My MOM and Manic Depression
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- Hineys
- trainrider
- WordCharmer
- mercedesberrios
- biggs2000
- hebber87
- ndshlp4crazmom
- ndshlp4crazmom
- flashjack103883
- Lahlex
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» Hineys - Bipolar Disorder
My Mother was also Bipolar she was diagnosed with it in 1966 and as Colleen has said had many difficult and somewhat humilating treatments for her mental illness. I was just three years old when she went to the hospital for the first time, and can remember how scared I was that she had to stay there for so long. I can remember the embarrssment I had at times when she did things that other Mothers would never dream of wanting to do. My mother passed away 2 years ago due to physical illness and complications caused by her Bipolar Disorder, (Heart) her body could no longer suffer the highs and lows. In her last years it seems that it was more lows than highs. She was over medicated in one hospital and when she got home was so week she could barely get up let alone cook for herself. Because of her illness my brothers and I have shared a much closer relationship, in trying to care for her we have grown very close. During her last hospitalization she just told me all she ever wanted was a new brain, one that did not have a chemical imbalance. I felt so sad that I could not help her. She was a ruly remarkable, loving and sharing person. She was with me in 1996 when I became so ill that I was not expected to live. She was a nurse and she was there, giving me strength to fight for life, caring for me and my daughter. Shortly after my illness mother suffered another episode as she termed them, and it was a short while later that my brother called me to tell me she had died. She was just 67. Makes me mad when people say oh its just a crazy person. They have no insight, no compassion. I know just how these people suffer and mostly in silence, because we live in a world where people do not view mental illness as a disease like cancer, heart diease etc... Because it something that is in the mind.-- posted by Hineys
» trainrider - Readings Hineys story of her moms Bipolar and her own...
Hiney reading your story and the note to your Mom at the end certainly touched my heart in a "Big Way" it made me cry and made me sad and I was truly touched at "how well you expressed your feelings and how you are dealing with your own situation." My heart goes out to you and your Mom. God bless you dear. Thanks for sharing. I'm sure you have touched my hearts.-- posted by trainrider
» WordCharmer - I agree
Hiney's story made me cry too, but I am depressed anyway. I have bi-polar and it was not easy on my children when they were growing up, but they understood that I was sick. They never told me whether or not they were embarrassed by that, but I do carry some guilt for not being there 100%.It's a special person who can be so loving and forgiving and understanding to a parent with bi-polar. I guess that's what love is all about.
-- posted by WordCharmer
» mercedesberrios - MY MOM AND OUR MOMS
Your stories are so similar to mine. My mom had electroshocks in the sixties and has been diagnosed everything, from schozophrenic, etc. and 15 years ago Bipolar. She is now sick again after 15 good years because my father died in December and it has been very hard on her. She is now 85 and her recovery seems to go slower. She is at home with me taking haldol. Still acting strange, oh, how I wish I could understand better the process of fear she goes through! Any suggestions to make life easier for her?mercedes
-- posted by mercedesberrios
» biggs2000 - Thank you for sharing your story.
Thank you for sharing your story. I will agree that people do not think of mental illness the same as any other illnesses. People look down on a person when they suffer from mental illness. If more people would consider it just like any other I think that it wouldn't be looked down upon like it is. It's just like anything else.-- posted by biggs2000
» hebber87 - Mother has bipolar
Hello im Heather a child of three by my mom and im 14.i just felt like telling someone about whats going on in my life and kinda how i feel, because not a lot of people know or care..my mother lynn has been an alohoalic and drug user since i was vey young. thats what my g-ma says.
my baby brother was put in foster care soon after a year of birth . lynn thought it was time to get help so she went to a rehabibilation center . from there she had daily visits with my baby brother ( at this time i was cared by my grandmother since age of almost birth).she was doing great in the center till about 2 months after she would sleep in the room for hours , smoke when she wasnt alowed. a friend came to visit her and lynn was checked for drugs..they found drugs in her system and nicholas (baby brother) was sent to a foster home.
i am now 14 years of age and i have a baby sister.
my mother has been living with us for a while, off and on. sometimes when i wake up in the morning i see a beer bottle cap on the counter and i go check in my mothers room and she is not there.
Sometimes you could never expect these things to even consider to happen. When my friends are over my house with me having a good time they all love and get along with my mother..we're one big happy family. But they only see one side of her...the other is confusing in a way. Dating is not one of my mothers best things. she dates guys she meets from bars or you know. my mom is said to be around ghetto hoods and sometimes blacks. MY grandmother who is now 57 who has heart problems , has has past strokes..ect. When my mother leaves in the night my grandmother says she goes off to bars and gets drunk and whatever.
