![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by MSM on April 12, 2001, at 20:28:22
A recent aquantince/friend appears to be going through a somewhat extreme manic phase. Mutual friends tell me that they have seen this kind of behavior in her before. She has been acting very strangely for over 2 weeks now. She is imagining things that are not taking place and has been going for days on end without sleep.
She has no family that we can call and she refuses to see a doctor. I am worried that she will hurt herself or others if she continues to run around this way. It is my hope that if she can get through this manic phase that we might be able to convince her to seek treatment, however she is completely resistant to getting help in her present condition.I have never had first hand experience with manic behavior and I would like to be able to help. What can be done for this type of illness. What is the first line medication in a situation like this? Will getting her to rest by taking a sleep med or anti-anxiety med slow her down enough to reason with her? Do we just try and watch out for her and hope that she can ride this out?
Posted by PolarBear on April 13, 2001, at 8:43:06
In reply to Manic friend won't see doctor!!!, posted by MSM on April 12, 2001, at 20:28:22
You might consider calling your local hotline, or some of the hospital outreach programs in your area. People in a manic phase can become very destructive to themselves (and sometimes others).
Sleep might help, but it would be difficult to find a point between calming down an agitated person sufficiently and sedating them to a dangerous level, unless you are a pro.
Your friend is lucky to have your concern.
Good luck,
Bear
> A recent aquantince/friend appears to be going through a somewhat extreme manic phase. Mutual friends tell me that they have seen this kind of behavior in her before. She has been acting very strangely for over 2 weeks now. She is imagining things that are not taking place and has been going for days on end without sleep.
>
> She has no family that we can call and she refuses to see a doctor. I am worried that she will hurt herself or others if she continues to run around this way. It is my hope that if she can get through this manic phase that we might be able to convince her to seek treatment, however she is completely resistant to getting help in her present condition.
>
> I have never had first hand experience with manic behavior and I would like to be able to help. What can be done for this type of illness. What is the first line medication in a situation like this? Will getting her to rest by taking a sleep med or anti-anxiety med slow her down enough to reason with her? Do we just try and watch out for her and hope that she can ride this out?
Posted by judy1 on April 13, 2001, at 18:42:33
In reply to Manic friend won't see doctor!!!, posted by MSM on April 12, 2001, at 20:28:22
Well, you could be describing me in a manic phase. I listen to no one- shrink, husband, friends- no one. Unfortunately, unless she is a physical danger to herself or someone else, there is absoloutely nothing you can do. What a great friend you are! Since she has had previous episodes, does she have a regular pdoc? Perhaps you can call him for advice- particularly if he/she could get her to take a sedating med. Otherwise it's crash and burn. When I have gotten psychotic, it was no longer fun and I actually wanted help in slowing down. Maybe you could phrase it that way- try saying aren't you uncomfortable and wouldn't you like to slow down just a little? Will you let me help (in as non-threatening a manner as you can) paranoia is a big part of the whole picture then. Many times I would self-medicate with alcohol and eventually pass out and wake up in the hospital. Try to prevent her from driving. That's about all I can think of right now, I truly hope this resolves soon. take care, judy
Posted by judy1 on April 13, 2001, at 18:51:06
In reply to Re: Manic friend won't see doctor!!! » MSM, posted by judy1 on April 13, 2001, at 18:42:33
If she has already gone a few? days without sleep, then she is probably close to crashing. I use that term to describe depression. She will probably be very receptive to help then, and once she sees a shrink, depakote or lithium is the first line mood stabilizer. Let us know how it works out.
Posted by Dr. Bob on April 14, 2001, at 9:01:41
In reply to Manic friend won't see doctor!!!, posted by MSM on April 12, 2001, at 20:28:22
> A recent aquantince/friend appears to be going through a somewhat extreme manic phase...
I'd like to redirect this to Psycho-Social-Babble:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010404/msgs/5658.html
Thanks,
Bob
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.