volfan81

I'm new on this forum and not sure if this is the right place to ask my questions. If not, I apologize in advance. I have a 20 year old son that had to be hospitalized 12 days ago, in a mental hospital. He called us suicidal, scared, paranoid, etc. We took him to the ER, and then he was transferred to a mental hospital. This same thing happened about a year ago, and he was in the hospital for 10 days, and the doctors thought he was bipolar. He did at that time admit to drinking a lot, smoking pot, and also using ecstacy one night. Deep down, I have always thought it was the drugs abuse. Anyway, last year they did put him on meds for bipolar. He took them for about 2 months, and didn't like the way they made him feel, and stopped them. He seemed to be doing fine for the past 10 months, but we did suspect drug abuse. He told us this time that he was smoking pot daily, drinking a lot, and did cocaine 2 nights in a row. He said the second night, the powder was different. It was yellow and smelled really strange. We wonder if it could have been something else. They have him on different medications in the hospital, trying to control the illusions and paranoia, but after 12 days, he is still having them, but seem to be slightly better. My question is could the drugs cause the paranoia and illusions to last this long. We're not sure what came first....drugs, causing the bipolar symptoms, or bipolar, causing him to use drugs. He talks like he mostly drinks and smokes weed, and doesn't normally do other drugs. Several of his friends who saw him the day before he did the cocaine, say he seemed fine, and the syptoms came after that night. His roommate is known to be a huge partier. Our son has agreed to move in with us, and has made several committments to change his lifestyle, but I know that is going to be very difficult. We're trying to get him to go to a drug rehad place now, but first his mental state has got to get better. I'm so scared for him right now. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Isaiah

Yes, just about any drug can severely aggravate a mental illness or even cause mental illness symptoms.

I personally have only used alcohol regularly, but it has caused all three of my mental illnesses to flare up tremendously, and frequently landed me into the psych ward as well.

Getting him mentally stable does sound like the best thing at this point. Then he can move on to chemical addiction treatment. It's good that he is willing to stop using and get better, but I would also recommend you try either Al-Anon, the Friends and Family forum on this site, or both.

Because unfortunately quitting drugs is difficult and even if he says he wants to, it is possible that he may backslide once he's out. Getting yourself help is going to help you cope with such problems if they arise (Al-Anon and F&F wont teach you how to help him. Only he can do it, but they will teach you how to help yourself.)

I can only imagine, having been the one in the mental hospital numerous times, what you might be going through. I'm sorry to hear about this problem. Drugs and mental illness are a baffling and heart breaking event, but take care of yourself. SR is here for your support as much as we can. And I'll be praying for you and your son.

Take care,
-Isa

Dee74

Hi Volfan

I'm afraid I don't know the answers to your questions...even if we could share medical advice (we can't by our rules) I don't know that anyone here could answer with any certainty.

Although there are sometimes correlations between alcohol and drug use and mental illness, the precise relationships are still being argued about, and every case is an individual one.

The Drs treating your son are in the best position to know whats going on - I hope he stabilises soon and you can get him in to treatment somewhere.

You will find a lot of support here tho for you - plase do check out our Family and Friends forums as well.

prayers for you all
D

Anna

Hi and Welcome,

I'm sorry for the situation with your son.

It does sound like he is getting the care he needs right now, and hopefully he can move to rehab before too long. He will need to want to get better for himself in order for him to recover. It's good that you are supporting him though.

Please check out the Friends & Families forums on this board and you might also want to check out NarAnon to find support for yourselves.

Live

Something like 60% of people with bipolar have concurrent substance abuse problems.

Both are difficult diagnoses to accept.
Hopefully he will adhere to his medication regime this time and if what he is prescribed doesn't feel right he will talk to his drs and they can perhaps suggest other medications.
It is not unusual for it to take some time with trial and error to find the best medications.
It isn't an exact science with this illness.
We all respond a little differently to the same meds.

It is never a good idea to mix in illegal drugs or alcohol with this illness or these medications. As he has found..they just aren't recreational in their effects.

