Bi-Polar Friend and why does she do this?

[Johnboy60]

My friend has bi-polar and hears voices and see dead people sometimes. She sometimes loves too spend lots of money and buys stuff she then later doesn't wants. Across the street and never looks both ways. She takes medicine for this medical problem.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Greg J.]

My friend has bi-polar and hears voices and see dead people sometimes. She sometimes loves too spend lots of money and buys stuff she then later doesn't wants. Across the street and never looks both ways. She takes medicine for this medical problem.

Thanks for the help.

Bipolar Disorder is various manifestations of mood swings, sometimes extreme ones. The swings are between clinical depression and mania. When she is feeling good, happy, and in particular, thinks she can do anything (which she might be able to until her mood swings again), she is manic. It is common for people in the manic phase to overspend money with the thought that it will work out (optimism that is out of bounds). Bipolar disorder can also impair a person's good judgment without them realizing it. Another thing behaviors associated with the disease do is hurt the feelings of family and friends such that relationships are damaged or destroyed. It is imperative that family get educated on how bipolar disorder affects a person, because the person will often seem normal. IMO, reading about it is only a start; they would need to talk to knowledgeable people about it, too.

Hearing and seeing things that aren't there are psychoses—effects from being semi-detached from reality. It is a symptom of various mental illnesses, one of which is Schizophrenia. It is separate from Bipolar Disorder.

One thing for friends and family to keep in mind is that bipolar disorder can be more painful than anything they've ever experienced in their lives. Patience, kindness, and gentleness is called for at all times. 40% of the people with bipolar disorder try to commit suicide to stop the pain. Half of them succeed.

 

[The Walker]

When she does this it's a combination of things. The money hearing voices, seeing dead people are called hallucinations. They's not unusual and they usually happen when the person is stressed. If they happen at other times I'm sure someone can advise you of that. A person who is bipolar who is spending excessive amounts amounts of money, doing dangerous things she ordinary wouldn't do means she is going through a manic episode. A manic episode is opposite of being depressed. When one is manic one feels like one is invincible, like one doesn't need sleep, has an excessive amount of energy, talks super fast, rapid thoughts and many other things. Not everyone has all of these but this should give you an idea why your friend is acting the way she is. As far as medicine goes. It sounds like it needs to to be adjusted. She needs to speak to whoever is her doctor and tell her symptoms so they can adjust her medicines so her symptoms can better be managed. Or if she's not aware of her actions someone needs to have a discussion with her and let her know what is going on and offer to go with her next time she goes to see her doctor so they can discuss her situation the doctor. I would also ask others here for advice as to what to do. Good luck and God bless!

 

[MikeGray]

I do this too. I buy something, then sell it, and then buy it again. It's a struggle.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Sometimes besides physical, mental, biological, physiological and spirit problems,
or part and parcel with ,
is nutritional deficiencies.
People can give themselves the same symptoms (but shouldn't!)
by eliminating the B-Vitamins from their diet,
and/or also magnesium and calcium imbalanced. (very common).
Sometimes taking the B's and a calcium/magnesium supplement helps.

 

[MikeGray]

Fish oil also helps but you have to take an insane amount, which is not easy on your stomach or your wallet.

 

[Jonathan Mathews]

My friend has bi-polar and hears voices and see dead people sometimes. She sometimes loves too spend lots of money and buys stuff she then later doesn't wants. Across the street and never looks both ways. She takes medicine for this medical problem.

Thanks for the help.

I'm a Born-Again, Holy Spirit filled, Believer in Jesus Christ who's had Bi-polar type I for at least 11 years. There is hope because Jesus Christ is the Living God.

I've read most of the replies and I can say they're pretty spot on. Nothing too crazy from what I read [that was a joke, get it? ]

It's CRUCIAL to know if the person has been Baptized by the Holy Spirit. That's the difference between healing paralysis on a dying, 120-year old horse, or fixing a limp on a newly-born lamb.

Take the person to 3 psychiatrists. Take the medications average the dosages all 3 agree upon. They have to stay on the same medications for a MINIMUM of 3 months, without missing a single dosage, to know if it works. NOTHING LESS!!! It can feel like HELL, but it's not. Thank Jesus for the pain, praise Him for who He is, and rebuke the Devil. They WILL make it with Jesus. They will die without Him (everybody dies without Him)

Eat a balanced, variety of foods AND EXERCISE!!!! God Himself says this will help. Seriously. (1 Timothy 4:8)

Mental Illness is not a death sentence. It just means you have to change your life to accommodate for it. Shop for groceries weekly, cook, jog, bike, see your Dr's er' 3 months, take the meds they tell you, EXACTLY HOW they tell you. USE Pill boxes to remember!!! Go to church, read your bible daily, meditate on what you already know about God.... BE STILL, HE IS GOD. He WILL SAVE YOU. Find Him, get REAL close, stretch out your hands and GRAB for God.... He will take your hand.

"In a little while longer, the God of ALL PEACE, will CRUSH the Enemy under your feet" and you will "go out of the stalls, leaping like a new-born calf"

 

[Johnboy60]

Thanks for the help everyone. My friend that has Bi-polar has her up's and down's everyday. Mood swings everyday. Her husband of 43 years of marriage before he died of cancer four years ago. She has no family that wants her so I moved her into my house eight months ago. Her dead husband was a very strong Christian man that kept her in tight control with bi-polar. She took her medicine like she should till his death and then quit it and got into fights with her children and family.

 

[Goodbook]

Hmm
So she stopped her meds for four years...?

Was she seeing a doctor, would she go back to see someone?

Your first post said she was hearing voices..is she actually a christian, if so you can help, if not, she needs to hear thw gospel before you intervene. You said her husband was one, but cant take it for granted that she knows the Lord as well.

