A friend of mine the other day confessed to me that he suspects he has bi-polar disorder... But does not want treatment for it or anything like that because he is like addicted to the times of mania and loves how it feels... I'm kinda worried for him tho... Not only that but next year we are getting a place together and I am going to be living with him. And while I am very used to his behaviors and stuff, we basically spend every hour of every day together as it is, I am just worried for his safety... Is this something I should be concerned about or just let him make his own decisions and let him decide when he wants to get help for this.
Bipolar disorder when untreated gets worse. Eventually the mania isn't fun anymore. In severe cases you can have serious delusions, hallucinations, you can get really unhealthy about sleeping and eating patterns, you might develop crazy spending habits or drug and alcohol problems. Also, the bigger the mania, the bigger the crash, usually. The depression can be absolutely crippling. You're not going to be able to make your friend get treatment if he does have bipolar disorder, but you might want to tell him to do some research before making a decision about that. Take it from someone who's been in treatment for bipolar disorder for the last five years. Also, you might want to mention that even with treatment, it's not a cure. The mania and depressions are slighter, but still there.
Seconded. If you don't get treatment for bi-polar disorder, it's a little bit like taking drugs. You can't stop yourself from getting hyper, but the crash makes you suicidal. Trust me, if he's bi-polar, he needs help (therapy and medication have helped my bi-polar disorder and ADD no end). Hope This Helps, Thing (*hug*)
Most people aren't diagnosed as bipolar until their mid to late twenties when they have a signficant and lasting episode of depression. In retrospect, the signs were there but it so difficult to distinguish the typical doldrums that come with being a teenager from manic-depressive cycles. What behavior do you see that makes you think that he may have a problem? How long do his episodes of behavioral change last?
Well my friend is actually 26, and he has his masters degree in social work and specializes in people with mental illnesses and developmental disabilities. And he was the one who brought it up to me. And told me all of the symptoms which completely agreed with his behaviors since we started hanging out.
My ex had unmedicated bipolar for most of the time we were together. If it's still at a stage where he feels he can do without treatment then you should be OK living with him. Eventually he will need help, but it can only happen if he wants it to. Probably the best thing you can do at this stage is support him if he needs it. By all means talk to him about maybe getting treatment, but if he doesn't want to talk I wouldn't force it. If he feels like he made things worse by telling someone it might make him less likely to talk about it in future.
Given this information, it's possible that he meets diagnostic criteria. But as someone who has training in the subject, he should also know the pitfalls of self-diagnosis and believing that he can enjoy the fruits of mania but avoid the pit. It should be fine to be his roommate. People with bipolar disorder are rarely dangerous to others. Self-harm is more of an issue. But you should encourage your friend to seek professional help to get a proper diagnosis and, if needed, to manage his illness while it can be managed.
This. One of the worst possible things to do is self-diagnose, no matter how much of an expert one is with psychological disorders. Even worse is knowing that he is in a manic episode without thinking of the crash that he should know is associated with wane of the episode.