Sometimes she does not come home for weeks. my sister and i are then cared form that time until she gets home by my grandma. 3-5 days later she would call and explain what went on as like..im depressed, lonly, sad..lost a job....Although she does not have a home of her own, a job, car, money, and did not finish high school..she stays at this home ..my gradmothers (her mom) with my sister and i. My grandma supports us and my mother you can say. what i dont and will never understand it why she is depressed and has to get out with people who "she considers friends who get her drunk or whetever" Why cant she be happy that she has a home to come home to with her children ...thats all she needs, and also my g-ma lets her use the car for work shopping ..ect. My grandmother says that she has bipolar and the alochal is a trigger to these episodes., and that she craves drugs? im not to sure because i know my mom and i love her, i just dont understand that side of her..One time about 6 weeks ago at around late evening i was ready for bed and i seen my mother getting ready to go somewhere and i was getting upset because i thougth she was going out again..so i told my grandma and she told me to ask her and she went to the bathroom where she was and she said" Lynn your daughter is very upset here, i stepped in and started crying saying "mom how come you dont tell me anything, like at the last minute when your ride is here you say i need you to babysitt bye..and i would say when are you comeing home and you always promise soon..but you never do its always days at a time. she then said heather whats your problem! dont worrie about me! i am an adult im entitled to go out ! why do you always have to F*** everything up? this just upsets me but i must go now because my mom just came home from 4 days out~ bye god bless you all *heather*
-- posted by hebber87
» ndshlp4crazmom - Re: Mother has bipolar
In response to message posted by hebber87:hello heather,
i am sorry to read your sad story. you kinda remind me of myself. although, i was an only child raised by my single mother until she remarried and had my 10 year old brother. My mother, ill just be calling her claire, has never really been like my mom, she is more like a sister to me. i might say we were friends when i was in highschool, but that does not characterize our relationship since then. i am now 26 and in grad school. ever since college began, i have been coping with claire's ups and downs. as i have gotten older and with the help of some counseling, i have come to accept that i can t control her and it is not my problem. i dont' mean to sound like i don't care, because i do, but this is the only way that i can deal with her. i feel just awful for my baby brother. with there being a 16 year difference, i feel as if i am responcible to protect him from her. it is very sad to see how here behavior has had an affect on him. fortunately, claire has always lived in the same town as my grandparents, and they are able to support her as well as watch out for my bro. they practically raised me, they are what i would call my true parents. that is why i think you and i have so much in common. everything that you have written above is her.
she recently came to visit me. she is acting crazier than ever. i am convinced that, aside from her problem with drugs, she has an underlying illness which resembles continuous cycling bipolar disorder.
i wish i had some wonderful advice for you, but all that i can tell you is that you aren't alone.
i hope this helps you feel better. heather, if you take care of yourself, you are doing terrific. you can control anyone else so don't consume yourself with efforts to do so. control your own life and future.
good luck to you.
jules
-- posted by ndshlp4crazmom
» ndshlp4crazmom - Re: Re: Mother has bipolar
In response to message posted by ndshlp4crazmom:i meant to say " you can NOT control anyone but yourself..."
-- posted by ndshlp4crazmom
» flashjack103883 - Re: Bipolar Disorder
Dear HineyHello Hiney,i read your passage and was overcome with the warmth and love for your mother and your loving care of understanding the illness.
I too suffer with manic depression i am only 27 and have two children who i adore and thank god for every precious moment that they give me i am truly blessed.
My children are still young my son is 8 now and daughter is 4 last episode i had was when i had daughter there were other circumstances which aided in the illness but well it's not an excuse and since 2000 i have not had another episode which has shocked many as i have been under a great deal of stress especially this year,but as you grow with the illness especially in my case i have known when to ask for help etc and have taught both myself and son who has adhd ways to cope and adjust.
I now help other families/mothers etc who are struggling to cope with issues and help them resolve their ailment and issues to confrot skeletons in a steady pace.I work with a family as volunteer for homestart which is organization for families struggling,i also have sites to help mothers and fathers with depression etc.
I just want to commend you for your undying devotion to your mother who i am sure is proud of you and it is so great to hear that you realize it is an illness and that she deeply cares for you as i tell my children every day they are extremely special a gift from god.
If you would like to tell your story to help others i have a support board which i would be gratful if you would post a message with your understanding of the illness etc as it would bring a lot of comfort to other families especially sufferers as we do carry lot of guilt around as we know families do suffer.
the board is:-http://jackiesstory.proboards30.com.
I hope you dont mind me askig.
once again good luck
Jacqueline Lloyd
flashjack103883@aol.com
-- posted by flashjack103883
» Lahlex - Re: Re: Bipolar Disorder
In response to Re: Bipolar Disorder posted by flashjack103883:Flashjack: I am also a mom with bipolar. I was just diagnosed this year & I am 35. I hate the constant withdrawn feelings. I have 2 children and I am not sure what to tell them. No I am not single, but I do also worried about my husband. He stands by me with the craziest things. I can get upset over anything and it is blown' to hell and back. I hate that part of me. I hate seeing myself pulling out of the drive way and almost slamming into my neighbor's car. That scared me! Throwing things in a fit and not being able to control myself. Falling into deep depression and having no one to understand me. Yes my husband loves me but I feel so guilty about this disease, that it just keeps my totally depressed or totally high wired. I should be more understanding with my family. Most of the time, I am screaming and constantly saying' "Mommy Sorry". How many times will my children and my husband understand that? I have been hospitalized twice. I can never accomplish anything. Everything is either black or white. I hate being like this. I used to have a lot of friends, well after this last episode, I lost them all. No one ever understands this crazy disease. Could please tell me how do you make it?
-- posted by Lahlex
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