The thing with rapid cycling is if you in the midst of all this she actually needs a space where she can be still and know God. Sometimes a hospital is that space. If shes come to your house for refuge, then you need to make it clear its where she can find Gods presence.

Bipolar disorder is an affliction, but her mind needs to rest on the rock that is christ, he is the anchor of our soul. He will keep her in perfect peace. Sometimes it really helps to play worship music. Because demons cant distract a person when they are worshipping! (Not the 'rock music' kind -proper hymns and spiritual music) Focus on Jesus and ask Him for help always. Pray for her.

Have a regular routine where she can sleep through the night, and have proper meals three times a day. This is important. Many ppl suffering bipolar have problems sleeping.

 

[Johnboy60]

Hi, Update she is taking her medicine now everyday and total different person. She still has some mood swings but not as bad. She likes to go to church but I think more for socializing then there for religion.

 

[Johnboy60]

She's now in real low bad mood and wants to die. She claims her pastor 15 years ago told her that all people with Bi-polar and Schizophrenia
should kill themselfs because bi-polar has no cure. Her old pastor has family that has bi-polar also and was having major problems taking care of it that's why he said that. Would God allow people with bi-polar and Schizophrenia too kill themselfs?

 

[Christie insb]

She's now in real low bad mood and wants to die. She claims her pastor 15 years ago told her that all people with Bi-polar and Schizophrenia
should kill themselfs because bi-polar has no cure. Her old pastor has family that has bi-polar also and was having major problems taking care of it that's why he said that. Would God allow people with bi-polar and Schizophrenia too kill themselfs?

Well... Bipolar illness and schizophrenia are very distressing illnesses. I absolutely don't think it's the sufferer's job to make it easier on others by killing herself though. Caring for an ill family member is hard but it's our chance to minister to people in great difficulty.

I personally don't think we can judge what happens to the suicide victim after death, but I don't believe it is God's will for people to end their own lives.
Bipolar illness kills too many of its sufferers, and is a very challenging illness. I hope your friend will be able to hang on, to know that God's grace is sufficient.

 

[Open Heart]

She's now in real low bad mood and wants to die. She claims her pastor 15 years ago told her that all people with Bi-polar and Schizophrenia
should kill themselfs because bi-polar has no cure. Her old pastor has family that has bi-polar also and was having major problems taking care of it that's why he said that. Would God allow people with bi-polar and Schizophrenia too kill themselfs?

All life is valuable. Her life is of worth, even with the pain. I don't think she would go to hell if she committed suicide since she is not in her right mind, but I think her pastor would go to hell for encouraging her to do so since he has no excuse.

Bipolar illness and schizophrenia cannot be cured, but it can be controlled and a good life can be lived, either on disability or off it. Bipolar runs in my family. My cousin has bipolar disorder and is on lamictal and is a practicing Pediactric MD. I am also bipolar, and am on several medications. It has taken a LONG time to get my meds right, since it is trial and error, but they finally got it right. I'm on disability and work part time as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor. If she is schizophrenic as well (which means her diagnosis is probably neither schizophrenic nor bipolar but probably something like schizoaffective disorder) it is a more complicated thing, but she should still hang in there until the meds are all figured out. (Just as an aside, if her mood swings back and forth every day, this also doesn't sound like bipolar, but I'm not a psychiatrist and can't diagnose.) This is a brain disorder, not demons, and not emotional.

 

[Johnboy60]

Today she is better in her moods. More happy. I think your right her mental problems are much more worse then Bi-polar and schizophrenic. She has been falling down for no reason in the house at least 10 times in the last few weeks. She don't even try to caught herself or even try too break her fall. Never breaks bones. Thank you all for the help.

 

[Johnboy60]

Today she feeling good till something made her mood turn bad and I got into a voice fight with her, she not been taking her medicine so she got hard to live with. Now I know why her mental doctor's want her too live alone.

 

[Johnboy60]

My friend had me worried tonight because she was talking out of her head while sleeping. She been not sleeping for a few days by staying up all night. She loves her new apartment and have found eight new friends.

 

[Johnboy60]

Friend has apartment now and loves it she says. She still has her mood swings but nobody lives with her.

 

[Open Heart]

Friend has apartment now and loves it she says. She still has her mood swings but nobody lives with her.

That's probably a really good thing.

Does she prefer activities where she is alone or with only a few friends such as being online, watching a movie, reading a book, or having a one on one with a friend?

If so she could be an introvert. If she's an introvert, living in an apartment with others probably way stressed her out, and the sensitivity from being Bipolar most likely exacerbated it.

My son and his fiancee stayed with me five days over Christmas. We had about one extraverted activity a day, like going to church, family party, dinner with friends. I absolutely was thrilled that they came over, make no mistake! But it wiped me out. When they left, I switched into hard core introvert mode and didn't leave my apartement for the next week, and I'm still a bit off. I couldn't survive having to live with other people, except family.

 

[Johnboy60]

Right now she's in manic high and really likes the woman next door. Her new friend name is Mary and she lives alone also. My friend new apartment is for people over 55 only. It has lots of rules everyone in the apartments has too follow and more like a HOA rules. My friend will have days that she doesn't do anything with people and likes too sleep for days.

 

[Open Heart]

Right now she's in manic high and really likes the woman next door. Her new friend name is Mary and she lives alone also. My friend new apartment is for people over 55 only. It has lots of rules everyone in the apartments has too follow and more like a HOA rules. My friend will have days that she doesn't do anything with people and likes too sleep for days.

If she's sleeping too much, that doesn't sound like a manic high. Has she formally been diagnosed as bipolar by a psychiatrist, or is this just your own personal feeling about the way she acts? There are other diagnoses where people are emotionally volatile.