For those of you that have a family member diagnosed with Manic Depression, I encourage you to read my story and personal experiences. This is real stuff, and if our family can survive this terrible disease, yours can too! The goal of this blog is to help those that may have faced or currently facing similar situations. Read my story, check out my links, and also some very useful resources dealing with Manic Depression.
Manic Depressive Management Resume:
- 14 years hands-on experience managing manic depression
- Two diagnosed family members (Wife and Son)
- 432 days of an empty heart due to hospital stays between the two of them
- One suicide attempt
- Thousands of dollars lost due to missed days of work
- Five friendly visits to the local courthouse for various charges (son)
- Medicine management
- 198 trips to Psychiatrist Appointments
- 576 hours with various counselors
- Effective landlord negotiation in eviction prevention
- Professional shopper at finding the best deals
- Vehicle body repair experience due to two wrecked vehicles
I’ve got experience alright, and it began on my wife’s and I very first date in 1996. She had two great kids, both boys, ages 3 and 4. We decided to go to a Chinese Restaurant, and it took me about 10 minutes at the restaurant to notice there was something wrong with Christopher, the 3 year old. I have never witnessed so much energy in such a young kid. Energy Bunny on steroids?
After chasing him around the restaurant half the night, Cindy was worried this would be our last date. However, I knew that night that I would someday marry her and we would spend the rest of our lives together.
I took her home, and noticed Christopher was very defiant. He wouldn’t sleep until his motor totally ran out, and that would usually be 2 or 3 in the morning. We knew there was something wrong but was not sure exactly what it was. So much has happened since then, and I will go through the time line and share with you some of my experiences, and how I’ve learned to handle this disease to the best of my ability.
Manic Depressive Disease is one of the worse things a family has to deal with. Emotionally and financially. It can tear a family apart in a heartbeat. But if you are familiar with how to most effectively handle the manic and depressive cycles, your family does have a chance. It’s not the end of the world, but it is a lifetime challenge that takes a lot of commitment from the whole family.
If one person can benefit from my experiences than it’s all worth it.
If you visit the various pages on this website, you will see this isn’t all doom and gloom.
Amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Wow! I love your blog. My husband has been manic depressive, diagnosed about 3 years ago. We have been through about the same. I would love to discuss our situations together. Send me an email. Thanks! Jess
I sent you an email Jessica. Anything I can do to help, not a prob! And hey, three years is very impressive! “Normal” marriages are lucky to survive 3 years in this day and age!
Nice site dude, love the story. Can relate to it, but we ended up getting divorced. Kudos to you for keeping it all together. I know how hard it is, and I couldn’t bear it.
Amazing story. I can’t believe the day from hell. You should write a book!
I stumbled across your blog on a google search. My husband was diagnosed bi-polar two years ago, and our marriage has been on threads. I can just imagine 14 years! I am not sure how much more I can take, financially or emotionally. Your blog and experiences has helped me look at my situation in a new perspective. Thanks
Beverly,
It’s a daily challenge. If our marriage can survive over this period, yours certainly can as well. Love is what keeps it together, as well as education of this disease and a clear understanding of the ups and downs.
Impressive resume, one I am sure you wish you didn’t have. Good luck, you seem to have a great outlook despite the challenges.
Hey Crazy,
Yea, a positive outlook is the only way to go. If I get sucked into the negativism, then we will all be in worse shape. That is not an option
I cannot believe your “Hell Year”. It’s amazing you aren’t spending time in the psych ward!
It’s called my name a few times, but it’s not even an option. I’m the bridge that keeps the family together, and it cannot break down.
Your wife is lucky to have you. My wife left me after my 3rd stay in a hospital. (to much for her to deal with) Your story gives me hope that maybe I might be as lucky as your wife to find a life partner.
What a story! I have similar issues. (not as extreme) If you could email me, I have a couple questions for you.
Thank you for your blog and info. My wife and I have been married 11 years, and have experienced very similar issues. She is a self mutilator and just got out of 6 month treatment facility. It’s hard to comprehend how such a beautiful person can feel so bad about themselves. I’m praying the new meds work. Good luck to you and yours.
Thanks Josef, and our prayers go out to the both of you. It’s difficult and timely to find the right combination of medication that works most effectively. Just make sure you are there for her when she needs it or when you can see the triggers leading up to an episode.
Best of luck
manicmanager, thank you so much for your blog! Feels like I got more real world advice compared to the thousands of books on this subject.
Sometimes I get so mad and frustrated at him. On one manic episode he went out and spent money meant for the car payment and bought tons of fishing equipment! I had to work overtime at work in order to pay for the car. On top of this comes caring for our children.
Each day gets more tempting to just walking out the door and leaving him behind. After all the pain he’s caused our family. Just don’t know how much mentally I can take!
Hillary, it’s tough and I’m sorry to see that your family is another victim of this vicious disease. Survival depends on many emotions. The main emotion being love. Not the typical and frequent “normal” love that is frequent in most marriages. It wears thin as time goes on.
We are talking “True Love”. About being soul mates. True love is indestructible. It will be tested by various forces that try to destroy it but it will come back stronger each time. You put the needs of your loved one first.
Then comes understanding. You have to understand manic depression is a disease with which no cure exists, only treatment that can help manage it. Understand a physical manic attack that may include rude verbiage, is not meant for you directly. Understand he doesn’t mean it.
Acceptance. He is who he is. Accept him for that. There is so much more that goes into it, a book could be filled with it all, and some have been.
“True Love” is the king of it all.