Patient: If a person lies about there life and has sex wih strangers and hides a drinking habit and gets emotional whilst drunk? Is this a mental condition?
Optional Information
Gender: Male
Age: 44
Already Tried: She said she suffered from depression and we went to the doctors and she went on pills,she admitted to a drink problem and went to counciling but continued drinking secretly. I then found out that she has been moving around the country for 6 years meeting guy or girls from dating sites and using the experiences from people she has been with to become her life. She told 1 person she was abused and another that she suffered from cancer. Since moving out she has told people she left because she was being beaten up. Everybody is taken in as she is so convincing but i have spoken to her children who have said she has been like it for about 6 years. When she does move on she continues to meet strangers for sex?? Is this a mental health issue?
Doctor: It sounds like the person is suffering from the disease of addiction in some form and has lost control of their impulses. If you removed the alcohol, it may be the high side of bipolar disorder, but from what you’ve said, it sounds more like alcoholism.
If I can be of further help, please let me know.
Mark
Patient: She has said she suffers from bi polar but due to her constant lies it became another thing not to believe? What can be done to help??
Doctor: It also sounds like she may also have a separate problem of sex addiction that is interplaying with alcoholism. It’s hard to say from this far away and through another person. Can I ask what your relationship is to her and why you want to help her?
Patient: We lived together for 18 months so im her ex boyfriend but i have spoken to her children who want to help but dont know what to do. She seemed to be knowledgeable about depression and the doctor did prescribe drugs but she seemed to be just trying to please me by getting help and just when things were going well she would then drink or disappear for short period of time and i asked if she had a problem being happy. She also tried to please everyone either at home or at work??
Doctor: I’m glad to hear you’re the ex boyfriend, because this lady is hurting too much to be in a mature, intimate relationship. No matter what her problems are, and it sounds like she has more than one of them, you’ve got to take care of yourself.
I’m going to give you some links to explore. I think you’ll find your answers in this reading.
http://psychcentral.com/lib/2007/symptoms-of-borderline-personality-disorder/
http://addictions.about.com/od/sexaddiction/a/sexaddiction.htm
http://addictions.about.com/od/sexaddiction/a/cybersextypes.htm
http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/english.html
http://www.sanon.org/
There isn’t much you can do to help her except suggest she seek treatment, and to not go along with her addictive behavior and act like it’s normal or not happening when you deal with her. For her children, depending on their ages, I would refer them to AlAnon and S-Anon for support. There are online groups available in each of these.
Mark