for replying, I feel out of my depth atm so I can only imagine how he is feeling, he has said that he is angry and wants to be like 'normal' people. He doesn't seem very receptive to words right now, but I think that might be shock and fear.
He knows that having the dianosis is good, but at the same time its frightening. He is struggling to come to terms with taking medication (he has googled and found a website - bi-polaraware - this seems to be helping him to an extent) but the idea of long-term meds angers him.
I don't think that he would come home, he is incredibly independent and enjoys having his own space, our relationship wasn't great when he lived at home and I know that he takes pleasure in the relationship that we as a family now have.
I have told him that we are here for him, whenever and whatever, he is seeing a counsellor (sp) once a fortnight and having fotrnightly blood tests, is that normal?

Regular blood tests are normal with some medications.

These days guidelines have changed with regards to medication. A bipolar diagnosis no longer automatically means a lifetime on meds. I think the current thinking is initially two years on meds and then see how things are so it might not be a lifelong thing. Whilst he will always have it at this stage there's every reason to think once he's properly treated he'll remain well for long periods of time. He needs to stick with his meds as not taking them can worsen the condition meaning there's less likelihood of being able to be med free (I speak from experience).

good advice from fedupandtired It took me a while to accept that i had to take the meds, and learn to cope with the side effects, I refused to accept i had it until I had two more manic episodes, then I finally believed it. i think a lot of people go through that stage of anger before acceptance. When I did start taking the meds I could not believe how much better I felt, much more 'me'. Some meds require blood tests, its annoying but worth it. Hope he feels better soon.

I am so sorry to hear you boy has died, My thoughts and prays are with you xx

So terribly sad reading this today.