A
female
age
30-35,
*imeelou
writes:The reason i'm writing on 'Dear cupid' is because i feel like i need to talk things through with people who don't necessarily know me because all i do is cry when i talk about it with friends. So here goes...Last month my brother Jake was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He also has Cerabral palsy which makes his condition even more difficult to come to terms with. He doesn't seem to even know who i am anymore and jumps everytime i try and give him a hug, it upsets me because its like he's had a completely change of character from being so loving to not even knowing who i am anymore. I'm only 16 years old which makes it even worse because i have so much going through my mind right now, like whether ive passed my gcse's because i was worrying about my brother constantly. The disorder has made Jakes sleeping deteriorate which is causing my mom to become stressed so i dont like to talk to her about how i feel, shes got enough to deal with as it is. I guess i just felt i needed to come somewhere and get things off my chest, i love my brother to pieces and this is why its all getting to me so much, for my brother to seem like he doesnt even know me anymore hurts me so much. Noone deserves to have bipolar but my brother definately doesnt, he has cerabral palsy and has been through so much already, he doesnt deserve it, not at all. Reply to this Question
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male
reader, dirtball  +, writes (26 July 2010):
 Well, with most neurological drugs, it takes a matter of a couple of weeks to know if the new dosage is working properly. If the dosage was just lowered, you won't see instant changes. With the proper dosage, he should return to his normal self, just a little more mellow. I wish you and your brother the best.
Another thing that may help, since you mentioned it, is talking to a councelor. It may feel selfish, but if venting a little here helped you, that may as well. Sometimes it's easier to talk to an objective 3rd party since your family and friends are too close to see things objectively. Their focus may also not be on you, which you need sometimes. It is not selfish to need that either.
A
female
reader, aimeelou +, writes (26 July 2010):
aimeelou is verified as being by the original poster of the question Thanks dirtball, my brothers on medication called Lithium and the doctor has already told my mom to lower his dosage but if im completely honest, it hasnt made any difference. I just want my brother back! Thanks alot for your response though, just feels good talking things through x
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A
male
reader, dirtball +, writes (26 July 2010):
Sometimes people really get shit piled on them. It is completely unfair. My cousin just turned 16 and it will likely be his last birthday. He is a lower functioning autistic (I don't know the official classification, but he can't speak, and can only barely communicate, and needs assistance to care for himself) and recently found out he has AML Leukemia. After 4 rounds of chemo he finally broke. We're waiting to see what will happen, but I just feel bad for him...
This isn't a "who's got it worse" type post, but meant to exemplify how some people just get a raw deal in life. Unfortunately it sounds like your brother is in that boat.
A question for you. Since he was diagnosed bipolar, have they started him on medication? The reason I ask is that because bipolar disorder is one that is still a mystery to neuroscientists for the most part. It is extremely difficult to treat because of the drastic extremes it creates. It is often treated with Lithium. This drug doesn't really treat the root of the disorder at all. Instead, it just "levels" a person out. In some cases it makes the near zombie state that you're describing. Chances are, his dosage is too high. Your family may want to talk to the doctor about what's happening and see just how it's being treated.
Another thing about bipolar. Depending on the severity, it may be completely possible to not need medication. However, with really severe mania, auditory and visual hallucinations are not uncommon. Some of the people I've talked to who have bipolar disorder have explained that they are afraid of what they might do because they don't feel like they are in control of themselves.
I have no idea if what I wrote helps you, but I hope it does. For me, understanding of a disorder helps me in dealing with it. My ex gf's brother is schizophrenic. She told me that I was the first person who she told that didn't freak out about it. That's because I know about it. I also helped her learn more about it so that she could understand what her brother is going through. It helped her, so I hope this helps you. Good luck!
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