[ewhite]

I too was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder about two years ago. I had been hospitalized for 33 days before they released me with a "solution." That solution was of course medication. The medication doctors prescribe should be outlawed, it honestly kills you from the inside out and in my opinion is not a solution at all. One has no feelings, no dreams, no moods at all while taking the these meds.

I weaned myself off the meds after a year, which I swear almost killed me. I still suffer from the "peaks and valleys" day to day, but it is much better than the "cure" the doctors use.

My heart goes out to your friend and to anyone else who may be afflicted with this condition. Although I still have this disorder, I found that it is most beneficial to understand myself, one can actually feel the shift when it is happening. Once you learn the signs, I found it to be helpful to attempt to center or ground yourself with meditation. Sometimes though the shift is so quick that you do not realize it is even happening until you lash out and drain those around you.

Travler, you are a good friend to this person. I can say from experience having even one person close to you that understands this condition makes all the difference in the world. When these shifts occur one does not even realize it until the damage is done, and many times does not even remember what was said. Your understanding becomes kind of a tether, a reminder that this condition is not what defines who your friend is.