I have suffered w bi polar disorder since I was 15. It first started w major depression & this was in 1980. No one understood depression back then. So I suffered all through my high school years with depression. When I went to college in 1984 & was living the fun college life style, that is when I had my First episode of mania. I had to be hospitalized for two weeks, but it was a blessing, because I could understand the illness that I had for five years. Finally, I received the right Medication, Lithium, to treat my bi polar disorder. With therapy, prayers, and taking my medication, I remained stable. I was able to understand my illness in my young adult ages and knew the importance of getting Proper rest and exercise to help me through my disorder. I was able to have two healthy babies in my 30s. Then 10 years later, my husband had a major breakdown due to the stress of his work and he had to be hospitalized for three months for severe depression, psychosis, & etc.
He kept his illness a secret to me until he had his breakdown. That was the hardest three months that I’ve ever been through. I had two small children to take care of. We had to hospitalize him three hours away from my hometown. His depression was so bad that it took him six months to get back to normal. He now understands that he has to take his medicine if he wants to live a healthy and normal life. I prayed that my children would not inherit this disease, but my youngest son started suffering from depression his freshman year in high school. The same time I started I suffered from depression. I tried to put him on medicine, but his dad did not want him take medicine at that time. I had to put him on medicine without his consent and the medication for depression made him very manic. So then we figured out he suffers from bipolar disorder also. We were able to manage his depression and manic episodes through his high school years with the proper medicine. Then when he got to college in our local town and still living with us, he wanted to live the life likes most college students. He stopped taking the medicine that helped him with the Mania. Unfortunately, we were on vacation and he got very manic and out of control. We were in Texas and to get him back to Louisiana to put him in the hospital was a nightmare. The police officers in the Galveston county did not understand mental illness, and they would believe our son because he was so manic and convincing that they thought he was fine and we were the crazy parent. He was 19 and in Texas you are considered an adult and there’s nothing the police officers can do if they check all the boxes & not trying to kill himself. The disturbing fact he was very dangerous to us and himself. We eventually committed him to the hospital in Louisiana where we live. The police officers understood our conditions and told us how to get him committed with his doctors help. He stayed in the hospital for two weeks in Lake Charles, Louisiana
It took them a while to get him back to normal, because they had to try so many different medications. Our Psychiatrist and Lake Charles police department are amazing and got Patrick stable enough for us to take him out of the hospital, because hurricane Laura hit Lake Charles that week. We had to relocate to another city and trying to manage our son right now with the help of his doctor in Lake Charles. Living in a different environment than his own home in Lake Charles is very hard. We will probably have to stay here over several months, because of the devastation to our home and Lake Charles.
I just want to be involved in the Nami organization, because what I’ve seen over the last three weeks. Police officers & the general public do not understand mental illness. Mental illness runs in my family and my husband’s family, and we have educated ourself on how to
live a normal & successful life.
We have to stop the stigma that you’re crazy if you have mental illness, because that is not true! It is just like any other disease you have to treat it with medication & understand how to take care of yourself by getting plenty of rest & Exercise. For example it’s like having diabetes, heart condition, & etc.
I’m not embarrassed to talk about my story and I would love to share how this is a normal illness it’s treatable and you can live a normal and healthy life. So many people want to hide their condition and then when they have an episode it’s very devastating!!
Thank you,
Rita Laborde