Best Solution for Manic Episode? Please Help!

My best friend is suffering form his second manic episode.

The first (which occurred about two years ago) lasted over three months, and resulted in his being arrested for disturbing the peace and being committed.

He has once again lost touch with reality. He is not sleeping, is very caught up in his own world, and is constantly preaching nonsense. He is clearly incapable of thinking clearly or communicating with others.

He has alienated his family (they left him out of Christmas Eve).

Obviously, he responds very negatively when accused of being manic again and refuses to take an medication (although he drinks etc).

What is the best course of action? Should he be kept contained in a safe environment or committed?

Hi Serafena,

Thanks for the input. But, it seems he IS a danger to himself and others. His thought processes are not rational and he is capable of anything.

Although he has not done anything dangerous this round he was out of control during his last episode. We were living together and he did things like sit in broken glass, bleeding and claim it was comfortable, pick up extremely sketchy/ homeless characters from the streets and bring them home to chat, punch a hole through a wall, etc.

For all I know he is perfectly capable of jumping of a roof (by accident), befriending god-knows-who, and or otherwise harming himself.

In fact, I have a feeling that calling the cops on him would result in his being committed. The question is: will HE be better of in an institution or at home?

It is very important when you are not thinking straight to get help.  You can just break from reality and not remember trying to hurt yourself, if things get any worse call the crisis line they will help you.  I do not know where you live but call a local hospital to get the information and have it near to you and him.  I will pray for him.

I hear lot's of might harms, maybe he'd and all kinds of other speculation, but with all due respect, I don't think it fair or reasonable to institutionalize. Suggest it certainly, offer to drive him if he wants to go, but to turn him in to the authorities for what "he might do", Nope. If he is drinking his CNS will eventually wind down and then he's going to be one sorry puppy, that's where you give him your little speech about "now you know , those meds are not to be taken lightly"no pun intended.Gosh, golly, miss molly, if they locked me up everytime I stepped over the mania line, I'd be a permanent guest of the state.