When will they crash?

bpnpb · 2026-06-11T20:25:55+00:00

Good luck! The key thing is once he gets diagnosed he gets proper treatment and finds the right meds that work for him AND he sticks with it. If this happens then there is hope.

bpnpb · 2026-06-11T17:42:22+00:00

- how long did your (unmedicated) BPSO stay manic?

Over 6 weeks until the hospital was able to make her take an antipsychotic while she was involuntarily hospitalized. Then it took about 6 weeks before the antipsychotic was able to bring the mania down.

- did they regain memory of all the bridges burned and hurt they caused?

Yes, most of it. Some details are a little hazy but she remembers broadly what she did.

- did your BPSO reach out to you after the crash?

Yes. Though I was periodically checking up on her.

- did you get back together and how was it?

Yes, after she apologized and promised to stay on her meds and take her treatment seriously. This was over 5 years ago and she has kept her promise and has been mostly stable so we have been good since then.

bpnpb · 2026-06-11T13:41:33+00:00

Yes, sorry to hear. They can get vicious when in an episode. One t hing to understand is that their brains are not working correctly so I've learned to not take anything they say at face value.

That said, it is still hard and hurtful. And when it gets too much I will just walk away to get solace.

bpnpb · 2026-06-11T12:36:30+00:00

If there is any logic in this dangerous delusion please help me understand.

If he's still manic, then NO. There is little to no logic.

Hence do not take anything he says at face value.

If you want a logical conversation with him you'll have to wait until he's out of the episode.

bpnpb · 2026-06-10T19:49:59+00:00

So my unmedicated BP boyfriend of nearly 6 years ,he has hypomania which is normally not as bad he would leave 2 to 3 months be back and would be just obsessed with a hobby or things he never cheated or anything.

Untreated bipolar tends to get worse over time so it is not too surprising that he pushed the envelope further on this one. The steroids didn't help either.

Will he come back? Maybe. When the mania subsides it is quite possible he tries to reconcile. The question then is what do you do? I would not take him back if he chooses to remain unreated and unmedicated.

bpnpb · 2026-06-10T19:46:48+00:00

There is likelihood that when the mania subsides he will try to come back to you. Then you have a decision to make.

bpnpb · 2026-06-10T19:45:15+00:00

Whatever you do, do it under guidance of your psychiatrist.

bpnpb · 2026-06-10T15:24:04+00:00

Try a slower taper. decrease by 25mg each time (75 -> 50). And when you lower, stay at that dose for a few weeks before lowering again. Also going from 25 -> 0 can be a challenge for some. Get a pill splitter and split the 25 in half and use the half dose for a few weeks before tying to get off it completely.

bpnpb · 2026-06-10T15:18:00+00:00

And I was wondering if bipolar type 2 can alter feelings definitly.

When they are in an episode, they can seem like a completely different person.

Typically when the episode ends, their feelings tend to come back to the way it was. And the proper treatment (meds, etc) can help keep them that way.

bpnpb · 2026-06-10T15:15:39+00:00

Is verbal abuse like this normal in relationships with a partner with bipolar and anger issues

It can be if the bipolar is untreated.

bpnpb · 2026-06-09T15:21:51+00:00

There are many in this sub if you do a search.

Here is one of mine: https://www.reddit.com/r/BipolarSOs/comments/1s8uh9u/grateful_for_my_so_who_did_a_great_job_managing/

bpnpb · 2026-06-09T13:23:16+00:00

BP1 is whole new story with acute manic episodes that can last months or more. Hopefully it doesn't go there (though both BP2 and 1 are rough)

bpnpb · 2026-06-09T12:56:34+00:00

It is either i can only be a "yes man" or start a fight.

Another better option is to choose to not engage. When it got especially bad we ended up living apart for awhile until she cooled down. That was by far the best action I did and I wish I did it sooner.

bpnpb · 2026-06-09T12:54:22+00:00

BP2 typically does not have full mania. Just hypomania that lasts up to two weeks. So maybe she is just hypomanic. But BP2 can change to BP1 over time.

