Sister Is Bipolar, Need Advice And Info!

Gee thanks for your helpful reply

Bipolar is a mental disorder that is vrey hard to deal with.They usually have perouds in which they are vrey high and happy and feel that they can do anything and periouds wen they feel very depressive.As high as they get thats how hard they will fall when they get depressed.
The advice I can give you is try to talk to her and explain that you are there for her anytime she needs you.

Holli,

i'm bipolar ii, edicated, divorced, on disability benefits from my former job as a computer programmer with canada post, 38. My sister, joanne, is healthy (?), a recovered alcoholic and addict, educated, has a family and career, 43. We have troubles in our relationship. I can tell you about them. It might shed some light on your relationship, or it might not.

I find my sister loves to overwhelm me with advice. It's overly detailed and only the sort of thing someone with 100+% of their resources could follow. I have 10% of my resources, especially energy and am very vulnerable to anxiety. I just went thru a condo deal and I didn't think I would make it.

What I want from my sister is *emotional support*. I want her to say, "hang in there, it'll all be worth it," "you're doing good," "it's just a temporary period of chaos, it'll all pay off,", "home owning is a wise choice, you're doing the responsible thing."

you know, all things to comfort me and tamp down my anxiety. Instead I got, "get all twelve months of utility bills," "the real estate agent is swindling you."

she drove me crazy! She exploited my anxiety! I needed everything g-rated. I needed her to stick to the facts and not overwhelm me with detail, vascillation, debating things out loud, and talking out of both sides of her mouth. She was a hypocrite! She was a nightmare!

I cut her off and was happy to do the rest of the condo deal myself.

We're in a cold war right now. Her birthday's passed unmarked. My birthday's coming up. Then there's christmas. She's my only family but she's such a crisis junkie, I don't know.

Did I help?

Jane.

I'm bipolar and 23. All I can say is be there for your sister. Be a sister to her, talk to her and be her friend. There's going to be up and down times with this.

Hello my sister is bipolar ... Or well that was the diagnosis anyways in some ways it fits in others it is so wrong but ............ I am usually on this forum for other reasons but I have read what you have been wrighting. My sis is so young but she is in such bad shape she has been on so many meds. Meds that didn't help at all to meds that made it 10 times worse her highs were off the charts her lows she would try suicide?????? She is currently not taking meds ??? My mom is not supportive at all she always tells my sister that she can learn to live with it that there are worse things in this world???? They don't get along they are so much alike they clash. I believe my mom has it too she just has never been diagnosed although she does take anxiety meds. I just want some opinions on how I can help? She has big dreams and if she pushes herself she can succeed but when she is depresed.................... She is so young I don't know what I can do? I fear she is going to do something stupid and I know in that time that she does those things to hurt herself she thinks there okay and I dont know what to do??? :cry:

Read and study all you can about it, also make sure she takes her meds and give her support. As in be there for her, d.B.S.A. And n.A.M.I. Support groups would help her out too.

She isn't on meds right now I don't think she give any more a try she thinks the world hates her she is hard to talk to and even harder to listen to she has a way of pissin me off when all I want to do is help even just listening to her when she starts talking about suicide or being unloved or just............... I know they are her feelings and to her they are real but to me I hate her talking like that she is only 16 diagnosed at 14

No no doc right now she refuses to go to the one my mom wants and the one she likes my mom wont let her go to I think she I jealous ???? And she has had diff therapists some she liked others not but the reason she doesn't have one now is because the last 2 she went to the fist a guy said that there was no help for her and she depressed him and that meant it was pointless now what kind of sh*t is that???? He shouldnt be a therapist period. The next one prescribed family counseling so to help my sis we all went and that lady soon left because she didn't like the hostility between my mom and my sis it was to much for her to handle but she wouldnt take on my sis alone ?????????? Now she wont talk to profesionals?????? What to do/

Maybe she doesn't know what she wants from therapy.. Has she ever thought about making a support plan like what to do if she gets manic, what to do when she starting to get depression.




What do you mean?

The therapist can if she (would see one!)
does she have self-management, does she know what things can trigger her and stresses her out where it starts a epoisode. Does she keep a mood chart, which well help her see a pattarn of when she's high and low.Does she or the family know how to spot early warning signs of depression or mania/manic so that you and the family can help,or she can say "hey I think i'm depressed i'm doing this and that, I feel this and that".. Also stuff for maintaining balance ..Sleep,nutrition,exercise,
medical treatment,therapy. A plan for when she older and has to get her own insurance,and a way to pay for meds.. Not to be rude, but having a doctor,therapist,way of insurance,meds,and life mainament skills all ties in together.

No we dont know how to tell and im not sure if she does either I understand why these things are important but in our family we dont ...Ummmm .... Communicate I guess and my mom really doesnt care she I basically on her own that is why I am trying to help but there isnt much I can do with out my moms consint and its hard because I dont live with them ...... Do you understand where I am going with this?

Yes I understand best thing you can do is to keep on reading books, and make see what your right would be over cousady(spelling?) of your sister from your mom.