I hope he will get counseling also and deal with the bipolar because it does put him at risk with drugs along with other areas. It is an illness that must be treated.

best wishes!

LawMama

Obviously we can't give medical advice but I can offer some support, maybe, because I have a brother who has schizophrenia. Having a family member with mental illness is one of the hardest things I have ever had to deal with because it just doesn't make sense .... I do know that my brother can be stable for a long time but generally when he starts to smoke pot or drink excessively he ends up hospitalized again. It is tough and I know it is even more difficult for my parents. My brother got sick when he was around your son's age.

There may be an organization in your area that provides support for family members of people with mental illness. I know that an organization like that has been a great help to my family.

johndelko408

As far as the yellow powder goes I remember a form of meth I had done once was yellow. It to has a funny chemical smell to it. Most drugs will cause you to be depressed when you are coming down from them. In my experience ecstasy was by far the worst as far as causing depression when coming down. Though it is a form of methamphetamine (Methylenedioxy-methamphetamine) hence, mdma the effect is different at first. What ecstasy does is cause your serotonin glands to go haywire. The glands start firing of serotonin off in rapid fire so to speak causing a feeling of euphoria. It feels good when it happens but then the next day your brain is depleted of this necessary natural chemical. From my understansing serotonin is what keeps our emotions in check. Throughout the day it is naturally released form our brain so we don't get depressed. So you consider if its all used up in one night of partying your naturally going to be in the ***** the next day. When I was doing it in my younger year I would consume vast quantities of it, leaving me totally depressed the next day.

glitter

Sorry you are going through this heartbreaking time in your life volfan. I have had the same experience with my own 21 year old son. It happened earlier this year. He had what I would call a psychotic break: delusional and paranoid (thought he was being followed; thought the "military machine" was after him because he's a writer - creative writer and a senior in college now; he thought that people everywhere were looking at him and trying to read his mind). It was terrifying. At times he didn't sleep for 2 days and when he did sleep is was not at all restful. He was unable to finish his classes at the end of his junior year semester and called me at all hours of the day and night telling me that he was terrified or that he thought I was in danger. Fortunately, I was able to take him for a psych eval and keep him with me. He's never been suicidal, but I was afraid that his paranoia at times would cause him to do something that might endanger his well-being.

Since April he has been under the care of a psychiatrist and has been going to therapy once/week. They are trying to find the right meds for him....currently on seroquel, but it makes him so sleepy and feeling "drugged." He's much, MUCH better (paranoia, delusions at bay until an attempt at a med change) and is doing very well in school....he can do what he loves doing again....write. Been back in his apartment 50 miles away for several months now.

I have the exact same question as you and I bring it up all the time with both his psychiatrist and my own psychiatrist. My son was a pot-smoker and beer drinker. He has admitted to trying adderal once and doing acid twice (both of these almost 2 years ago). I believe he is honest with me and his doctor. As for my own son I have been told that there is a good possibility that he smoked some weed that triggered something in his brain. This is not uncommon and is documented in medical journals. The continuous smoking could have made it worse and worse. Maybe he had a latent bipolar that was triggered by the pot smoking? Maybe this is permanent, maybe not. There are many many documented cases of this happening to young adults due to drug use and eventually the brain heals and the problems resolve. Sometimes they don't.

The good news is that this can be treated, but it takes commitment and complete compliance with med regimes. It's not fun and I feel so bad that my baby has to suffer through this and there is absolutely nothing I can do for him except support and encourage his attempts at taking care of himself. I worry a LOT about his potential for addiction. I mean, I KNOW what it's like to want to change the way I feel. Him and I talk about it. I hope he soaks in some of my experience. I hope he can relate to me in that way cause I sure can understand why he would want to change the way HE feels.

I think when looking for a rehab maybe look for a rehab that deals with "dual-diagnoses" would be best for your son?

All the best to you, I'm right there with you.
((((hugs))))

least

I was diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety a long time before I started drinking... but drinking was a way for me to 'medicate' my illness. It was only a temporary relief and actually made the illness worse.

