Sister newly diagnosed with Bipolar I and living alone

Hello,

My 30 year old sister has recently been diagnosed with Bipolar I. She lives alone, far from most family, and keeps to herself a lot. She doesn't really have friends.



I'm not sure what I can do to help her. She doesn't want to move closer to family. I have severe anxiety issues of my own and I've been consumed with worry over the thought that she could have another manic episode, hurt herself, possibly kill herself - intentionally or not. Is it safe for her to be alone? She doesn't socialize in-person with anyone who would be able to regularly check in with her. What can I do, when I can't physically be there, to help her? She is not convinced of her diagnosis and I am afraid she will stop her medication and not take possible signs of mania seriously...

hi ap88
i can understand your fears as this is a very scary situation. i have nothing to assure you she will be ok not knowing your sister. it depends on how scared she was by what happened. she can live a very normal life with bipolar as long as she stabilizes on meds but accepting a bipolar diagnosis is a difficult thing to do. it took me many many many years to finally get to the point of acceptance. the best thing you can do is educate yourself about bipolar and maybe call her every day and see how she is coping for a while until you feel she is stable. ask those hard questions to see if she is taking her meds or thinking about cutting. make sure she is getting professional help. after you have three posts you can send me a private message if you have anymore questions or just need to talk. welcome to psych central. you will find we have several forums where you can post about your concerns and receive feedback from other members. you will get a lot of support here. again, welcome

Welcome to Psych Central (PC) AP88. I am a caregiver to my friend who is very stubborn and difficult to reason with. They won't fill the 7 day med tub (you need maybe a morning noon and evening one if she has multiple med times) so I have to. Then I call to make sure they took the meds. I check whenever I am near the med container. It is not a guarantee against her just not taking them. Taking the meds is vital to remaining stable.

If meds do not work or are not taken, ECT might be used to restore balance but only her psychiatrist would know this is necessary in her case. Try getting her to take here meds regularly and ECT may not be necessary.

Many people find compassionate, caring people here at PC. Some people find the forums give them the compassion and empathy they seek. http://forums.psychcentral.com

Some people at PC will find a therapist will help them sort out the roots of their life and cope with being a caregiver or support person for people in bipolar swings.

There are articles that go into more detail about coping
Psych Central - Trusted mental health, depression, bipolar, ADHD & psychology information.

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