Sister is in the hospital...again

[music lover 88]

I don't understand what I'm supposed to do! I keep posting on here about my sister, and I feel stupid, but it seriously is stressing me out, and it seems like there are no options.

 

Three nights ago she started having racing thoughts again, she's bipolar. I could see she was having preliminary signs of an episode. It gets pretty severe when she has them. So that was thursday night, she took all her medicine that night, but still couldn't sleep. There were physical and mental signs that she wasn't okay. We've been through this before. So far either:

 

1. we try to get ahold of her doctor

2. she takes another dosage of medicine

3. we take her to the emergency room

 

Tonight, she's in the emergency room. I can't be there for her and I wish I could, but I'm secretly relieved. She wants me to come, but I'm an hour and a half away, and I have work tomorrow and a zillion things to get done before Monday. I don't want to deal with this. The whole month of April I've been dealing with this. When will this stop??? I don't get it!! The doctor gives her medicine, it either works or it doesn't work, but is it really the medicine?? Is it because of her job? She gets stressed out at work, starting having crazy thoughts about her co-workers then that spreads to her personal life and having crazy thoughts about people in her personal life. It doesn't go away. She's always worried about what someone else thinks or who's affecting her life negatively.

 

I'm starting to feel like she's just always not going to be ok. I know bipolar is a life long thing, but it seems there should be a way to manage it. Is she always just going to be in and out of the hospital?? I can't take this, I can't deal with her being like this, I have to take care of my life too.

[willow2900]

I am so sorry that you are going through this. Psychological diseases are very perplexing because, just like you say, it is a life time thing. You wish for those days of a broken arm or the flu because you know that there is an "end" in sight before you feel "normal" again.

 

What is your support system like? Mom? Dad? Other siblings? Aunts/uncles? Friends?

 

Do you have counselling available to you? That would be a big one. Especially since you may want an outside voice/opinion rather than family.

 

See if you can make an appointment with her doctor and see what support is available to you. This is a very stressful thing, increased by the lack on information available to you right now.

 

Focus on you and your support. If you are strong and understanding, you will be 100 times more supportive for you sister. >