I am glad your son is seeking help and hope he gets the support he needs. And yes, drug and alcohol abuse can mimic mental illness so it's more likely that an accurate diagnosis can be made after getting sober.

Do check out the Friends and Families forums for lots of support. Welcome to the family!

jls22

I am so sorry you are going threw this. I have heard of the illusions and paranormal lasting a long time with certain drugs (don't know what they are).

I sure hope that you are taking care of yourself during this hard time!

In my thoughts and prayers.

volfan81

Wow, I am so impressed and thankful for the support on this forum. He is still in the hospital, experiencing the paranoia. At times he seems a little better. It comes and goes. I guess we expected him to be getting better by now, and I worry that he won't get over this. He's saying all the rights things, as far as changing his life, but he doesn't think he needs help with the drug problem. He thinks he can do it on his own. We definitely feel he needs the drug rehab, but also needs counseling for some problems he's had in the past 2 years. He's tried to please everyone else, and not make himself happy. Does anyone know of any drug rehab places, near the Nashville area that could address a dual diagnosis (drugs and possibly bipolar)? Our doctor is recommending Bradford Health Services in Alabama (80 miles away), and our insurance covers it. We just want to make sure we have him in the best place possible. Even if it's not that close to Nashville, if they have a good reputation, I think we would consider it. One other bit of information that we just found out is that there was a girl that took the drug with him. Apparently, she had some problems, also, but not severe, like our sons. Her friends were worried enough about her, that they called her parents, in another state. Her parents came and got her, and she was home with them for a week, and is apparently doing ok now. I don't know what her symptoms were, but another student that is friends with her and our son, has asked her to call us. We will be calling her, if we don't hear from her soon. Thank you, again, for all your comments. I can feel your caring thoughts. If you pray, please pray for my son, and strength for my family.

LawMama

Thanks for the update. I will pray for you and your family.

Live

It is good to get support for yourselves also.

I would suggest you check out our family & friends forum also.

glitter

Thanks for your update volfan. Take good care of yourself. It may seem like a mountain too big to climb right now so take one thing at a time. It will all work out in the end.

Peace. xoxo

glitter

Just wondering....does Vanderbilt have a dual diag program?

Something to keep in mind when choosing a treatment center....I'm really glad that my treatment center is relatively close to my home. The reason for that is because I became close with 4 women who I went through treatment with. We went through so much together; know each other's stories; know each others weaknesses and strengths; we went through hell together (the first raw weeks of sobriety) and we learned and related SO much to each other.

Two of the women came from another part of my state and a different state altogether....we have pretty much lost touch except through random/non-recovery related facebook posts. I have no idea how they are or how their program is going or if they even have a program. But the two who I have stayed in touch with are a BIG part of my recovery. We talk all the time and meet at least once/month, usually more often and go to meetings together.

It's just nice to have this connection so close. For me, it would be hard to go to treatment so far away and then come home to basically start over in making those connections. Your son will have to make changes and one REALLY hard change for young adults is dropping old friends and finding new ones. Having friends nearby who are around his own age and who he goes through treatment with could be a really valuable thing.

Also as far as distance goes, a good treatment program will have family involvement. Mine had a multifamily group that met once/week. It was my absolute favorite part of treatment as well as my family's. Addiction is not only an individual problem, but a family disease so you may want to ask yourself if you can travel that distance for a family group.

Just some food for thought. It's great that your insurance will pay for treatment. I was fortunate enough to have coverage as well and this afforded me a choice.

Just my opinions for whatever it's worth. Good Luck!

WatchTheSky

This must be so difficult for you! I'm a 20-year-old bipolar alcoholic in recovery, so although I can't see it from a parent's perspective, I do know that it hurts everyone involved. It's understandable that he wouldn't like how the bipolar meds made him feel, but it's just something we have to get used to. Does he have a good psychiatrist who will work with him to find a combination of meds that will control his symptoms with minimal side effects? Unfortunately, drugs and mental illness get very confounded. It's hard to sort out what causes symptoms. I'm glad he seems to be doing somewhat better!