PerhapsLove

My AD has been staying at a women & families shelter for the past 2 weeks. She has another 2 weeks before she will have to make other arrangements. I have visited 3 times now and she seems so much better. She spent 10 days in the psych unit at the local hospital and seems to be regulated on her meds for bipolar illness. I always knew her mental illness contributed to her addictions but it's hard to believe that the medication alone has made the difference. She is emotionally stable, looking for a job, and not out of contact.
I don't know what will happen to her after this time is up, but she is not obsessing or begging for us to take her in. I guess there are places she can go. She is counting on getting a job.

The roommate/landlord she was living with turned out not to be the decent person I thought he was. He was feeding her alcohol so that he could sleep with her. Once my AD was sober she was able to see that he also had an alcohol problem, which has explained some crazy texts I've gotten from him at night.

At this point, I'm just praying that she is on track and that she is able to find and job and start making her way again. I hate that she has nothing and is dependent on the kindness of others to survive at this point. I pray she is not using, but it is hard for me to believe it was that "easy" for her to give it up. Maybe the psych meds really do have that effect? Is it really that simple?

lillamy

I don't know, but I'm glad that she, for whatever reason, is sober and functioning right now.

I have seen people drink and use drugs to "self-medicate" for conditions that can be successfully treated with prescription medication. Those people were often not addicts, really, and had no use for their previous drug of choice once they were receiving proper medical care.

I pray your daughter belongs in that category.

Florence

My AH is bipolar and the difference between him on meds and him not on meds is huge. He self-medicated for the anxiety, depression, and raw edges of BPII and social anxiety for years.

When he is taking his meds, he has a shot at a full and happy life. When he doesn't, he's a loaded gun.

HopefulmomtoD

I'm glad to hear for right now, your daughter seems to be doing better. I think proper meds can make a big difference.

redatlanta

My RAH being diagnosed BP II changed our lives for the better. At 6 weeks I noticed big changes - over the course of a year the change has been huge.

So happy she was diagnosed.