Posted by Cam W. on February 10, 2000, at 14:32:13
In reply to living with someone who is bi-polar/peter pan, posted by kathleen on February 10, 2000, at 13:15:14
> i would appreciate some help...
> i am deeply in love with a man who is a diagnosed bi-polar/peter pan complex. he sees his psychiatrist one per week but refuses to take his meds. most of the time he is good to deal with - but then there are times when he is depressed, anxious, annoyed... the hardest part of life with him is that every single situation is always "all about him" instead of something that may affect others. he can be supremely insensitive to others' feelings...
> because i love this man, because i would like to try to build a life with him, i am wondering what i can do to make life easier for him. i listen when he talks. i hear what he says and i know in my heart that he suffers - i am there for him when he needs me. can i make his life easier? please help!Kathleen - Your boyfriend has to come to terms with his illness. You will not be able to make him realize that his disorder is for life. A major problem in bipolar disorder is compliance with therapy. The medications have problems: side effects, loss of the energy (or high), being controlled by medications, are a few. Another problem can be the denial of the disorder. Unless one is ultrarapid cycling, the thought of taking medications for the occational manic or depressive episode can seem silly. The problem is that with every episode, the next episode can occur sooner and last longer. This is known as the kindling effect. One in three people who are compliant with their medication never have another episode, while those who are non-compliant will, more than likely, have another episode. This may not happen in a week or a month, but it will probably occur, as you have seen. Your boyfriend needs to come to terms with his illness. It is like having diabetes, he has to take medication for life to prevent getting worse. His lifestyle has to change or he will eventually crash. This can only be done through education about the disorder, support (yours and psychotherapy), and by a simple, but effective pharmacological treatment regimen. Talk to his doctor and tell him/her of your boyfriend's non-compliance if you think the doc does not know. All you can do is point out how much better a person he is while on the medication and give him support in the down times. Others in this room probably have more advise than I can give, but I hope this helps. Sincerely - Cam W.
poster:Cam W.
thread:21009
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000209/msgs/21014.html