Quote:
Originally Posted by LillyCat
We are working closely with her psychiatrist, adjusting medications and trying to find the right combination. She also sees a counselor weekly and that seems to be going well. She has been hospitalized in an acute care psychiatric facility and once in a long term treatment facilty in the past 18 months.
Does anyone have any suggestions? My goal is to help her become responsibile and learn how to make good choices. I feel that helping her learn from her mistakes is most beneficial, however I am now having difficulty just getting through to her. How do you keep them safe when you can't be with them every minute of the day?
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Hi,
I think you are right to be concerned about her safety. Focus on getting her medications right and keeping her safe as much as possible. Those are your only two important goals right now.
Boundaries and choices are almost impossible when someone is unstable. She cannot learn from mistakes and she can not learn from her successes either right now because she is out of control. When her medications are working for her, she will be able to accomplish a lot in therapy. Right now (to the degree that you can), help her get the right amount of sleep at night and daily exercise (walking with her is very good). Keep healthy food in the house: good sources of protein and lots of fruits and veggies.
Go to
www.nami.org (National Alliance on Mental Illness). They offer support for family members. Also, buy or get from your library
Bipolar for Dummies. It has lots of information that includes a chapter on Assisting a Friend or Relative.
She is old enough at 14 to start mapping her moods and identifying her triggers. The book explains how to do those once she gets stable.
M