Bi Polar Disorder

GPriya · Apr 21, 2007

Hi Everyone,

I am interested in knowing about a disease called bi polar disorder... as one of my friends is diagnosed y'day with this disease.

To give you a brief history about the patient is that she has been behaving in an erratic manner for the last 3..4 years. She is married with 2 kids and her hubby is an extremely cooperative guy in every way...no inlaws living with them.. In my opinion, she has no problems in her life like money, inlaw issues, kid issues, etc., she is not even employed as she is not interested in working and her hubby is ok with that as she can take care of her children who are 7 and 5 yrs old.

Now, since y'day, my research on the Net shows that it is a disease which cannot be cured but can be treated thro' constant medication, counselling, family and friends cooperation, rest and relaxation with good amount of outdoor activities such as walk, exercise, yoga etc in the open air.

Can any health professional in this forum or anyone who knows someone going thro this illness shed some thought on this issue, how to deal with the patient's manic state etc., I really feel very sad for her kids and hubby who is undergoing hell for the last 4 years without knowing what to do.

Any suggestion would be much appreciated..

Thanx
Geeth Priya.

GPriya · May 3, 2007

Hi friends,

I waited long enough and so far no help from anybody..i couldn't believe it..

Anyway, I want to add one more info on this issue is the bi polar is called called manic depression and the people affected by this is very argumentative, bitchy and delusional most of the time...

I certainly need some form of suggestion/advise on this to help out my friend's family.

:idontgetit: Geeth Priya.

madhu11 · May 3, 2007

Hi Priya,

I am sorry about ur friend. have you gone through a site called
bipolar.com it talks about talk therapy and how friends and
family can help a person with bipolar disorder. It is site from
glaxo smith kline a pharmaceutical company. I heard people
with bipolar disease can still lead a normal life. These signs
and symptoms they may experience.
Lasting sad, anxious, or empty mood
Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed, including sex
Decreased energy, a feeling of fatigue or of being "slowed down"
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
Restlessness or irritability
Sleeping too much, or can't sleep
Change in appetite and/or unintended weight loss or gain
Chronic pain or other persistent bodily symptoms that are not caused by physical illness or injury

hope this helped.
madhu

GPriya · May 15, 2007

Thanx Madhu... Yes.. I went thro' the site mentioned by you as well as every possible info about Bipolar on the net.

There is nothing much I could do to help the family.. as she, her hubby both have a bad attitude and a ton of ego...I only pity the two kids they have 8 and 6 years old.

Well.. I also heard that it is the disease not widely prevalent in India and hence not much of our friends in IL has any opinion about it.

I believe that its a long term issue for the family and they have no choice to live with it.. By no means , the lady affected by it currently is normal.. her bitchy attitude and recklessness really scares me.

I only pray God for them and nothing anybody can do unless the patient has the commitment to follow doctor's instructions to the point.

I do appreaciate your feed back very much.

Thanx,
Geeth Priya

Jaykarthi · Jul 3, 2007

I am sorry for ur friend.(especially her kids). Yes you are right . This is also called manic depression. I'm sure it can be managed (not cured) with medication,yoga,exercise,cognitive therapy,attending support groups regularly.

Untreated will get worse I believe. If your friend lives in US,there is lot of help available.

Check out DBSA website( depression and bi-polar support alliance). You can also check out NAMI support groups. The first thing is to educate themselves about the illness. She should start from there. DBSA and NAMI support groups are all over the US.(she can find one close to her place).

1. Stress triggers manic episodes -- so she should avoid stressful situations.
2. The whole family should educate themselves about this illness.
3. Exercise everyday (Yoga is extremely helpful)
4. Alcohol or any kind of stimulant triggers manic episode.
5. This could be definitely managed through medication,cognitive therapy (Tell her to find a good psycotherapist)

take care
Jay

GPriya · Jul 4, 2007

Thanx Jay,..

My friend lives with her family in Toronto, Canada..

She was hospitalized for 3 days and then sent home. Much against doctor's advise, she stopped all her medication and she is never the one for yoga/exercise/any outdoor activity..

As u mentioned, i only pity her kids , but her hubby is a great father..who looks after them without any problems.

I went thro a ton of sites in the Net and send few informative links to them..
Unless she goes thro' the treatment plan, she may never get better...

All I can do is to pray for her and her family...

Thanx for the info once again,
:wave Geeth Priya.

srinivasan_vanaja · Jul 4, 2007

hi geethapriya,

i happened to see your post only this morning. i do have some natural methods for mental disorders. try them too. may be it works on her.

1) give Drumstick leaves powder mixed with cow's milk both morning and evening.
2) Curry leaves (Curryveppilai), Seeragam, turmeric - grind together and give 1 gm of it in empty stomach (morning) for 48 days.
3) She can have Curry leaves Thuvayal or powder for 48 days. It reduce mental disorders which comes out of Pitham (bile).
4) To avoid mental disorders (this is for everybody) atleast twice in a year we need to apply marudhani (Henna) both in hands and legs.
5) Boil Lotus petals in water and give it for 3 times a day for around 41 days. good for mental disorders.

try atleast any two of the above of course with full faith in God.

regards,

Vanaja

shobhna · May 14, 2009

hi ,

my name is shibhna i can strongly say i have the remedy for your
frds wellness .the only solution is meditation .join a good meditation course. one of my frd was also suffering some time ago but now she is
recover.

nadhi1 · May 20, 2009

Hi Priya

Please check out this link as a first step- it would be helpful to access other recommended links within this website too.
Bipolar Disorder: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment of Manic Depression

The most helpful step for her and her family would be to educate themselves thoroughly about the disorder. If the diagnosis was offered by a psychiatrist / clinical psychologist, they should have been provided with a treatment plan. If it was a GP diagnosis, it would abe advisable to get a comprehensive assessment done via a psychiatrist/clin. psychologist, first. Cognitive - behavioural theraapy combined with pharmacotherapy has fairly good outcomes. The good news is, with appropriate treatment, it is manageable.
Hope this helps

adajim · Jun 20, 2009

Depression is one of those disorders which most people face in there life as some stage for one reason or the other. If it's children the pressure of studies gets over their head and if it's adults the pressure of work attracts depression. Rather than going on drugs, one should look for the reason behind there problem . Keeping your self busy and changing the schedule also helps sometimes to get over stress and depression.
The best way to get over stress, depression and anxiety is to take a break from your regular schedule, go out, and take good sleep. This helps in clearing the mind and try consulting a specialist who can suggest you as how you can get over your problem. There are various prescription drugs to get over anxiety and depression, but these should only be used in accordance with the instruction of a physician and going on anti depressants should be the last option.