What to Do if Someone with Bipolar Refuses Treatment

My mother is an absolute nut! Normally your mother your supposed to love and care about, we're at the point we're we hope she would just die cuz it's making my father want to die and even hopes for it, and the same for me! She's abusive, EVERYTHING is hers!!! She'll go from calm to being a demon in .2 seconds!!! Sorry but if I'm upset and someone bothers me I'm still upset I.don't act like there's nothing wrong! I myself have mental issues, ADHD, depression, also struggled with drugs in my earlier yrs mostly cuz of her! I would see all these other families with a normal mom and I envied that! My mom Nvr gave me the love and attention like a regular mom with two kids would! My little brother was and still is the golden.one! Him and I.could do the EXACT thing wrong and I'd get the heat for it whilst he got "go to your room!" Enough with the past, I'm not a dr. But if I was to diagnose her, after reading and even going you medical school, she has OCD, (which we can deal with) fairly certain she has ADD/ADHD(which would explain why I have it! And manic bi-polar!!! And I also believe she's a sociopath, cuz it seems like she literally gets off on other ppls pain!-she'll start fights with us just to make herself feel better! And also I'll even go as far as saying spilt personality disorder! When she goes in public she "puts on a mask! ALL of my friends ive had over the yrs saw this and I became the butt of a lot of jokes, "over a, pair of boots" was something that happened that my mom went on a, war path about 15 yrs ago and it's still brought up as a joke! (Because I didn't wanna wear the new boots I got for Christmas my mom took them and got outta the bath just to throw out my boots! I look back and laugh at it but things like this have been going on for yrs now! And I'm scared that my dad is gonna have enough and suicide, he can't take it no more! And she knows I can't leave here cuz I have a felony record from about 10 yrs ago that needs to be expunged but I don't have the right amount of time in and she knows this and uses this to her advantage! My father, myself and even my little brother the "goldenchild" all know all to well she needs help and WILL NOT go to a dr cuz she feels "there's nothing wrong with me!!" "I don't need a dr!!!" Well, YES you do, NO-ONE I know that is like this!!! I'm trying to see if there's a law in New Jersey that whether or not a person needs help, that they'll take them whether they wanna go or not!!! It's prying this family apart and I'm afraid I'm going to lose my father cuz of her! He's already said to me, that if something happens to me and he goes to the hospital he doesn't want her there!!! And my bday is April 13th, on the 12th I tried to commit suicide, cuz after a day of my mother telling me I'm worthless, I'm a, waste of space, telling me to get outta her house! Etc! I'm other things that I'm sure u can think of, ive been taking my medicine and in feeling and doing much better, but if this keeps up who knows what can happen! PLZ HELP ME!!! Idk what to do, can we make her go to a,hospital?! Any help will be great!-thank you!

My young bro has a mental problem but has refused to take the medicine in order,he says theys a pill that is strong on him and makes him to sleep alot'so am planning to put this pill in his tea so that the meducation will be taken in full order at the end.pliz help me and advise me on my plan dear.

Hi, miss Natasha. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder around 6 months ago. I have a reversed problem. I feel great while I take my meds, but, my family thinks that I'm weak by taking them and it's all just my "lack of self discipline" that cause all of my mood swings. Mind you, they were all there when the doctor diagnosed me. I don't know what to tell them. I feel frustrated since they get mad if my random outbursts happen but they don't allow me to take my meds either. I talked to my psychiatrist about this and he already talked to my family about it and they acted as if I'm lying to them. I'm sorry for ranting but I just feel too frustrated

I hv same prblm actually my mom is now 65 yrs old nd suffering mentally disturbed from 8-9 months we provide medicine but it can't help us because after taking medicine she going to sleep and when she awake again she's talking nd walking unnessary without take a rest what I do , pls suggest me the meal which is help to recover her hyper depression nd stopped over thinks

My girlfriend is bipolar and doctors have always had a team hard time finding a vein to draw blood. Because of this, they put her on lithium without doing blood work.
Years later she started having kidney problems. That's when they discovered that she had been prescribed a dose like 10 times the amount she should've been prescribed which has put he on the verge of needing dialysis.
They practically destroyed her kidneys. She still has to desk with the BD but her body can't handle the treatment meds. This is s real problem. Any suggestions?

Our family is struggling with a mother who is 66 years old and bipolar. She has struggled with this illness for the majority of my life but in the past few years has stopped visiting a doctor and has stopped taking her medication.
This has caused her to become extremely abusive and hostile (verbally) towards my father, her sister (and husband). She has also stopped taking care of herself physically with a complete disregard for her hygiene, not wearing corrective eyewear, and erosion of her teeth. The family home has become a hoarder’s paradise.
While my mother is not a serious physical threat to herself, she is causing a serious strain to those closest to her.
My father is 71 years old and handles his wife’s deteriorating health by suffering in silence. He refuses to leave her for more than an hour or two as he feels “things will only get worse if he leaves”. It has had a toll on him physically & mentally.
It has caused anxiety in my aunt, who lives next door with shutters permanently drawn and doors locked.
My brother does not feel comfortable having his son over for any period of time. I am not comfortable having my wife over.
The only people who can do no harm in her mind are her long dead parents, and her two children (myself and my brother).
Most of my visits involve me rotating between confronting my mother about her abusive & irrational behavior or trying to ignore her so I can hang out with my father.
It has come to the point where we as a family would be better off without her. Everyone hates her. I hate her.
What do we do?

