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is this where i go for advice if a family member suffers from bipolar?

Hi annoymous, and welcome to PC!

Yes, you are in the right spot.

Lots of good info here, lots of great people. You may want to look around for a bit and do some reading, or just explore and get comfy.

If you have any specific questions or concerns, just post away and you'll find people here will try their best to help.

Petunia

Thank you. I read around and i really need some help. I guess it would be helpful if you knew the background of the situation. My mom suffers from Bipolar disorder. When i was born she kidnapped me and my older sister for 5 years. We were put in a rehabilitation center because she thought we were sick but really, she was trying to hide us from my father. My dad now has custody of us and we used to visit with my mom until she was in the manic stage of her bipolar and threatened us. We didnt see her for over a year until she tried to commit suicide with the Lithuim medication. She survived and now she wants to see us. Given the history, my sister and i dont know if we are ready because i am only 15 and i am still dealing with all of these situations. I know she is my mom and it isnt her fault but a lot has happened. She has set up a dinner with a supervisor who will be there for our comfort. I really just dont know what to do. Can anyone help me?

I haven't been around this board too long, so others may have better advice. But I think that as long as there is supervision, you and your sister should go see your mom. If she is stablized having her kids visit would be a great comfort to her and will help in her determination to stay on her meds and work with her Drs. Just spend a couple hours with her, let her know you love her, and you want her to get better. It will give her hope and joy and that is one thing we all need. So thats my advice to you... Make sure it is supervised and then go and try to build a bridge of communication and love. Talk to your dad and ask him what he thinks and explain to him how you feel. But just remember, your dad may still be angry and scared. Just explain you still love him and your mom and you want to spend a couple hours with her. Everything will be fine.

Since the meeting is supervised I think it would be nice for you to spend some time with your mother. Hopefully over this time she has become more stable and you can get to really know her. It would be nice if she knows you are out there and you still care and are trying to understand her illness.

It sounds like your intententions are genuine. Go and have a good time. Be open and honest with her if you can. You may find this a good opportunity to understand why she did some of the things she did in the past. Good luck.