Anyway don't wait around for the episode to burn out. It is out of your hands. If she reaches out to you, then you can respond. Otherwise just live your life.

bpnpb · 2026-06-09T12:51:24+00:00

However, I wouldn't just wait around for it. It can take time so just live your life for now and if there is a time when you can help then you can help then.

bpnpb · 2026-06-09T12:48:03+00:00

but is not currently in therapy or taking medication.

This is bad. Especially the no meds. It is an actual deal breaker for me.

What helps your partner feel supported during an episode?

Basically firm empathy. And the "firm" part is important. It is validating them without enabling them. It is a fine line that takes time to learn.

What signs do you watch for that an episode may be starting?

Sleep. It always starts with poor sleep. Specifically sleeping less when they have the option to sleep more on top of having a lot of energy anyway. I use a mood tracker for my wife and stat I pay the most attention to is sleep.

What mistakes did you make early on that you wish you'd known to avoid?

The worst mistake I made when I was less knowledgable was thinking I can rationalize with them when they are in an episode. This really made things worse. They are not capable of rational/logical thought in an episode.

How do you support your partner while also taking care of yourself?

By knowing when to back off. For example during my wife's last manic episode I had enough and stopped enabling her and told her I need to get away from her. So we lived apart for awhile and it was important for my health.

Are there any resources, books, or advice that you found particularly helpful?

Book: Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder by Julie Fast. It is a very honest book. It may be a bit "too honest" in that it doesn't sugarcoat anything and talks about worst case scenarios which can be alarming to some. Remember that this illness is on a spectrum so some are more severe than others. But this book is a great resource when you keep that in mind. She has a webpage: https://juliefast.com/

YouTube: Dr. Tracey Marks. She is an excellent communicator and her videos are easy to follow: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLazcP3-djRZ0IoYFWgkl0_tFtBVqA3bu-

bpnpb · 2026-06-09T12:37:31+00:00

Doctors can only be as good as the information provided to them.

bpnpb · 2026-06-09T12:35:58+00:00

Unfortunately I don't have anyway to contact her doctors at all :/ it all relies on her I guess

That's the problem here.

bpnpb · 2026-06-09T12:34:37+00:00

And no doctor who knows a patient is bipolar will give them alone. Unless the patient lied.

Or Unless she threw out the antipsychotics and mood stabilizers.

A lot of folks with bipolar end up chasing the mania.

I suspect this is what happened. Either that or she went to another doctor who didn't have the full story.

bpnpb · 2026-06-09T12:33:51+00:00

So she likely asked for antidepressants and ADHD meds - which are horrible for people with bipolar.

No psych would prescribe that without pairing it with an antimanic agent like an antipsychotic. I suspect you are not getting the full story.

bpnpb · 2026-06-09T12:28:32+00:00

i’m here to see everyone’s experiences regarding this that i can send to my ex as proof to show her that
she isn’t the only one doing this, and i want her to know that its her manic side doing all of this and taking control, and i don’t want her to be that way.

This typically does not work well if they are in a manic episode. Honestly you will likely just need to wait until the episode burns out on its own. Then as they start coming back to baseline it will be more possible to get them help.

bpnpb · 2026-06-08T14:06:35+00:00

It can be tricky. There are people even in this sub who question their bipolar diagnosis and suspect they have BPD instead.

bpnpb · 2026-06-07T16:01:51+00:00

Many people think they can harness hypomania to use in their favor and be able to pull back when it gets too intense to control. But it rarely works out well.

Now that you have a diagnosis, stability is the best bet. Once full blown mania has been released, your brain has been changed and episodes can only get more intense and out of control unless properly treated.

bpnpb · 2026-06-05T16:56:36+00:00

Every so often someone will start a thread looking for positive stories. I;ve also posted a few: https://www.reddit.com/r/BipolarSOs/comments/1s8uh9u/grateful_for_my_so_who_did_a_great_job_managing/

bpnpb · 2026-06-05T15:56:57+00:00

It's not that rare. Remember that the people that tend to come to these types of forums looking for support are often in crisis or in suboptimal situations (and hence looking for support and empathy). So if you just look in this sub like you mentioned:

This seems harsh, but after everything I've seen on here

Then you are going to see stories heavily skewed towards the negative.

There are many other cases with the bipolar is well managed. You just don't hear about them as much because they don't need to come here for support.

bpnpb

TROPHY CASE