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Old 06-19-2019, 09:56 AM
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OhKay OhKay is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2009
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OhKay OhKay is offline
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OhKay's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 7,046
10 yr Member
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I'm sorry that this is long, but I'm very worried about my little brother and my father...

My brother was diagnosed with BP about 2 months ago at 30yo after being diagnosed with depression and anxiety (same as me, but I was 29). He couldn't tell me whether he's type I or II tho. I texted him a couple of weeks ago, and he said he was having problems "self-regulating," and when I asked him what he meant by that, he said that he was going from 0-100 in 2 seconds flat. I asked if he told his pdoc and therapist, and he said yes. He's on Laminctal, but I think he's only at 100mg right now.
We had been texting about my father yesterday, and the subject of MJ came up. He said he couldn't get high anymore. I have to smoke A LOT to get high if I'm hypo/manic, so I wondered if his problems with "self-regulating" could be agitation. I asked him if he could be hypomanic and asked some questions...
Well, he's not hypo... he's CLEARLY full-blown manic, so obviously I'm very concerned. He said that his providers are aware of everything that's been going on, but I doubted that because his symptoms are severe.
Light dawned on marble head this morning... he had been taking Zoloft. I texted him this morning, and he's still on it. I guess only his therapist knows what's been going on- but not his pdoc. So, I told him to stop taking it and call her. He called and left a message for her immediately, and she responded that she thinks it is the Zoloft that is the problem, but is concerned that it may be the Lamictal because this episode coincided with an increase. So, she recommended cutting the Zoloft in half, and if he didn't feel better by this weekend, to stop taking the Lamictal, but keep taking the reduced dose of Zoloft? I'm not happy with that plan because he's totally out of control, but she is his provider. She is REALLY, and understandably, PO'ed at the therapist, who never reported any of my brother's symptoms to her. Maybe if she had, things would not have gotten to this point. He's not going to see that therapist anymore.

Corey said my father called him yesterday, but didn't leave a message. Corey was concerned that something may have happened to me because my father knows Corey F'ING HATES him and would never call him. My dad had called him by accident I guess, then called me and left me a message asking me to call him back as soon as I could, so I did. He thought it was my birthday. My birthday is July 11th. He didn't know what month or day it was. We talked for a while, and he just sounded VERY confused in general.
When I spoke to him on Father's Day he was clear-headed. He told me that he had weakness in all of his extremities, and couldn't even get himself off the toilet anymore (all this is new as far as I know). He has a history of falls, but that is not new. His health has been poor for a while, and all he has been doing for a LONG time is laying in bed, which couldn't help matters. I begged him to go to the doctor. He told me his wife had a doctor come over to the house a while ago, but said she was an idiot. That's why I texted my brother.
I guess that that doctor wanted to admit my dad for testing, but he refused. My brother wants to have him admitted against his will because he doesn't have the capacity to make the decision for himself. I think that would be a hard sell because of his wife, but my brother seems to disagree. I haven't seen my dad in about 3 years, and I HATE his wife and will not speak to her, so I'm going to have to leave that up to my brother. I will obviously agree/sign if they need someone else on board. My father has been showing signs of dementia for several years, and his health has been failing. He was a severe alcoholic his whole life. I saw a picture of him from 2 years ago from when my aunt went to see him, and he looked like a ghost.

I have been texting with my brother all morning, which is very rare. Some of the things he's been telling me he's been doing are just concerning me more.

My anxiety is sky high this morning. Corey thinks I should just detach myself from them because they have not treated me well in the past, but that is not how things work with me. I love them both, and am obviously concerned about their wellbeing. Family is family.
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bizi (06-19-2019), Dmom3005 (06-19-2019), mymorgy (06-19-2019)