anyone konw anything about manic depression

[LynseyM]

my sister is manicdepressive and an alcoholic. She is in a hospital right now that deals with detox but i am so worried. she has tried to kill herself on more than one occasion and is so skinny. i really feel she is close to death and dont feel as if i can help. over the last few years my family has been to hell and back with a lot of differentthings but now this! does anyone know anything about manic depression and do they ever get better.

Yes it definatley is. she has tablets to take so she wont drink but she does it anyway. it makes her turn into someone else.

Hi lynseyM,

I can't offer much in the way of advise, although my bessie mates dad has MD and he has had some very bad episodes of which have left the family in turmoil, he also used to drink heavily.

However, on a positive note he did get through it and is on daily medication for the MD of which if he was to stop taking could cause another episode, but with the support of his family he is getting through it.

you sound like you are very supportive, and all i can say is don't give up trying.

I really hope that things get better for your sister and your family soon.

Take care.

Butty.xxx

Not the first time she has been in, the only reason they will take her is if she nearly dies with od. They said they would offer 1 to 1 cognitive thrapy which may help. the place she is in only keeps you a little while b 4 they send you out again. she might go to a place where you sty for up to 9 or 10 months but they said they have to find funds otherwise it costs £400 a dy. I hope she gets in forher own sake and her kids who are living with my mum right now. ~Thanks for the support

also meantto say that the md hascaused her to be paralised inboth arms. she is only 34 and i feel the docs left it so late thatnow she is really bad

Lynsey, I could have written your post. My sister is also an alcoholic and suffers with bipolar - the problem has been that the medical profession have tried to address the alcoholism first, when it's actually the bipolar that's causing the alcoholism.

She has been into detox three or four times, but because they then haven't been treating the manic depression, she has ended up back on the booze very quickly - it is the only way she has been able to cope. She thought she was going mad, she has voices in her head all the time, and the only way to silence them and stop feeling as if she's mad is to drink.

Having a proper diagnosis has been a real catalyst for my sister. Initially they were treating her with standard anti-depressants (which actually make the problem worse), but since they diagnosed the manic depression they have changed her medication and things seem to be getting better. She also has counsellors for her bipolar now as well as for the alcoholism, and that's helping massively.

It's a hellish situation to be in, and one I wouldn't wish on anyone. So sorry you're having to deal with this.

hello Lynsey M.I have a sister who has bipolar,and although she is quite stable at the moment,i never know what to expect from one day to another.we have been through terrible times together and a one stage i was the only person who she would speak to in the whole of our family.\she also has tried to commit suicide several times.It is a terrible worry but i have promised i will always be there for her whatever the problem.She has been in the Priory twice ( bupa ) for several months at a time and when released the last time she moved into a flat of her own and left two teenage children and her husband.She has gone on to have several disastrous relationships with partners who have had /have drug/drink and mental problems.When she has had a "high " she can be very embarressing to whoever she is with ,be it in a resturant or whatever.It is a very difficult illness to understand and although i have read up on it in order to help her im afraid i still dont really understand it all.The strange thing is that she is a really clever girl and when going through a stable phase you would never know she is mentally ill.It is a terrible ordeal for them ,so my advice to anyone who has a relative with this illness is just to be there for them.although i dont always agree with what my sis says we have early on come to an agreement that we agree to differ but i will still be here for her.when she gets so low.all the best.there will be good and bad times ahead but you will cope im sure.

hi Lynsey. the short answer is that bipolars need to be medicated and there's just no alternative. because the effect of meds can be quite "numbing" and it removes the highs as well as the lows, most bipolar people spend many years fighting the meds and finding ways of "self medicating" through drugs, food or alcohol. it never goes away, though she will have good and bad periods. Nobody can do this for her, she just has to reach the decision for herself. if you want an insight into what it's like for her read "an unquiet mind" - written by a bipolar psychiatrist.

radio 4 programme on tonight about manic depression, here

medication does not remove entirely the consequences of bipolar but it does help to keep it under control,Unfortunatly even some of the drugs the docs subscribe have their own side effects like hallucinations etc.The person may have to try different ones before they find one right for them .it is not a question of taking a couple of pills a day and it wil go away like a headache.It is a very complex illness and as i mentioned before i dont entirely understand it all but i certainly know more now after the experiences with my sis.all the people affected require a great deal of patience and a better understanding of what they are gong through.

documentary by Stephen fry, BBc 2 tonight