My daughter has been severely psychotic several times. It is very traumatic for family and friends. Of course we understand and love her but it has affected us all.
I think the worst part of it for me was the damage I did to my family and friend relationships while manic. It still gives me a lot of shame. Let her know that she's sick, and you love her no matter what.
My daughter is in constant psychosis for several years, triggered by heavy cannabis use. She is sober for more than 3 years but very ill. No mental health help, she does not “qualify” for involuntary treatment. She was diagnosed with bipolar 5 years ago but refused treatment. It is devastating for the whole family. Laws must change to facilitate treatment for those who cannot help themselves.
when I went manic for the first time, I almost lost everything. My family was almost completely unable to continue supporting me through it--emotionally, etc., not financially. Luckily I had enough savings to live through it. It was hell. utter hell. I can't even put into words what it was actually like. Think like this: Everything in my world at the time was strictly my world. It took months to stabilize me enough to live normally, then about 2 years to heal and come completely out of it. And, to this day, I still don't know if all those delusions/hallucinations were real or not, but to me they were. It was extremely traumatic. And when I say years, I mean about 2.5 years to normalize completely, and I still get paranoid to this day several times a week. I also fluctuate throughout the week--rapid cycling--but stable cycling. At the time, I didn't sleep for about 3.5 weeks.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I have experienced psychosis 5x and the only thing I find worse is a mixed episode that has the worst of both worlds. I am truly grateful for people sharing their stories… it not only educates, but makes me feel much less alone.
I had my first manic/ psychotic episode at age 42. Then once more 2 years later. Both episodes lasted 6 months at least. I had zero control of what I was thinking saying or doing the entire time. No moments of clarity. I could write forever about what happened. The destruction of my life was devastating. I am well now. It’s been 3 and a half years of stability. I agree with all of the advice given here. Medication is non negotiable for me I take it every day. I also attend therapy weekly. I track my sleep which is so key. And keep track of my spiritual thoughts… which are a sacred part of who I am but goes completely whacked if I go manic. I am so grateful to find this channel. I have experienced the stigma and have felt pretty isolated. These conversations help me greatly.
Paranoia is very disturbing and can cause trauma. There really isn't a whole lot on RU-vid about paranoia, esp. in Bipolar Disorder. I believe that many who experience bipolar paranoia are very hesitant to talk about it; thus, little available. It's hard to even talk about, let alone experience.
It is traumatic & disabling. Those of us with it live in constant fear of the next round & where we will end up. I have SSDI so i just disappear when those symptoms start, usually to a national forest. No contact means no opportunity to be used exploited or abused. When i was working i simply had no choice & had to go thru the process of getting fired & a hospitalization. I hope people understand that for some of us its not just mania depression its also paranoid delusion that is painful.
I sometimes feel "lucky" in that my bi-polar was caught when I was so young, though it didn't feel that at the time. Due to another medical disorder, I don't have much of a long-term memory. What I do know is that I have bi-polar 1 with phycosis. The phycosis started around 12 or 13, but I got my diagnosis at 16 after an initial wrong diagnosis of schizophrenia. Whenever I was alone, I heard voices. These voices were always negative, they said things like no one loves you, you are pulling everyone you know down with you, you know you don't actually have friends, you know that you're a waste of space, everything and everyone would be be better off if you were to die. This was constant, I could only drown out the voices by being around others, but the voices told me others didn't want me around. So it was a cycle I couldn't get out of. I have had three suicide attempts, at 13, 16, and 19. My family didn't know about my first attempt. A friend of mine found me and stopped me. The second attempt was why I ended up with a psychiatrist and therapist combo. They worked with adolescence, and I saw my therapist for a while on a bi-weekly, weekly, then monthly basis as I got better. While I don't know exactly what happened step by step, I got copping mechanism and learned my triggers. When my third suicide attempt happened, I was able to have a lucid moment in which I was able to start going through some of my copping mechanism and was able to talk myself out of suicide. I'm happy to report that I haven't felt suicidal since. In the beginning I was on three meds lithium, depakote, seroqel. My phycosis seems to be strictly rutted in my deepest depression so now I don't take lithium. I'm now 44. I have put myself in a mental hospital when I was in graduate school in my 30s, as the stress was putting me into rapid cycling. I have for the most part lived without my mania or depression during the past 30 years since it started. I believe it is due to a combination of medications and a total time of over a decade of therapy.
