Does my girlfriend have bipolar? paranoia?

Hello everyone,

I apologize, but this is somewhat long...

About three weeks ago, my girlfriend discovered some family issues that's been extremely traumatizing and stressful for her. Basically, she found documents to believe that her step-mom has been planning for years to transfer over family assets to her step-brother. A lot of the assets are already under the step-mom's name and my gf also believes the step-mom has been slowly ruining and discrediting her and her father's reputation and credit. She now thinks that her step-mom's family is also involved and that there are a lot of other people now invovled. She also thinks that her father's life, my life, and her friends' lives are threatened. Her father believes her one day and doesn't the next. I can't say for sure where he stands. My gf believes he can't take any action because the step-mom has threatened to harm my gf. There are a lot of documents that we've seen in the office and home but it's all circumstantial. When she eventially organizes it all, I'm sure she can present a convincing case, but none of it is hard evidence to anything that she's suspicious of. Despite it all, I believe there is a strong chance that her step-mom is trying to transfer all the assets to her step-brother. Beyond the financial, I'm not convinced of anything else.

Since finding out the situation, my gf has been scrambling to protect her and her father physically and financially. What worries me is that her behavior and personality has changed. Initially, she would begin a sentence and then never finish it. Then ask me my opinion. She will say 'he' instead of 'she' or refer to a door as a 'window' etc. She has already been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD but it's never been this bad. I asked her about it and she said she's mostly thinking out loud and doesn't realize she's saying things.

Then she started doing and saying things that really started to alarm me. She thinks that people are following us. She thinks that someone installed special flourescent bulbs at the home to make the pictures we take of documents not show up. She thinks someone put drugs or poison in the office water and unopened cans of coke. She thinks that her step-mom is deliberately and slowly poisoning her father. She thinks that hackers have access to her computer and our internet. She has suspicions of sabotage with anything that doesn't work right (phones, computer stuff, cars, fax machines, etc). She now thinks she doesn't have ADD and that her step-mom conditioned her to be that way.

About a week into this, I made an appointment with her ADD psychologist and I told the Dr what I've seen and heard. The Dr suspects bipolar disorder. When we left, my gf was extremely angry for making her feel like a crazy person and explained that she was just talking out loud at the time and she didn't think that anymore. Despite telling me this, she still continues to belive people are following us and strangers are being tipped off to automatically think she's crazy. She thinks I'm so laid back that I don't consider these things as a possibility and that she hasn't told me the entire story for me to come to the conclusions she's having.

At this point, all I can do is help her and make sure she eats, sleeps, and isn't in any danger. If I try to confront her with my opinion, she gets extremely angry and condescending.

She has seen a few lawyers and we've gone to the police station several times. Because we have no hard evidence, the police have said they can't do anything. I haven't heard from the lawyers about what they think.

I began researching on bipolar and paranoia. I read that it can be triggered by stress or traumatic events.

Here are the symptoms of bipolar i read and if I've seen it in her:

Mania:
*Increased energy, activity, and restlessness - yes
*Excessively "high," overly good, euphoric mood - no
*Extreme irritability - yes
*Racing thoughts and talking very fast, jumping from one idea to another - yes
*Distractibility, can't concentrate well - yes
*Little sleep needed - yes
*Unrealistic beliefs in one's abilities and powers - yes
*Poor judgment - yes
*Spending sprees - no
*A lasting period of behavior that is different from usual - yes
*Increased sexual drive - no
*Abuse of drugs, particularly cocaine, alcohol, and sleeping medications - no
*Provocative, intrusive, or aggressive behavior - yes
*Denial that anything is wrong - yes

Depression:
*Lasting sad, anxious, or empty mood - yes
*Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism - yes
*Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness - yes
*Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed, including sex - yes
*Decreased energy, a feeling of fatigue or of being "slowed down" - yes
*Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions - yes
*Restlessness or irritability - yes
*Sleeping too much, or can't sleep - yes
*Change in appetite and/or unintended weight loss or gain - yes
*Chronic pain or other persistent bodily symptoms that are not caused by physical illness or injury - yes
*Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts - yes

I'd appreciate any feedback on this. I really don't know what to do now. If I confront her, she will do things on her own and potentially hurt herself. But, I can't just sit back and lead her on to think that I believe her.

Thanks

schizophrenia is what it sounds like, early stages.

A close friend of mine progressively became full blown schizophrenic (now on disability, drugged 24-7). The theme of 'people are planing something against me' is common. With my friend at first it was still possible to have a conversation. But eventually it escaladed to the point where he had to be brought to the hospital because he was convinced he was in the mafia and had killed people.

Be careful. Be attentive to what she tells you. I see psychosis as on a spectrum... mania on one side, schizophrenia on the other side. You're missing a few important features of mania... like the spending and the interest in sex. it's not always there but its very often there. Plus mania doesn't necessarily lead to consipiracy theories.

Its hard to say what to do. Your dealing with an adult that can't be forced into going to a hospital if she doesn't want to. Does she work? School? Sorry if you already answered this. I think it's critical that you point out to the doctor how outside forces are very much a part of what she talks about... i.e. forces against her (family, government, aliens, take your pick). It's very treatable, apparantly. Im no psychiatrist but from what I understand there is mild and severe schizophrenia and the milder the easier to treat and reintigrate normal life.

I hope this helps a bit. You look like you did a lot of research, I really suggest you google schizophrenia. Also look for psychosis... the peak of mania. Maybe that's what's happening to her, its just that because of the consipiracy theory theme I,m not sure its very common to bipolar. But again, I'm no specialist.

Take care. This is hard stuff to deal with.

nancy