Bipolar disorder

Hello everyone. It's been a long time since I've been to this site. I just want to vent a little. I was diagnosed with rapid cycling bipolar disorder early this year. My mother who is a DEVOTED JW is having a hard time accepting that I have a problem that "Jehovah" cant fix. I spent months slowly losing my mind. When I would ask her for help, or talked to her about it she would say: "You just need vitamins and Jehovah" . I know the Watchtower has been publishing a lot of things lately on mental illness. Anyway, I finally broke and I attmited myself to a psychiatric hospital. I was there for 8 days. My mother finally started taking me seriously and came down to be with me and help with the kids. The whole time she was here all she would talk about how I need to come back to the truth. It drove me nuts! Now, she calls me everyday to make sure I'm ok. I dont answer the phone because she bombards me with questions and harasses me about coming back to the "truth".  Does anyone have a similar problem or have advice on how to deal with her?

being in 'the truth' causes more mental health problems than I know. - so many people end up with manic depression (bipolar) or having a breakdown. - I believe its from inner conflict. there is a term for that, I can't remember what it was. - after a while just before I left I thought there was allsorts wrong, I had depression, thought I had ADD, saw a psychologist, pshychiatrist. - 18 months out and Im as right as rain! I have the odd off day but who doesnt. - thats just normal. _ would hate to go back to pretending to be something I'm not its enough to make anyone have sickness of the mind xx - I hope in time by NOT going back to 'the truth' you will heal and feel more positive. x x

My daughter has rapid cycling bipolar disorder.

When she got sick before we knew what the diagnosis was, I realized 

I had to leave the organization to get the proper help she needed.

Hang in there, 

give your meds time to work out.

Hopefully, the organization will continue to put out articles that deal with mental health

and that it's not something you can just pray away, go to more meetings, 

or simply has not one thing to do with ones spirituality.

hugs, 

purps

My Grand daughter ( never baptised) but brought up as a JW by my still active JW daughter
is Bi-polar
She is driving me nuts, She spend her money so foolishly,I have had to pay her rent 3 times
Her Disability check she wastes, She lives 9 hours away from me. & My daughter ( JW) helps
her out alot. She threatens to kill her self often, wont take her meds Has been on the weed,
Says she isnt now. Has two illigitment kids,same father ( he is married)

I am sorry you are suffering But stay on your meds. & get all the help you can God bless

bipolar disorder sounds tough.

I think you are doing the right thing in ignoring your mum's calls. 

The JWS religion among the many that are out there in particular the apocalyptic ones such as the JWS

can instill a sorted amount of anxieties and depressions. In the simplest terms the religion does not believe or support

any intervention of help from the medical psychological help that is obtainable from a professional in practice.

In other words they perceive mental illness as a lack of spirituality and they blame the individual for this.

They wont and cant recognize the fact that people have these problems due to many times of physiological imbalances,

rather their explanation is the individual has been intervened by demonic and evil spirits.

Hence If you draw yourself closer to god's organization those spirits will quickly disappear

and you'll be healthy and happy again.

Medieval in concept but that what happens when people endear themselves with ancient mythology. 

Your mother is just doing what she has been indoctrinated to do and that is of course to sell the WTS.

mythology to the public which creates financial support to the publishing corporation. 

I've also been diagnosed bipolar so I can definitely sympathize. It will take awhile for them to find the right medication that works for you, and just a warning, some of them might even make you worse. But hang in there. Once they find one that is right for you it is absolutely worth the trouble. Don't ever quit taking something because it seems to be making you too sleepy all the time or because you don't like what it is doing to you without notifying your doctor.

As far as your mother goes. My advice would be to be honest with her. Tell her you appreciate her concern and helping with your children. And that you love her very much and want her to be apart of your life and the lives of your kids, but that you are going through a rough time right now, have no plans to return to that religion and her hounding you about it is making things more difficult for you. Ask her to please stop. Do it nicely, don't attack her. If she still gets angry about it then that is her problem. But any logical person should take the request to heart and back off on the matter. Hopefully that will work in this case and you can still have your mother in your life. If not, at least the hounding will stop and you can stop ignoring her.

can you not try another form of transport rather than cycling?....especially rapid cycling....that might help......

        doc ninja.......always here to help

My wife has that condition also, she was diagnosed six months ago, she feels she has had it most of her life.  We have been married for five years, the medications have sure changed her.  She took medications before she knew she was bi-polar and more accepting of the fact something was (A foot)  with her.  She used to say "I don’t like the medications they make me feel (not like my self,”) I told her yeah” your calm for a change, love.  Stay on your meds, and good for you for finding out.