I don’t mind psychosis, but it has ruined my career on two occasions and most likely stuffed up my decision making when I was 33:52 younger. I was admitted to hospital under the mental health act (how horrific), when the police were called to intervene. I was not dangerous or aggressive but the police issue was terrible. I have had great care from a community psychiatrist and have a mood stabiliser and a very low dose anti psychotic in case I need it (sodium valproate and olanzapine)
Very good webinar - great closing inspirational thoughts from the General especially about toxic people and toxic topics and wonderful professional, warm and kind advice from Dr Manuel
I had delusions that I was being followed by hellhounds and was going to be taken to hell. Heard dogs barking in the distance at work. My imagination was going crazy. Its truly scary how real everything seems in the moment.
It's really comforting to hear the extent of his delusional beliefs because I suffered with some world peace thinking I was the new Mary delusions about a year ago and it's so embarrassing in hindsight. But really comforting to hear him open up about his own experiences.
This was an excellent conversation. I have learned so much. I am a healthcare provider and I am realizing how little I know about this illness. this helps me not only professionally but personally as I have a close family member that struggles with bipolar. I’m so grateful for everything I am learning. Thank you.❤
This podcast featuring Gregg F. Martin discussing living with psychosis, paranoia, and bipolar disorder is truly enlightening. Sovereign Health institution employs a holistic approach in treating these complex conditions, combining therapy, medication management, and patient education. By tailoring treatment plans to individual needs, they help patients regain control over their lives. This personalized approach significantly impacts patients, building trust through improved outcomes and fostering a supportive community. It's heartening to see institutions like Sovereign Health making a real difference in the lives of those with bipolar disorder and psychosis.
Thanks for sharing your story General. It must have been a shock to lose your career so suddenly and unexpectedly. You were lucky to progress so far before your experience of psychosis irreversibly damaged your career. I wondered if any of your military experiences put additional stress on you.
Thank you 🙏, I am Air Force , I was also manic .. when I deployed , I felt like a “super soldier “ and I also thought people were out to get me in my unit .. but it was actually true .. 😢
I can’t imagine how complicated of a situation that was. I have this illness and have always wondered what it would be like for military during mania. The stress would exacerbate it for sure. And like you said your paranoia was real. You were in danger.
I really needed to hear this. Thank you for sharing so openly about psychosis. I’m 47 & had my first episode of mania with psychosis at 23. I’ve never been compliant with medication for more than 6 months at a time. I’ve had over 10 manic episodes that last between 3 - 6 months at a time. The rest of my life has been mostly in a depressed state at varying levels. The current depression now is over 10 months & I live alone, away from family very isolated, incapacitated & afraid. I’m only realising now the extent to which I’ve believed the narrative of my psychotic symptoms over almost three decades. It’s a terrifying realisation to cope with. This interview is giving me a push to get back on medication & begin the healing process of recovery. Thank you…❤️
This is TRULY a life saving message. The problem just came all out of the blue and so unexpected 💔. This vid its like a parameter of what is happening and ways to handle it. THANK YOU so much for all the info. God Bless❤❤❤❤ ❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you Sir for sharing your story. My son has been in a psychiatric hospital since September of 2023. His paranoid thoughts are so similarly to those you expressed. The fear of harm to him is overwhelming for him. Again, Sir thank you! I pray that someone comes into his path can help him to achieve a “normal” life.
I think some people may also be triggered by another’s condition and they are putting up a fence around some mine field they are trying to avoid. Everyone has a threshold of tolerance of different things. They may not be as insightful and deal with their own triggers and issues so they feel they have to avoid the other person. Wonderful conversation I learned so much. Thank you.
This channel and your guests are hitting these videos out of the park! This is by far the most supportive resource I’ve ever found for my Bipolar 1. I hope I can be apart of the solution one day as well. Thank you all 🙏
