Hi,
Call the local nami.org person in your area (National Alliance on Mental Illness). They can connect you to a support group.
Also get the book
Bipolar for Dummies. There is a good chapter about "Assisting a Friend or Relative with Bipolar Disorder."
I suggest you call the police dept during non emergency hours about how they handle a mental health courtesy call. Some counties / cities have protocol in place for people in mental illness emergencies.
I agree with Jo*mar that the people she is staying with might send her home when they don't want to deal with her.
The short version is that when someone is manic they do not want to seek help. They have to become manic enough before they get the attention of the police or mental health authorities. That is why I suggest you call the police ahead of time to fine out general information.
When a person becomes depressed, they sometimes seek help because they are miserable.
When they are mixed, they are more unpredictable and in a very dangerous position.
If she comes to your house violent, call 911. The police will take her to an emergency room to be evaluated by a psychiatrist.
Can you call her last doctor / social worker/ therapist to provide some information? The HIPAA privacy laws will not let a medical person talk to you about specifics.
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I am hurt and really frightened by this choice of hers and don'tknwo how to handle it. I don't know if she can supress her bipolar or if it will eventually come to the surface greater than before because she isn't taking her meds. I am really confused and any help would be better than me sitting her worrying. Thank you
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There is not much you can do except have a lawyer ready incase she gets arrested or in some other trouble. Some parents learn boundaries like people in AA do. You can't force her to do anything. Try to be a little Zen - like and keep reminding yourself that this is not your problem. She is making bad decisions, but not ones that you have control over. Accept what you cannot control.
Find some parent support groups through nami.org or through local counseling. Consider counseling for yourself or your husband and you. You need to live a good life.
M