Posted by Mark H. on November 7, 2000, at 18:38:40
In reply to Can anyone help with some questions please, posted by Kim(for my hubby Brendan) on November 3, 2000, at 10:41:21
Dear Kim,
All of your husband's symptoms are quite common in bipolar disorder, including heightened religiosity, delusions of grandeur, rapid flights of thought (accompanied with furious writing), mixed states of mania/anger/aggression, calling hundreds of people on the phone, wanting to talk to the Pope, everything! The good news is that there is nothing unique or new about what your husband is experiencing.
To help put it into perspective, you may want to see if the library has books on Manic Depressive Illness, particularly Goodman and James' textbook by that title (Oxford University Press), and James' own annoying but informative autobiography, which offers an inside view of what it's like to be a manic depressive. You'll also learn that many if not most of the great authors, composers, and artists whom we revere suffered from the same disease.
From what I've read and experienced, full blown psychotic mania is not much fun -- there's just too much going on all at once, and behavior becomes destructive (outrageous spending, inappropriate sexuality, boundless middle-of-the-night "big ideas," out of control anger, 10 mental tracks going all at once like vivid movies with the volume turned up too much). However, at some point on the way up, the sensations are just incredible, beyond most people's wildest ideas of what the greatest feelings in the world could be like. Unfortunately, by the time one is there, few people have the presence of mind to say, "OK, I guess I better shut this down, because where it's going won't be so pleasant in another 24 hours."
The choice to medicate usually comes from bitter experience. Who would choose being stupid, lethargic, vaguely poisoned, and emotionally dull over being the most witty, intelligent, charming, attractive and best-informed person in the world? Even if being the latter could put you irreparably into debt, ruin your family, and endanger your own and others' lives? Well, there's the rub, isn't it?
In her autobiography (someone help me with the title, please -- I've got it at home), James describes how after she went on lithium, she wasn't able to read for about 10 years. Right.
I think what Noa was referring to is a new class of anti-psychotics that are also being used as monotherapy (with success) for bi-polar disorder, such as Zyprexa. It may be possible for your husband to take something like Zyprexa when he needs it, although conventional wisdom still claims that severe bi-polar disorder requires daily medication for life.
Please read more and learn more, get support, and as others mentioned, learn what you need to do to help prevent suicide and harm to yourself. If he's willing, make clear and firm contracts when he is normal about what you will do when he is manic. These may include his giving you the "right" to decide when to have him hospitalized or at least put on medication. If he participates in the contract and agreement now, it will help him not to feel betrayed when you invoke the terms later.
Good luck, and please let us know what you learn.
Best wishes,
Mark H.
poster:Mark H.
thread:2048
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20001031/msgs/2260.html