Hi natasha. My wife had undergone bariatric surgery and wanted to loose weight so she started a keto diet that helped her loose more weight in less days.. till today she has lost around 75 kilos . The surgeon always rejected the idea of her keto diet as she needs enough food to be taken in regular intervals but she did not listen, now she has multiple deficiencies like vitamin D vitamin A protein albumin copper iron etc... she has now become totally unstable mentally and due to nutritional deficiencies she is getting very weak and has developed a muscle disease in her legs and has become less mobile physically. She would get physically violent for me to complete her duties at home and also threatened me with a knife. .. as of now she is not eating for the past 35 hours and refuses medical help... she hates my parents and has had a fight with her brother too who was trying to intervene and get her to go to a therapist. . Her brother and father live in a different country and so I literally have no help around. .. she has lost consciousness 3 times where I have called the hospital and managed to get her back to consciousness. . I can't see her die this way. .

Im in the same sittation. My husband is bi-polar has depression and anxiety and he refuses to take medication. He is verbally abusive to me, curses at me and he is now taking medical marijuana. It has gotten progressively worst. He does not manage his money and i am suferring because of it. I have kept it in for a long time and my closest family and friends do not know the extent of what im going through. I don't know who much of it I can take. Its so hard I wish I had someone that I trust that could help me. I struggle with thoughts of calling it quits or hanging in there hoping it will get better. Im a christian and I believe in my wedding vows. However, I find it very hard to show my love to a person that treats me so bad because of his illness. Please pray for me. Im praying that God will give me the wisdom I need.

I am glad that I am not alone, however I can't even begin to tell you how much I sympathize with what your going thru. My mom has been that exact way my entire life, and she managed to latch on to my brother who is a carbon copy of her. I came to this site in search of the same answers. I hope sharing my story will at least help you feel not so down and alone.
Hello!
No one talks about it and it's difficult to understand unless you are in the thick of it, but today was my breaking point.
Sooooo because none of you personally know me, I figure a little introduction might be necessary. I am a simple 30 yr old chick living and working in Los Angeles, just trying my damn hardest.
My family is small, it's just Dad, mom, and brother. My I am pretty close with my moms 2 sisters, however they don't really want to or know how to help, also her side of the family has a mental illness background. My Dad in his 70's and the youngest of 4, his other 3 siblings live in Japan and english isn't so go and the age gap has put a strain on our relationship.
As tears roll down my face, I don't even know where to begin. I am so overwhelmed and saddened by the insane amount of damage they have done to me, family, and friends it's hard to find a place to try to being explaining from. I have been dealing an dragged thru this saga with my mentally ill/unstable mother and brother for too long, and I need help. My Dad and I just don't know what to actually do. I've called several mental/behavior help lines as well as looked into adult protective service and elder abuse, but all seem to be unsure about what to do if they refuse the evaluation.
Both are and have been unemployed for over 6 years, saying they are making "changes" and still aren't. They have never been cooperative or understanding of the situation. There willingness to except they have a problem doesn't exist. They pay no bills, and expect to have money for them whenever they need something. My Dad has been struggling to pay there $4,500 rent, utilities, internet, phone bill, and still provides them what he can to buy food and other basics to survive, but they don't even budget that money (one example- they live in sherman oaks and drive to Whole Foods on the westside). Money is tight, insist on living in a 3 bedroom house in a nice part of los angeles between beverly glen and Sherman Oaks. They have been told to look for cheaper housing, and refuse to change there lifestyle based on the dire situation they are in.
Having said that, they have refused the most simple truths of life. They have isolated themselves from friends and family, only believing that they think the "truth" is.
They have used the internet in the following ways to harm or harass:
-Diagnosing themselves physically and mentally (they refuse to get real mental evaluations or medical treatment or take "chemicals" so the order vitamins or supplements to try and fix something they think they have. I guess no point in seeing a therapist if there gonna lie to them anyway.)
-placing blame on all of us and obviously not them
-refuse to get jobs (placing blame on us, thats why they can't)
-refuse to respect space (lies and says they were unable to reach me when they easily could have, looks up and calls spouses dad, calls DWP to get our address, shows up unannounced, waits to be let in by a delivery person, won't leave when asked)
-will say anything to get you to listen to the "truth" and "the rape stories" and what the "real" problem is.
-NUMEROUS threatening emails to my dad saying they will discredit him and his business if they don't get what they want. (A LOT been going on for 5 years) They have sent emails to his business associates saying they are being abused. (they aren't, unless you consider demanding money for everything and not getting enough is abuse)
-they have contacted several of my Dads friends and family to tell them that my Dad was rapped as a child, which is NOT true.
There actions have shown everyone that they are both paranoid, delusional, forgetful, bipolar, schizophrenic, and simply not mentally there. I don't know who these people are anymore.
I lost my job out of nowhere and moved back. It made sense financially for us (boyfriend, dog, and myself) and for them. We agreed on paying for a few things to help them out, but it spiraled into expectations and demands beyond any sane individual. ..that being said, she felt like we were constantly and purposefully ruining or damaging or braking any and everything. From my puppy leaving a hand size water puddle on the floor to pouring chemicals in her sink.
They are both themselves careless and forgetful, and when anything goes wrong they have to point the finger at someone, i.e. I made a mistake, but i made the mistake because of you or what you said. .
*Just to give 1 very mild example of what she does.
..after moving out and having NOT spoken in 6 months, I see an email from my mom thinking it's a holiday email mixed with an apology or something (she literally kicked us out after 2 months, and if i told you why you would be fucking out of your mind upset/confused)
Instead it reads:
Lauren,
I wanted to wait until after the holidays to say anything but around the 2nd week in December I noticed new damage has been done to our family dryer.
When facing the front of dryer, in addition to all the damage done to the bottom half, there is now a dent in the top of the left door & the door on the right is uneven, about 1/2 inch below the other door. You can still see the finger marks left in the dust at the top of the door from being yanked down. I know it was slightly uneven before but it is much more obvious now.
Additionally, there is a dent in the top of the silver table as well.
...so I'm at the end of my rope. For almost 2 years now I have had 0 communication with my mom and brother for several obvious reasons. Now that they have my address I'm scared to leave my building or walk my dog around my neighborhood, I know my brother wouldn't physically harm me, but he's relentless and won't stop until I basically take there side. My apartment manager made him leave today. I am asking for any advice or guidance to try and help. I'm willing to try anything.

