My name is Connie. I am 79, and divorced. I live alone. I have had recurring clinical depression since 1966. I usually experience episodes of depression during or right after long periods of stress. Right now, I am being treated by a psychiatric nurse practitioner. She is not much of a therapist, but at least she can prescribe my meds. I had an excellent therapist for many years. She retired a few years ago. I can still see her at her home office, but I have to pay her full fee out of pocket. I have Medicare, plus a supplemental policy, but she is not a provider for Medicare. If things get really rough for me, I sometimes get an appointment with her. She knows me well, and knows a lot about my son's condition. She is always able to help me with good and practical suggestions and therapy.

I have a son, age 44, who has bipolar disorder with schizoaffective features. He is a compliant patient, and works well with his professional team. Lithium was an effective and helpful medication for him, and he took it for 27 years, along with other meds. He had to stop taking lithium in Jan. of 2022, because it was damaging his kidneys. Since then, his bipolar disorder has been much more difficult to manage. He has been hospitalized during serious episodes 9 times. 2025 was an especially difficult year for my son. He was hospitalized 3 different times, mainly for severe depression with suicidal ideation, and he was in a residential treatment program for about 10 days. During his 3rd hospitalization, he had ECT treatments for the first time. He continued his treatments as an out patient after discharge, and had a total of 13 treatments. He was not a rapid responder, but did eventually get considerable relief from the ECT treatments. Right now, he is having more difficulty with mania than he had during the years when he was able to take lithium. He currently takes 5 or 6 different meds, under close supervision from his out patient psychiatrist. He has severe sleep issues, and his circadian rhythm is disrupted much of the time. I love my son and care deeply about his well being, I am proud of him that he is relatively high functioning, in spite of all his challenges and his heavy load of medication. He is a caring, loving, and giving person. When he is not doing well, my concern for him results in stress for me. Long term stress often is a trigger for depression for me. I have just joined Mayo Connect today, and am learning about the different support groups that are available. I am hoping to find a support group on line for family members and friends of people with bipolar disorder. I have no support or understanding from my immediate family in dealing with my son's illness and his challenges. I had a very dear cousin who was wonderful support for my son and for me, but she passed away in Jan. of 2024.