Bipolar Disorder/bipolar Fiance'

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Expert: Libby Bonner - 3/12/2009


Question
My fiance' of 5 years has been dealing with bp for about 3 years now. The problem is he does not take his meds properly. I keep track of this and found that last month he had missed about 2 weeks worth. He has rapidly declined and I told him he about to start cycling. He thinks I am crazy. Now, after 2 weeks of drinking, abusing prescription diet pills and staying up for days on end he is hallucinating. I need to know if it is safe for him to be in the home. Also, he started back on the meds (Prozac and Lamictal). Could the meds be causing the hallucinations?

Answer
Should never start or stop meds w/out a doctor's help w/ tapering them.  So, yes, it could be the suddden re-start of the meds, but it's probably mania.

Safe to be in the home?  Hard to tell.  Be sure you have some car keys and money stashed where you can grab and go.

Get the book by Woolis called When someone you love has a mental illness.  Might help you set some limits re taking meds or consequences of not taking them.

Bipolar Disorder

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Libby Bonner

Expertise

I can answers questions from family members of adult patients with serious mental illnesses. I am most familiar with bipolar disorder [manic-depression] and schizophrenia. I use principles of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill to provide clinical info, emotional support, and practical suggestions, including finances/insurance. Emphasis is on family health; family preservation and functioning; coping skills; and effective communications with patients [consumers] and with providers of services. I am not qualified to help families with patients under 18 I cannot answer questions about herbal remedies.

Experience

I have a daughter w/ bipolar illness. Have experience with clinical medicine/psychiatry through my work in a hospital library. I have taken and now monitor the NAMI Family to Family educational program and I facilitate NAMI family caring and sharing evenings.

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