My sister just called me. She said that my brother took my father to the hospital yet again. He is again in crisis, mentally and physically. Suicidal. I hope that they keep him, even against his will. Last time he was only in the psych hospital for 24 hours before being transferred to a general hospital for breathing and oxygen level issues. Then after a few days there they allowed him to go home, even though the psych hospital was expecting him back. The hospital put him on an antidepressant, which I believe was not a wise idea, or at least not as a sole psych medication, but when he left, he refused to continue taking even that. He did no follow-up with any doctor whatsoever.

Everyone in the family believes my father has always had bipolar disorder, but he will not accept it. He's been willing to acknowledge anxiety and depression only. His mother had bipolar disorder with psychotic episodes. That, we know, traumatized him as a teen. It even led to him being hospitalized for a "nervous breakdown" at 17 years old. Throughout his life, he has clearly shown at least hypomanic behavior, if not manic. As many people with bipolar disorder do, he won't recognize that behavior. He knows that my sister has an official bipolar diagnosis, I do (with several psych hospitalizations and disability), and my late nephew did (with several psych hospitalizations, disability, and suicide). Stigma is still strong in his mind. Who knows, maybe he received an official bipolar diagnosis in the past, but never told us. In any case, my brother shared the family history with every doctor at every hospital my father has been in lately.

I told my sister that if she or I have any chance to talk to a doctor managing my dad's case, that we might suggest that if they wish to prescribe an antidepressant, that they ALSO consider prescribing some kind of moodstabilizing medication for bipolar, too. What harm does that do? Many people even with unipolar depression take an antipsychotic or bipolar moodstabilizer. The thing is, would my father accept that?

It's highly possible that my father may not last much longer, given his physical and mental state. My siblings and I are preparing ourselves for this possibility.

I have avoided my dad since he was in the general hospital last time. I have intended to at least call him in a few days. It may possibly be a visit to the hospital (psych or general). Where he is this time (a different general hospital), they have a psych wing that offers full psych services. He can also request transfer to the psych hospital he was briefly in over a week ago, a much much better place.

The thought that my father could lose his life like my nephew did is beyond sad.