Hi guys,
how's it going?
This whole posting on a forum business is quite new to me so i'm not really sure what to write :s
I don't know whether i would actually class myself as a carer, but i guess i do 'care' for my dad. My dad has Bipolar disorder. He is what they call a 'rapid cycler' and his moods remain more on the depressive end than the manic end.
I have been aware of his illness for many years now, but more recently-since i was at college, and now university-i find myself taking on more prominent role in his life. I check in with him everyday, i transport him around to various places (shops etc), I help him keep track of appointments, he confides his feelings to me etc etc
I know it may not seem like much caring, but i think my care comes from the emotional side of things, most significantly in curing his loneliness, and in not being as aggressive and offensive about his moods, poor memory etc as my sister is....
It is something that i have taken upon myself to do, i know that i am still only 20yrs old and i have my whole life ahead of me, but looking after my dad in any way that i can is a very important part of my life.
It is because of him that i chose to do a psychology degree. I wanted to understand his condition as much as i could. It is also because of him that i chose to focus my dissertation study on mental health. Because of living with a parent with mental illness, and understanding the struggles that that can bring for me, i sought out to set up a study to find out how other people cope with living with a mentally ill family member. I hope that through doing this i will help others and myself to find some comfort that i am not the only one who feels suffocated by the (sometimes) strain of constantly worrying about a loved one, and perhaps find some alternative ways to cope with these emotions....
how's it going?
This whole posting on a forum business is quite new to me so i'm not really sure what to write :s
I don't know whether i would actually class myself as a carer, but i guess i do 'care' for my dad. My dad has Bipolar disorder. He is what they call a 'rapid cycler' and his moods remain more on the depressive end than the manic end.
I have been aware of his illness for many years now, but more recently-since i was at college, and now university-i find myself taking on more prominent role in his life. I check in with him everyday, i transport him around to various places (shops etc), I help him keep track of appointments, he confides his feelings to me etc etc
I know it may not seem like much caring, but i think my care comes from the emotional side of things, most significantly in curing his loneliness, and in not being as aggressive and offensive about his moods, poor memory etc as my sister is....
It is something that i have taken upon myself to do, i know that i am still only 20yrs old and i have my whole life ahead of me, but looking after my dad in any way that i can is a very important part of my life.
It is because of him that i chose to do a psychology degree. I wanted to understand his condition as much as i could. It is also because of him that i chose to focus my dissertation study on mental health. Because of living with a parent with mental illness, and understanding the struggles that that can bring for me, i sought out to set up a study to find out how other people cope with living with a mentally ill family member. I hope that through doing this i will help others and myself to find some comfort that i am not the only one who feels suffocated by the (sometimes) strain of constantly worrying about a loved one, and perhaps find some alternative ways to cope with these emotions....