Its hell on earth never knowing who you will wake to each day or how long the moments of congruent thoughts will last . After Nine years i can honestly say i gave it the best i had and i sought so much to learn coping skills but there are none constant confusion and seclusion or an ocd intrusion there is no in between maybe i want too much . I know now what to avoid Thanks for the great column i will keep reading......... healing begins now It's my 50th birthday gift to me :)

My adopted daughter is 19 and living many states away. She decide to live with her birth mom but being off her meds that went bad fast. Since she’s been gone she has had many run in with the police, was beaten and raped. I can’t get her to take meds or seek help. What can I do?

I think my husband is depressed or has bipolar disorder. He went from having some self esteem issues but acting normal for years, to a totally different person within the last 1-1.5 years. He used to be kind, caring, loving, supportive, protective, and patient. Now he's blank and emotionless most of the time, he's easily angered/agitated, he's not sleeping well but when he does sleep he has night terrors, everything is my fault now, his mood changes on a dime, his body always hurts, he wants to eat sweets all the time, he's always tired and doesn't feel like doing anything, he's spending a lot of money shopping, everything he takes an interest in becomes an obsession, he keeps signing up for college and dropping out, he has no sense of happiness or contentment with anything, he's also burying himself in his computer and his phone all the time instead of enjoying time with our infant son. His mom has been diagnosed with major depressive disorder and his brother has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I've tried to talk with him about it gently. I've told him I've noticed some changes in him and I'm concerned. I've asked what's bothering him. I've told him that I'm here if he wants to talk. I've suggested counseling. He says nothing is wrong with him and that I'm just making things up. He's starting to become hateful towards me. I've been to 2 different counselors to ask advice on what to do. They both told me to speak to him from the heart and be open and honest with my concerns. It hasn't worked. I've prayed for him over and over. I feel so lost and helpless at this point. I'm trying to be patient and hope that my husband will realize that something is wrong and feel the need to get back to his old self. I'm trying to keep a normal balance for our son, but I'm starting to feel drained. My husband had a very loud and ugly outburst toward me that involved screaming and jumping up and down (I didn't yell back or get emotional). He threatened to have me arrested for kidnapping when I closed the garage door and suggested he calm down before he drove. On a separate occasion, there was a mix up with his doctor's appointment...he showed up and they had moved across town without notifying him. He said he should go back and shoot everyone there. Except he didn't say "everyone", there were several expletives used instead. I told him he can't and shouldn't say things like that, especially this day and age. Not to mention it's just plain wrong to say things like that. When my husband was his old self, he was an amazing man and my best friend. He's capable of being a great dad. I've seen how much he loves our son. I don't know what to do. My best friend, the love of my life, and the father of my son is changing right in front of me and I'm completely helpless to stop it. I desperately need advice.

Hello my boyfriend and I have been in a relationship for a year, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at a young age, he has always refused treatment, that it leads up to him being homeless, but eventually he was able to get a place to live, a couple of months ago he started taking his medication, I was able to convince him to get on them, but a couple of weeks ago he spoke to a person at his gym who told him that medications are bad and unhealthy because of the side effects, so he decided to get off them, and its been hell ever since, he has become very manic, and he blames his manic episodes on being stressed out because of not finding a job, but he fails to realize that the reason he can not keep a job is because of his mental illness, I spoke to his family and they all have given up on him and they tell me to do the same but I feel bad leaving him and I have so much love for him that it breaks my heart, and this has become a stress for me and I already suffer from anxiety, what should I do? please help!