I had to turn my bipolar friend in for commitment

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

This is the follow-up that a few of you requested. The manic episodes, the drug abuse, etc were just getting too frightening. I know that in doing so, I've lost my friend's trust, but given the alternative their suicidal path was leading to, I had no choice. I pray that someday they can forgive me- and hope that I did the right thing.

[Redstone]

1. You done good. Don't forget that.

It's not easy to save a life sometimes, but you have to do what needs to be done.

Do not beat yourself up about it, OK?

Redstone

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

2. I tried talking it over with them, but they exploded in rage

I called a few hotlines for advice on the subject and followed the advice-as hard as it was to do. I pray for their safe recovery.

[Redstone]

6. You did the right thing. You may have saved a life.

I know it's not easy to focus on that, but you need to do so in order to be at peace.

You had the courage to do what was right. Remember that.

Redstlne

[coffeenap]

3. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is the right thing.

I am sorry you had to face this, but you know in your heart it was the only way to save your friend. Peace to you.

[Redstone]

7. And you know about doing what's right and saving other people,

don't you? I know you do, even if nobody else does.

I'll not forget you.

Redstone

[coffeenap]

10. As we say in my family, MWAH!! (kiss sound)

:hi:

[Redstone]

11. And the sound you hear is a reciprocal smooch.

I got over that horrible mountain that I faced, thanks to someone we know, and have continued to make progress.

Because of a friend I didn't even know I had. There are yet miracles in this life.

(I've passed that grace on, by the way. I know you'll be happy to hear that.)

Redstone

[wildhorses]

4. if that person met criteria for commitment, then by all means you

did the right thing....

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

8. believe me, it was a solid case

i've seen them relatively stable for months and then, when off meds, become a person I don't know. I've seen behaviors that I still can't belive they were capable of,. I hate seeing them go into a spiral that is only accelerated by the drug use.

[wildhorses]

14. my ex is bi-polar....it was a living hell

:hug: you are a good friend

[UTUSN]

5. You did the right thing. Rather, pray that they come to UNDERSTAND

and thank you, NOT forgive you. There is nothing to forgive. Thank you. And it might get to the point that you have to disengage and save yourself.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

9. Thanks for the support

I've been replaying this all day and I've been afraid I may have made a mistake

[JVS]

12. bummer

[BikeWriter]

13. My ex went the other way and enabled my son's behavior...

excusing it. First it was the failures in school. She'd send him to stay with me for "discipline", then retrieve him when he whined about being grounded.
Then it was the thefts, the many cars he destroyed, and the failed relationships and jobs. Enablers can be as destructive to bipolar sufferers and drug abusers as the drug dealers.

[Jazz2006]

15. You certainly did the right thing.

Sometimes it is not easy to do the right thing, but you did.

You have given your friend the one thing that he couldn't give himself - the opportunity to get well and to get off the suicidal path.

I hope that your friend makes a full recovery.

But no matter what, you DID do the right thing.

Wishing you all the very best,
Jazz

:hug:

[chookie]

16. Be at peace

Intervention, even when urgently appropriate, is extremely ugly and explosive. Doing the right thing doesn't always feel good.

Living as a bi-polar is chaotic and disruptive. It is understandable from the viewpoint of someone out of control that they would try to hurt you in order to continue in their self-destructive life.

There are good meds out there these days -- thank heavens -- and they have alleviated the suffering of many of the afflicted and the people who care about them.

I think there is a strong possibility that when your friend is stabilized, they will understand why you took the action you did -- maybe even thank you for it. I hope that is the outcome here.

[Floogeldy]

17. Suicidal path?

Did this person ever attempt to commit suicide?

What manic episodes? What drugs?

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

27. cocaine mainly

i had to call in on a suicide message on my voicemail last week, but they got out of being taken in for treatment by sweettalking the EMTs

[Deja Q]

18. Who'd be the one committing suicide?

The ex?

[Floogeldy]

19. Can't tell from the message whether it is a him or her or them or they.

??????

[electron_blue]

20. I had to do that once

I am not sure it made any difference, but I did it as much for myself as for him. I felt I had done all I could for him by that point.

[laheina]

21. We have a family member that is mentally ill in a similar manner.

We had to do the same thing, and while she was angry with us for a while, she is now living a stable and productive life.

You did the right thing--even though it is hard now.:hug:

[TallahasseeGrannie]

22. You did the right thing.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

28. Thanks to all for the support

this has been one of the most difficult weekends of my life

[TallahasseeGrannie]

23. Bipolar disorder

had a 20 percent mortality rate. Suicide is a very real threat.

[skygazer]

24. Hard decision, tough place to be in

As a bi-polar myself, I understand just how far down in the depths a person can get. My best friend was the one who sent me to the nuthouse many years ago and I'm grateful to him. It was a very difficult thing for him to do and he was afraid I'd hate him for it. Which I thought I did at first but even then, deep inside I felt relief. I was very close to suicide and desperate.

It was a long struggle back to something approaching sanity (what the hell is sanity anyway?) and he is STILL my very best friend.

I think you know you did the right thing. Peace to you. :hug:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

25. You may have saved your friend's life.

A good friend of mine is bipolar. He had a couple of really bad episodes ten or twelve years ago, ended up in the hospital both times. Fortunately he has a very supportive family, got treatment and the right meds, and for the last ten years he's been living a very normal life and holding down a good, responsible job.

With proper treatment it could work out as well for your friend, too. No question, you did the right thing.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

26. it's gotten very ugly

received a message from them that when they get out, they don't want to talk to me and if I attempt to do so that they will see to it that bodily harm is inflicted on me by someone. so it's safe to say the friendship, as dear as it was to me through the years, is over

[chookie]

31. Please consider this:

It's been a short time. Meds don't work that quickly. If your friend agrees to take the medication, he may snap out of this. (Alas -- getting BiPolars to take medicine is not the easiest thing in the world....)

Be patient.

I wish you all the best, my dear. And I hope your friend gets some respite from this terrible disease.

[Roon]

29. My boyfriend is bipolar

and we are having issues with his medication. Thus, things aren't going so well for us right now. We finally got him on indigent care and he is seeing a DR. this friday. I pray that he will be put back on meds and this will be the end of his episodes.

[GoldenOldie]

30. How would you feel if you stood by and did nothing and

it resulted in your friends death? You did what you had to do, to help a friend in need. Although we cannot control the actions of others to harm themselves, we can step in when we know they do not have the ability to control the situation or themselves.

If everyone was honest and open about mental problems, we would discover that this is far more widespread and serious problem than we know.

You were a friend and you did what any true friend would do.