I suspect my sister is bi-polar. How do I deal with it?

[Breeze54]

She has been pissing me off all my life and then recently pulled some of the same crazy shit like before and although I know she has 'emotional issue's' (per my oldest sister) she really pulled some shit this last week and I had to defend her from my son who was pissed off at her for her 'crazy behavior' and the thought just occurred to me that maybe she's bi-polar. I was going to e-mail her and ask what the hell possessed her to act that way but I thought again and have decided not to. What would be the point? The 'damage' was minimal and is done anyway but she has driven me nuts all my life and now I'm thinking that maybe she's bi-polar.

I do keep my distance because she drives me nuts, though. Anyone know what the symptoms are?

[Inchworm]

1. not yer job`

but that's just mee

I say kick her ass :P

:hug:

[Breeze54]

2. I wanted to but it wouldn't do any good!

Besides, I kicked her ass about 30 yrs ago! :P

It just made her more annoying and intense.

[Blue Gardener]

3. Not much you can do

I suspect my sister may be bipolar, but there really isn't anything I can do about it. If not bipolar, she definitely has something else going on.

[Schema Thing]

4. Wild inconsistency is one

but there are a wide range of disorders that can have similar symptoms.

In Bipolar the inconsistency may often seem to be unrelated to any external forces or situations.

So if this is just par for the course, it may be something else.

I know it's hard, sometimes even impossible, to have sympathy for someone who's not your patient, just your sister/brother/spouse etc... but do try. Whatever it is, it's most likely an illness just as sure as cancer is an illness. It is especially hard to have sympathy if the person will not take it seriously themselves; but unfortunately, that is the very nature of much mental illness.

[One_Life_To_Give]

5. Consult with your other siblings & family.

If I were in your shoes. I would consult wiht my other siblings and close family members. Determine if there is a concensus if she needs professional help. And if there is develop a collective strategy to see to it that she gets the help she needs. Perhaps consulting with a mental health professional myself for ideas on how to accomplish this.

Note: It sounds a whole lot simpler than it really is. More like trying to convince Mom or Dad that they really want to go to the Nursing Home. But if she was lying in the street having just been hit by a car all bloody and with exposed broken bones. Would you walk away just because your sister says she is fine and doesn't need any help?

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. Here is a good site for BP II, which is what I have

http://psycheducation.org/