When I married my husband I knew that he was a recovering alcoholic (2 years clean), but he was one of the nicest people I had ever met. We’ve been married about 6 months now and these past few months he’s becoming more and more of an A**hole, with incredible mood swings, ranging from being the wonderful man I married to a verbally abusive jerk, tantrums and all. I have found out so many lies, most recently that he just resents me being around and wishes he was single. I’ve told him to go and file for divorce and I will leave and go back to my home country (yes I immigrated for him). But he won’t do this, later he apologizes and begs me to “bear with him”. He is like Jekyll and Hyde.
Lately he’s told me he was diagnosed as “bipolar” years ago, but takes no medication. I am wondering if his mood swings have anything to do with the alcoholism or is he really bipolar, and what the symptoms of bipolar are? I am so confused, any advice is appreciated …

genetically, what are the chances i will develop any of these?

My friend is in a manic state I believe as all her dicisions are way out of line.She also says she is a believer in God and preaches it but does not practice what she preaches.I was up front and said she had to stop and gave advice.As you expect she listened and thanked me and said i was right,but didn`t take any suggestions.I feel i have done what i can and now will be a listening board,that`s all.Is this desease similar to alcoholism,unless they want to change nothing can be done.I told her she has to see a M.D phyciatrist and get her meds checked.

Is it like cancer, Lou Gehrig disease, or emphysema, which is determined by clinical tests? Or is it like depression, alcoholism, or disassociative disorders, in which the diagnosis is open to intrepretion?

i once heard that being raised by an alcoholic father could be a factor in developing bipolar disorder. i don’t see the connection here but i’m still curious. does anyone know anything about it?

I was wondering if it is common for bipolar individual’s to use alcohol or drugs to “buffer” mood swings?