Is your loved one ANGRY? IRRITATIONAL? CONFUSED?

I have something really sad to tell you. Well, I was talking to someone who works for me and a relative was killed because of their anger and bipolar disorder.

Basically this person went off his bipolar medications and then was driving around really fast.He was really manic, angry and acting completely irrational. Well the police pulled him over. He was super mad and reach in his pocket (everyone knows not to do this, everyone who is in their right mind that is).

Well guess what the police did? They shot him dead. I have heard this happen so many times it's so sad. This reminded me about how people forget how serious bipolar disorder is. How bipolar disorder can make a person not in their right mind. I mean who would get pulled over and reach intheir pocket? By the way, he had no gun or weapon. He was just angry and acting completely irrational from what I was told.

Beware!

When you are dealing with someone who has bipolar disorder and is angry, manic, irrational, yelling, etc., they are not themselves and you have to be careful. They can do and say the most terrible things.I want to warn you about something I have said many times...

IF you have to call the police, make sure you tell the police the person has a mental illness. Tell them not to shoot the person. I am serious. Greet the police. Try to manage it all. Remember that when a person is in a bipolar episode (ie.when they are angry, yelling, screaming, etc), they COULD,and I repeat, COULD, NOT will do something to you bad.

Read the above line carefully.

For example, when my mom was really sick, she not only screamed and yelled at me but she threw a phone at me. She also spit on me. She also punched me. Seriously, there were times, if there was a knife around, I am sure she could have stabbed me out of anger. The odd thing is, she doesn't even remember any of this.She wasn't herself at all.I really didn't know any of what I teach in my report when I first started with my mom so I didn't know how to handle and deal with these situations. But, I wanted to pass this critical information over to you today.

Why? Well I have known many people on my list that have been hit,attacked, stabbed, etc, from someone who has bipolar disorder who is in a bipolar episode. Now I know I am going to get a ton of hate mail and angry people saying that I am over generalizing all people with bipolar. I am not doing this, I am saying some who are in bipolar episodes, NOT ALL. If you have bipolar and you are mad at me writing this, it's the same thinking as telling someone who is in a bad area to be careful because bad things COULD happen. You aren't telling them they will just that it could. It's my job to inform. So I hope you understand. But I know some won't and I will get super hateful emails later on tonight.

David Oliver (Bipolar Central)