Thanks, Gulab. It's good to hear others confirming prior information. We'll have to keep an eye on the religion thing. Good religion is helpful ...bad isn't. That's all we need is to have to deal with brainwashing garbage on top of bipolar issues!!!
:( [i:316ae76437]ugh![/i:316ae76437][/size:316ae76437]

I was just thinking after I had sent my prior response to Gulab ...this niece has had a fascination with magick & sourcery & other type things for several years now. As soon as she was released from the hospital the first time around, that was one of the first things she went to ...these kinds of books (apparently in her possession). Do you think there's cause for concern?

Schwarzie:

This is really something you should be discussing with a treating physician.

I can only hope these issues will be mentioned to the physician, but, unfortunately, the 1st pychiatrist/doctor that hospitalized this niece was uncommunicative and almost sent her home without any kind of real treatment (sister-in-law almost had to rage at him to listen) ...was just going to temporarily sedate the girl & send her home. Now that the niece is in another city & hospital, the pychiatrists / doctors seem to be more involved with patients there ...I will mention these issues to my sister-in-law & encourage her to tell the doctors about such reading materials / fascinations / activity that are in her daughter's life.

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Schwarzie
I can only hope these issues will be mentioned to the physician, but, unfortunately, the 1st pychiatrist/doctor that hospitalized this niece was uncommunicative and almost sent her home without any kind of real treatment (sister-in-law almost had to rage at him to listen) ...was just going to temporarily sedate the girl & send her home. Now that the niece is in another city & hospital, the pychiatrists / doctors seem to be more involved with patients there ...I will mention these issues to my sister-in-law & encourage her to tell the doctors about such reading materials / fascinations / activity that are in her daughter's life.

I think many psychiatrists these days do focus more on treating with meds rather than listening. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who can prescribe medication, so they often do. You may want to consider also finding a psychologist or psychotherapist, so she can have someone to talk to in addition to just taking meds. Ask the psychiatrist if they have a psychologist/psychotherapist they work with who can give her more individual attention and really listen to her.

I'm assuming that a psychologist & psychotherapist are basically one & the same thing. I suppose either would be quite up on knowing what things (ie: cults / influences / reading materials) are destructive (however, cults / sourcery are more to do with the spiritual realm of things rather than the 'medical' realm ...should that make a difference?)

It has to be said though that your niece can choose her own reading material or spiritual beliefs. No one religion is necessarily more 'bad' that another.

Where a counsellor/psychologist would help is they would help her get things in perspective and lead a balanced life rather than concentrating overmuch on spiritual matters.

For instance, they might gently encourage her to focus on practical goals and activities or encourage her to visit a day centre to socialise with other people in her position. (All things they have done with me.)

But let her doctor get the medication sorted first, and then any concurrent treatment options are hers or her family's to decide in consultation with her psychatrist.

Love
Kath

Schwarzie, I think I know what you are driving at. No, Neither Wicca nor any other religion had anything to do with her bi-polar. She has a very common and treatable mental problem.

I hope things get better for her.

Joe

Schwarzie,
I will keep your niece in my thoughts.

I dabbled in Wicca in my mid-20s. I started feeling anxious and panic-ky all the time. I thought it was a result of my Wiccan practices. But no, I came to terms with having an anxiety disorder.

Wicca is generally a very ethical religion. In my experience, it was all about raising positive energy to a specific goal. It could be as simple as directing positive energy towards a large credit card bill. My group invoked a goddess (usually nameless, always positive) and her consort, the horned god (usually names, always positive).

Well, for all who have wondered about my niece's sauga this summer, she has been quite well medicated for her bipolar and is somewhat functioning.

Something that still eats at me is her connections with Wicca ...even though it's a somewhat benign organization /group, couldn't individual members cause a problem?

Reason asking: Now it looks like a younger sibling is showing signs of manic-depressive episodes. My sister-in-law is already getting him analysed and vitamin therapy is already started ...app't with a psycotherapist is on the horizon.

I can't help but wonder if there could have been something more to this 'curse' thing than meets the eye.