my mother has bi-polar...

[alley]

Well i'm not sure if this is in the right section, but it's to do with mental illnesses bi polar so I assume so.
My mum suffers from bi-poplar. She doesn't take any medication for it, she won't admit too it, but everyone in my house knows she suffers from it, as a few years ago she was diagnosed. I guess she refeuses to take medication and admit because it would harm her pride.
I only really noticed her extreme changes in personality when i was around 8, but obviously then i didn't know what bi-poplar was. Last year, I learnt about it from a friend. After questioning my father, it turns out she is suffering from it.
The thing is, at the moment she's on the extreme depressive side, and has been for three months. It's worse than I can ever remember it being...
She locks herself in her room, and no ones allowed in. She's completely shut my dad out of her life, and their marriage is breaking down. It was breaking down before these 3 months or so, i mean, but it so close to the edge I really don't know whats going to happen. The slightest thing that upsets her can cause hours of isolation, never even coming out to eat.
She goes through this in systematic format, occasionally she will yell, but most of the time be depressed.
I'm used to the depressive spouts, but it's never lasted as long as this, usually it's just a few days or a week. I actually prefer her when she becomes manic.
I've never know my parents relationship to be worse either.
My mum talks about suicide and self mutilation alot, and it really scares me. Sometimes I sit outisde her room waiting for her too come out. I don't like leaving the house in some respects cause i'm scared what she may do. On the other hand, I love going out and escaping it all.
My dad makes no attempt to fix anything, and you can really see the look of despair in his eyes.
I don't know what to do. My mum refuses to go to the doctor, so there's no hope there. Her illness is making me anxious, paranoid, and depressed. My dad's doing nothing about it. I'm so confused. I guess there's not much i can do. i just needed to tell someone.

[Syvelocin]

You need to sit down with either of them. Your mum, or probably better, your dad. She NEEDS to be on medication. Most seriously. That is the only way, unless she changes her point of view, that this will ever work.

I know that for a fact as well. My family is one mess. My mum is has been with my stepdad for years, and the reason they got off so well in the beginning is because he's bipolar as well as my mum. And though they're great together, being a bipolar single mum with a bipolar kid dating a bipolar man, it's a recipe for disaster.

Anyway. My stepdad has his well under control. I'm unmedicated, and my mum is starting to settle out. But I have memories from when I was younger of my mum literally spending months in bed. There was a time my stepdad was thinking of leaving, taking me with him (this was before my half-siblings were born) because it was so bad. By the time my brother and sister were born, her meds had started to settle out, and she only has specific days sometimes that she has issues when she doesn't take her meds. But this can be devastating, bipolar disorder, if it isn't taken care of. She needs to realize she has a problem, and it has to be fixed, or she can lose everything. There's a difference between being unmedicated when your younger, and being unmedicated WITH a responsibility to a husband and a child. She has to be your mother. There's no choice in that unless she wants to leave, or just lose you both anyway. There is no reason to be neglecting this. And by the sound of it, if you don't seriously say something, nothing will be done about it. Do you see anyone? Because a good indirect route would be to tell your own therapist, and they could actually speak to her for you. I've had that happen a couple times.