TESTIMONIALS

I have often been called an enabler, living in denial yet I think of myself

as a mother doing everything I can to help my son get through his life.

Many times he is in a place where I cannot help him and there are times

when he looks for me, for my support, help and love. Often his decisions

are impetuous and not the wisest. He tends to make rash decisions without

thinking of the consequences.

No one is more aware of his situation than he is. He is a smart, caring, loving man and always has been. I always said he was my best and my worst. When his illness took over him it was extremely difficult to reason with him and even less to understand him.

More often than not he refused help from doctors. So it was me who went

for help. I found help in his psychiatrist who gave me a very simple advice.

Love him and always have a carrot in front of his nose.

I have never been a football fan, but he is and I sat with him as he explained the game to me if he was in the mood and many times in silence. I tried to make it as fun as possible with chicken wings, nachos and sometimes he enjoyed It and others not. He can only watch it if his team is winning. Many times I ended up eating all the snacks. One thing I have learned is that he cannot deal with things when they don't go as he expects. Whether it is a football game, a flat tire, a dent in his car, a scratched phone.

He was working at a place where he only had a 30 minute lunch. We would

coordinate and meet for lunch once or twice a week. I would get there early and order and wait for him. At first it was nice, then he started gobbling down his sandwich without even talking to me. I could tell he was no longer enjoying his work.

He wanted to quit and I was trying to convince him to look for another job and then quit. After a couple of times, I started feeling used and sad and decided to only do lunch on occasions. It wasn't a positive situation if I was also upset or mad. He is very receptive to others people feelings and attitude towards him. He finally quit!

At this moment he is happy, living in a new place and working. He is doing well. I have been able to emotionally support him with the help of other persons who are in similar situations. I have also helped him economically and that is a highly criticized situation. Finally, I decided to do what I thought I should do. 

Wives and mothers in similar situations have been my support. They listen to me without judgment and very often give me advice and encouragement. I decide what to take and what does not work for me I place aside. 

No one can understand what you go through with a bipolar person except for someone in similar shoes. The same has been been proven true with alcoholics, cancer, MS and any other chronic disease that not only affects the patient but those around him that love him.