Anyone with advice on dealing with mental illness?

[GotToGetAway]

Is there another forumite who may be willing to share any experiences or advice here or privately on dealing with a parent with mental illness (bipolar disorder)?
It is not a subject that is easy to talk about with friends or family members for fear that words will get back my father.
As always, I thank you in advance.

[casalafamiglia]

My cousin was diagnosed many years ago after many crisis interventions her family responded too. She needed to go into a hospital to help her doctors figure out what medications worked and at what amounts were needed because she was dangerous to herself and others. I have to say that she is doing wonderfully due to her family's support as well as the medications and therapy that is available to her. I was told from her, that her life was like a roller coaster before she was stabilized. Have you seen the film, Silver Lining that just came out on pay-per-view? It won an academy award and shows the roller coaster ride of a man who suffered from it. It opened up the publics eye regarding this exact issue. Good luck, just know that you are not alone in this struggle and there are support groups available for caregivers.

[FinsUp]

It's a very difficult thing to deal with and understand...one of the greatest obstacles is to keep them in the therapy and on the medications..both of which they believe they don't need once they are feeling better...seems easy, take the meds, do what the doctor says and all will be fine...unfortunately, not complying is part of the illness which causes the relapses and the roller coaster. Good Luck...

[cocosmom]

I work in the special ed field and have had many bipolar teens through the years. I also echo the need to take their meds consistently. Otherwise there will be noticeable highs and lows. Weight gains due to meds can result in noncompliance also. Another fact I have learned is the increased sexual drive associated with bipolar disorders. That can create problems. Maybe if you had some specific questions, it would be easier for people to give advice.

[AquaGirl]

We have a young relative who is bi-polar, currently in her mid-20s and its been going on since her early teen years. She has been on meds over the years, some seemed to help and others had terrible effects on her. It seems like a trial and error, "try it and see if it works" situation with this disorder and the associated drugs. It doesn't help that she has had other substance abuse issues as well. She has also been in therapy multiple times, which resulted in some progress. She has now dropped out of a post-therapy program, which is disheartening. I think people with this condition do much better with consistency of therapy and a doctor who will keep working on the best combination of drugs. I understand your pain as we have watched while she has made life choices with really bad consequences. My approach is to keep loving her and encouraging her to do the right things, and pray a lot for her. Its easy for some family members to just write her off as a mess and not want to deal with it. It must be very difficult to have a parent with this condition, as that's a whole different dynamic than a young relative. I wonder if there is a support group, either local or online that you could turn to? I think it helps to be able to talk with others who deal with this situation.

[GotToGetAway]

Thanks to all who responded here and privately. It definitely helps to know I'm not the only one who has dealt with this.
The problem I have is how to maintain the parent-child relationship. It is hard for a child to ask questions like "Did you take your meds today, Dad?" Plus, he lives in Dallas, while I'm in FL, so I can't see first hand what he does or the toll the meds may take on him. I know he goes weekly to a therapy session at his church, but I'm not sure about his primary care physician or psychiatrist.
Then there are the times when he acts like a child, and I'm left acting like the parent, taking the high road, not giving in to his name calling and lies (which I know are just cries for attention). Then, after that manic phase when he returns to 'normal' it's hard to return to a normal parent-child relationship. At least I've come to realize that he is sick, instead of just mean and selfish as a previously thought growing up. I will look into any local support groups, thanks for the suggestion B&J.