So, I've been asked to talk to a friend about his possible mental situation

[HEyHEY]

I have a very old school buddy who I've always expected of being clinically depressed or something. He just goes through these wierd phases. And, being mentally Ill myself I can really see my own behaviour reflected in him. His Girlfriend told me he's been EXTREMELY strange lately.. including only sleeping two hours a night. She's scared to talk to him because he's so narrow minded about this shit he might just get upset.
But, she thinks because I'm so open about my situation, and because I'm a good friend of his... he might listen to me if I try to nudge him to talk about what is going on and maybe get him to see a doctor.

Does this sound like a good idea?
If som any advice?

[taterguy]

1. Offer him a Pepsi

Most people with mental issues just want a Pepsi

[Little Wing]

2. Mike?

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

4. all I wanted

was a fucking pepsi.

[HEyHEY]

6. I'll tell him I've decided it'd be in his best interest... if we put him in a

place where he can get the help he needs?

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

7. sorry

I couldn't resist and you seem like a guy with a good sense of humor.

[HEyHEY]

10. That's a damn good tune.

[taterguy]

11. It's a song?

I just thought that Pepsi was a refreshing beverage that washes my blues away

[La Lioness Priyanka]

3. if hes going through severe mood swings...(manic and depressive phases)

he will be reluctant to get help especially if he is in his manic phase.

i am just warning you that this might happen and you should prepare yourself for it.

a lot of people with bipolar are resistant to getting help especially during their manic phases.

i know this from personal experience (there are a few people in my family who have bipolar).

[Forkboy]

13. I can vouch for that

[La Lioness Priyanka]

15. most studies on people with bipolar suggest that they are most resistant to therapy

because they enjoy the manic phases. which is pretty normal since no one wants to be depressed.

[Forkboy]

16. I usually love 'em

But after four or five days with barely any sleep it can be a bit frustrating,to say the least.And every now and then it can go on for weeks,and no meds do anything.

The depression is always there,but being manic makes it hard to keep my mind on the things that depress me for very long,so it's kind of a wash :)

[skygazer]

18. I actually hate the manic phases

I feel much more out of control than I do when depressed. It's like being on speed which I never liked.

I do get a lot of housework done, though, which is a plus. :eyes:

[Forkboy]

19. It is like being on speed...and then some.

I agree about that part sucking.But I get too depressed when I'm not.

It's safer for me to be manic. :)

[otherlander]

20. Yup.

Hurry up or you'll miss the panic train out of Comatoseland.

[zanne]

5. He might talk to you.

I'm putting myself in the place of your friend's girlfriend. A few years ago, I got one of my husband's friends to talk to him about mood swings. He wouldn't listen to anything I had to say about it, and it almost broke us up. He went for help because of his friend. Please give it a try; maybe he'll let you in.

[grace0418]

8. I had to ask a friend to talk to my husband once. Sometimes someone slightly

outside the situation can wake the person up. It's worth a try. If it doesn't work, at least you tried. If it does work, it'll be a wonderful thing to see your friend get help.

Just be careful. In my husband's situation, it was mild depression, not more serious mood swings.

[hedgehog]

9. Newsweek had some info on this a few weeks ago.

The article had suggestions for approaching men in particular. Maybe there are some agencies that could give you some pointers?

[skygazer]

12. I think it's worth a try

I suffered terribly from undiagnosed bipolar illness for years until my best friend, recognizing my symptoms, talked to me about his experiences with clinical depression. Knowing that someone I respected and saw as a great person had the same type of issues to deal with made it a lot easier to face in myself.

As for advice, I don't know. I would suggest a low key approach that touches a lot on what you've experienced along with the observation that your friend seems to display similar behavior. In other words, kind of an invitation to him to sort of open up. My friend's admission that he saw a doctor regularly was key to my seeking help.

At any rate, good luck. It's so hard living with this stuff, whether you're the sufferer or his/her friend or loved one.

[Forkboy]

14. Talk to him

It took me to the brink of suicide before I sought any.You may be saving his life.

[crim son]

17. I'd talk to him.

Sometimes extremely strange behavior is a request for help. If he is in serious difficulty then somebody is going to have to be proactive and help him get the care he needs, just as if he were having a heart attack and couldn't make the phonecall himself. Of course you will need his cooperation but there are non-threatening ways to persuade him "just to be checked out." Good luck.

[EFerrari]

21. Communication tool: SET

= sympathy, empathy, truth.

It can work well on people who are experiencing fearfulness, if ya know what I mean,

If you wanna PM me about it, I can be on tap. Your friend is a lucky guy. :hug:

[Magrittes Pipe]

22. What about your situation?

I don't see what being a virgin has to do with this. I mean, he *is* sleeping with his girlfriend and all, I don't know what light you can shed on the subject. :shrug:

[HEyHEY]

24. I haven't been a virgin since you found that bottle of ether

And I believe our lawyers told us not to interact with each other.

[BlueIris]

25. Ew.

But about your sitution HEyHEY--could there be drugs involved? 2 hours a night is not very much sleep, even for someone in something like the manic phase of a BPD's life. Either way, drugs, manic depression--be very careful. He could be extremely irrational and unstable.

[HEyHEY]

26. No drugs - but he drinks way too much

His G/F has a degree in psychology and she feels something could be wrong. As I said, she's too sacred to mention it.

[bleedingheart]

23. I did that and it ruined my friendship

My friend is either bi-polar or manic depressive.

She has always been either in the throes of excitement or tremendously depressed and angry.

I never said anything...but always nudged her towards therapy.

When I saw how it affected her kids, I intervened and she only got worse.

Three years it took...and she finally contacted me to let me know that she wanted my forgiveness for how she behaved...but I don't think she ever got help.

I say tread lightly..and consult a mental health professional about the situation before you do anything...at least to get some ideas on what is the right thing to do.