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Are there any BP success stories?

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Bipolar Disorder
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Posted 4/30/2009 2:31 PM (GMT 0)
My BP husband was involuntarily admitted to the hospital last week and I had made the decision that I would not visit him until he was calm and we could meet with his doctor.  My husband is currently furious with me because I wouldn't let him call the shots and meet with him and the resident on his case yesterday.  I know this is him trying to manipulate me so I am being strong and sticking to my guns.

I have NO idea how tomorrow is going to go but I am hoping that my husband will see that I am devastated that he is destroying himself instead of managing the condition. He has never been compliant with meds or therapy which is why he keeps having the mania, getting fired from his jobs and eventually ends up involuntarily hospitalized. 

SO, to cut to the chase, one way I thought I could be supportive was to show him or talk to him about how people who suffer from the mania of BP have lived successful, happy lives.  Yes, we all know about Patty Duke (and I am so incredibly grateful that she brought this condition to the forefront) but I was really hoping to have a success story of a man so he can relate. 

I HAVE to believe that there are plenty of people who have BP that are living successful lives, have good marriages with children, are able to maintain a good well paying job and live a happy life.  It would be great to show him that he can live up to and surpass his potential if he just took his meds and worked with a doctor without feeling ashamed, scared or as he called it "dumbed down".

Any suggestions would be appreciated. 

Thanks,

BPWife

Posted 4/30/2009 4:32 PM (GMT 0)
My husband and I are both Bipolar. We both deal with the depression side much more than we suffer from mania. In my area I have 2 neighbors that are Bipolar. Nancy was telling me of her husband who dealt with manics that caused him to be hospitalized about every 2 years. She told me of chasing him down the street, having to hide the cash and the keys to keep him from getting in trouble. Now, you would never know that he suffered from mania. He is very down to earth, I don't see much of him. His wife Nancy is the social one.

I do have to admit that after getting onto my medicine I feel like I am consumed in a FOG. I have thoughts, but I can't get them out clearly. I also sometimes miss the high creativity that happened in the beginning of the mania I experienced. I sometimes feel like I am trading flashes of genius for stable monotony, but most of the time I am grateful for being spared the out of control feeling of being in an extreme. I am now in control of my thoughts and reactions. When I have a swing I can recognize it and have coping techniques to keep it from being too destructive.
Posted 5/1/2009 1:40 AM (GMT 0)
BPWife,

I'm not a man, so I can't help there, but I do consider myself very successful at managing my bipolar. That's not to say it doesn't impact my life. It does, every day. But I am religious about taking my meds, seeing my doc and my therapist, being open and honest with my husband, being aware of my spending habits, and trying to be aware of my triggers: am I getting a little to chatty and too over-active? Do I want to do nothing but sit on the couch for days on end? Am I obsessing too much? The pay off is that I can hold down a part time job. Be married to a wonderful man who loves and takes care of me. We have a great daughter and we share the parenting responsibilities, it's not all him. I have energy and time to be creative and write when I want to. And I don't have to worry so much about how sick I am. I have less guilt about how I'm affecting my family. (I do have some still.) We pay our bills and have a nice house. We live NORMALLY. That's all I ask.

I hope that helps. It can be done.

serafena
Posted 5/1/2009 1:59 AM (GMT 0)

To view a list of famous people who have bipolar go to:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_affected_by_bipolar_disorder

 

 

I'm sure you & he will recognize many names there.

 

Hope this helps.

Posted 5/1/2009 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Serafena & Sukay!

I just feel like so much emphasis is placed on what BP is and what the symptoms and medications are that the media hasn't really concentrated on the success stories.

The link to wikipedia was good too. There was one male actor I clicked on who seems to be VERY vocal about BP, his daily battle and how he and his wife do it together. It was very encouraging for me and I hope that once my husband is more stable I can discuss it with him.

I'm a little nervous to see him today as I don't know how he's going to act. But, I have to keep strong and remind myself that I am doing this all for him to get healthy and take responsibility.

BPWife
Posted 5/1/2009 6:25 PM (GMT 0)
Hi BPWife.  I will share with you that despite having bp, my husband is very educated and has a successful career.  He is a hard worker and very dedicated to his profession. 

 

As far as living a successful like with bp- we are working on it.

 

Keep strong with your husband.

 

-Whyus

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