Prayers on the way. Nobody should have to go through that.

Family and good friends are something I value greatly.




Prayers and best wishes sent.

Good thoughts coming your way.Good luck,
SZ

Seeing a young person's potential severely diminished by injury or illness is tough to take. Hopefully, time and medical intervention will enable your friend to manage his condition. Best wishes for you, the young man and his family.

That is a tough situation Doc Rick. I have a buddy who lost his son to the same thing. However, when he found him, he was able to get him the treatment and medicine he needed and now he is doing just great and has been for sometime. I am praying for your friend. Mike

P.S.

If you have not already, check out NAMI (National Association for the Mentally Ill). It is a great organization of people in like situations and was very helpful to my friend.

Sad.

Update. The young man is safe, got some medication to sleep, and initial diagnosis is Bipolar Manic Acute Episode.

The good news is that he does not have a drug problem, and it does not appear to be schizophrenia. Schizophrenia has a slow cognitive mental decline associated with it and this young man is such a bright shining young star that it is good to not worry so much about watching him dim.

I know many bipolar folks who motor on just fine, as long as they take their medication. This is a good thing.

Mike@NorthBend, thanks for the NAMI reminder! Good Stuff!

I talked with a very cool psychiatrist friend at Swedish, Dr. Arpan Waghray, who reminded me that just accepting, being present, and "de stigmatizing" the whole process is a HUGE part of the outcome. Great advice.

I think this has torn me up so much both because it is a very close friend/family member, and because I am a doctor and am supposed to help, and I can do nothing.


If there are two things I would offer out to my colleagues here on PP the first would e a most sincere "Thank You" for taking a moment to send kind thoughts to my young friend and to me,and my friends and family, and the other would be to keep in mind that those who suffer from mental illness did not choose it , and when we can offer a smile or a nice comment it will not go un noticed.

And Thanks, especially, to Fog Ducker for just listening.

Triple Best,

Well I wish him the best, it's a medical issue that seems to only find the brightest. Sad

Good news and answered prayer is always welcome.

Ducker!

Rick,

"......and because I am a doctor and am supposed to help, and I can do nothing."

If what you did is "nothing", I'd like to witness what you would call "something".
Just sayin'

Thanks all,
Nothing much to add. Lots of family around, visiting, and coming to grips with the fact that no one "caused" this difficulty.
Mike @Northbend had a good reference to expand horizons at NAMI. Nobody chooses mental illness.
Good day on the river today, No fish, but lots of rocks and hang ups to make me think of other things, and good company to share it with.

god bless. similar situations exist in my family. found on both sides of my family (not drug related) and it has impacted my family greatly. It's best to try and understand the situation, and not what is going on in their head. My uncle has severe bipolar disorder and his ups and downs can last up to a year. He exhibits similar behavior. We cherish the times we have with him when he is stable and remember those times when he is not (the pills keep him in line, when he takes them). God Bless and I still pray he is ok.