Hey, just wanted to see if anyone would have an input to help me out here. My mother, who is bipolar, lives a very stressful life. Yesterday she admitted herself to the hospital after a mental break-down at work. Me and my sister are two of the biggest stressors in her life, and I really want to change to help make her life easier, but it would require basically changing who I am as a person. Its starting to become a very serious dilemma for me, and I just... I dunno. Help please.
Has she ever come out and said that you are causing her stress? You may be blaming yourself for nothing.
Oh yes. It is quite obvious and both my parents have openly stated I'm a big problem sometimes. Her psychologist has actually spoken to me and told me a few things I needed to know.
I find it disturbing that a psychologist could be so ignorant. The truth about bipolar disorder is that, while environment does play a small role, it is mostly insignificant. The problem is, quite literally, in her head. Bipolar, also known as manic-depression, is a disease of cycles. From the sound of it, your mother is in the depression phase. Short of medication, there is little that can be done to help her. Trying to change your entire personality for the benefit of a depressed person will only result in you becoming as miserable as she currently is. It won't magically cure her. I find it very telling that the mental breakdown was at work. If you and your sister were really to blame, wouldn't it have happened at home?
It happened shortly after I woke up late and had missed my first class of the day, so I feel like it may still have been me that tipped her... but you are probably right, we always say its her job. Of course, she has such a tough job because she need to pay for me and my sister, but we can't be held responsible for things like my medical conditions and my sister's dance classes. (she needs to do heavy amounts of physical activity for medical reasons.)
What exactly about your behavior did the psychologist say was causing her stress? If you have a medical condition as well, that seems a little unfair to you.
My constant internet abuse, and my lacking desire to do work the second i'm told to do it... It's a matter of me having too much patience for my own good. Sorta. I think that's what she said.
Constant internet abuse? How does the amount of time that you spend online affect her? As far a procrastination, there is absolutely no problem with that. It's seems to me that your mother is the one that needs to change, not you.
