I am very close to my 20 year old daughter who is bipolar and has been living away from home in a sober house for 4+months. She is trying to get out on her own and recently went to the hospital after 3 weeks in her own apartment, for a suicide attempt. My appraoch to her has always been loving and cooperative, and her father wants to take a tough love stand. He looks at her more as an alcoholic, which I think was just a symptom/coping mechanism that she has given up. I look at her as a woman who is struggling with illness. Which will be more helpful? Can tough love help or hurt, genrally?
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Hi Anon,
Welcome to EmpowHER. Weather she is an alcholic or not. She needs your time and help more now, then ever. Just the fact she was taken into the hospital for a suicide attempt, it's a sign something is not right in her life. Ignoring the problem won’t make it go away; in fact, it will almost certainly get worse. Diagnosing the problem as early as possible and getting into treatment can help prevent these complications. It's imporatnt to see a primary doctor and he might start her on treatment such as an antidepressant and also to seek help from a psychotherapist. Bipolar disorder is a complex condition. Diagnosis can be tricky and treatment is often difficult. For safety reasons, medication should be closely monitored. A psychiatrist who is skilled in bipolar disorder treatment can help you navigate these twists and turns.
Here are some resources for you
https://www.empowher.com/condition/bipolar-disorder
https://www.empowher.com/condition/depression
https://www.empowher.com/condition/depression/community
Best,
Daisy
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