Regular poster, NC'd. DM has bipolar and had a particularly bad episode last year, and has not been 100% since. She also suffers with several physical health problems (including mobility - in a wheelchair) and health anxiety is usually one of her bipolar triggers.
I usually know when a manic episode is coming on because she starts swearing and writing bizarre lists, (she doesn't normally swear at all.) Her meds are often being juggled and this doesn't help me identify symptoms so well because she already has slurred speech sometimes due to her physical condition.
About a month ago my Dad got ill, he is fine now, but I think this has set DM off again. She is very agitated and it's hard to have a conversation with her because she won't listen to anything and will argue any point and refuses to admit to being wrong. She even gets wound up when she thinks people are contradicting her and 'getting shouty', but we're just talking in normal voices trying to reason with her. A couple of weeks ago she went on an outing with my Dad and came home with 2 cats adopted from a shelter. We already have a cat and she expressed no desire to get more until now, this is an impulsion thing I think.
I live with my parents (am part-time carer with my Dad), and DM has now relinquished care of the new cats to me because she 'can't deal' with their boisterousness and panics every time they do something jumpy (which is actually just normal cat behaviour.) They are not getting along with our existing cat yet and it's so frustrating.
I was dealing with one of the litter trays and got a missed call on my mobile from DM. As I wasn't able to answer her immediately, she shouted up the stairs that she was trying to get through the door by herself, and because no-one would help her, it would be my responsibility if she had a fall. I'm so upset and frustrated. She doesn't normally turn on me like that.
P.S. The new cats aren't going back as we've all fallen in love with them, but I'm just exhausted with everything, and no idea how to communicate with DM at the moment without her getting highly strung. She is convinced the Dr is going to phone her but as far as I'm aware has never committed to a day/time, so this is making her more anxious, she's clinging on to wellness by a hair. Don't know what to do.