My father was Bipolar...an elder for years before it was diagnosed.

The most important thing I can say is keep taking the meds.  My dad would get to feeling better and stop, it would take a week or two and then we would notice the difference in his mood.  We would ask about the meds, and then he would admit he stopped taking them.

His biggest complaint was, it seemed to fry his brain. 

He was an extremely intelligent man.

r.

For practical info on mental illness and access to peer support groups:

www.nami.org

Now, she calls me everyday to make sure I'm ok. I dont answer the phone because she bombards me with questions and harasses me about coming back to the "truth".

My mother has been one of my most persistent triggers. One of the best things my therapist ever told me was that I don't have to answer the phone when she calls. It's a small, silly thing, but it's helped me gain some control and keep myself sane. I also e-mail her because it's slower than telephone calls, allows me to relax, and gives me time to think about where the conversation should go.

As far as the constant pressure to go back to the "Truth": I finally told my mother that there was no way I would ever go back to that religion. I made sure she understood that I wasn't interested in talking about it with her. She didn't get the point at first. It took me ending a few conversations as soon as she brought up anything JW for everything to connect for her.

Oh, and just in case you haven't heard it enough -- stay on your meds.

Good luck!

Thank you all for your advice. I've been taking Lexapro 20mg for two and a half years. I was on AmbienCR for a year and a half. When I was in the hospital they put me on Lamectal 150mg. It didn't do much for me, and I developed an allergic reaction to it 2 weeks after starting it. I am now taking Seroquel 150mg and it seems to be working. I'm cycling much slower and my manic episodes aren't as severe. I am also taking Vistril 50mg and Ativan .5mg for my anxiety. I am doing everything I can to lead a normal life. I see a therapist once a week. I have a great support group. So, to summerize I'm taking: Lexapro 20mg, Seroquel 150mg, Vistaril 50mg, and Ativan .5mg.

I`ve had bi-polar for 12 years now and sorting out your meds is trial and error.  I had been on an antidepressant that made me like a zombie for years.  I came off that and felt a thousand times better.  I`m now on lithium and another drug which have been fantastic and I now have a zest for life.  Sometimes I thought I was completly of my rocker would sing and dance in the streets with buskers and then would come the lows unbearable suicidal thoughts.  At one time I tried to throw myself of a train.  With persistantly talking to doctors to get something done,  I was afraid that I would be successful in my suicide attempt they finally listened to me and gave me a tablet that actually works.  I found the advice from elders in the hall of no use they are not trained in this field.  (one elder accused me of being drunk one night, while on a trip away, and the following morning it was suggested I had a hangover.  Going to meetings never helped many bros/sis never knew how to speak to you,  and I found were quite patronising, I guess they thought they were trying to help.  All the talk of do more, study more and pray more never helped only increased my feelings of low self esteem and self worth which only exacerbated my symptoms and made me worse.  I eventually got out and have never felt better since.  (hope this helps)

  Call Me Anna (ISBN 0-553-27205-5), and Brilliant Madness: Living with Manic Depressive Illness (ISBN 0-553-56072-7)

To tell you the truth, I don't think it matters who you are, if you go see the psyc. they will give you a diagnosis of something.

You could go to three different doctors and get three different diagnosises.

One thing I am certain of Bipolar is confused with PTSD more then anything.

The JW organization can and does give people Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. (PTSD)

I have PTSD and my treatment is stay away from JWs... It works...

i have bipolar after i refused to take my neutrility stand(i served the army)

My 2nd wife was bipolar- good luck. I imagine the drugs that are available work better than the standard lithium therapy that was used 20 years ago.

Actually, lithium still works well for some people with bipolar.  Medication is individualized more nowadays with more choices available.  Being a jw doesn't cause bipolar any more than it causes diabetes.  But with the right meds and good therapy, you can find  balance.  It is a mental "illness" not a conscious choice to be that way.

www.nami.org

http://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/slideshow-bipolar-disorder-overview?ecd=wnl_day_062410

The temptation to go off your meds when you start feeling better is very strong for alot of people.  Definately good advice to stay on them.

I don't know if you have the rage tendencies that most bi-polar people do, but do your best to recognize that you are the one not always thinking properly and that some problema are your's and not others.

My mother and sisters both have bi-polar.  It's a difficult road.  Check in regularly with your doctor.

Hugs to you,

Palm