Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde

@Rozie37 (15499)
Turkmenistan
December 28, 2007 3:13pm CST
Have you ever met a real live Dr. Jekyll, Mr.Hyde. I know one. She is the sweetest person in the world one day and the next(there is no better way to say it) a cold-hearted b*tch. Okay, now I know that she has Bipolar Disorder. But, is that the way a person with this disorder behaves. I mean, Wednesday I was not feeling well so she bought me some chicken soup from Subway and shared her Christmas candy with me. Thursday, I saw her walking by and I tried to call her over to speak to her and she came, but she treated me like I was lower than dirt. This has happened many times and it always leaves me with my mouth hanging open. It's so hard to believe that someone could go from one extreme to the next in less than twenty-four hours. It never cease to amaze me. I guess this is a means of survival for her, but to me it is perfectly sickening. I know that no one is perfect, but this behavior is way off the map. What do you think?
7 people like this
10 responses
@AmbiePam (84628)
• United States
30 Dec 07
I don't think it is her being bipolar. I could be wrong, but I have bipolar and I've never acted like that. Sure, I have been up and then down, but in doing so I was never mean to someone else. Perhaps it is her fundamental character, nurtured by how she grew up? It hurts to have your emotions jumbled around, so I hope you can find a way to keep yourself from the way she tends to hurt people.
2 people like this
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
30 Dec 07
Oh, I can tell you are not like this. You are not cold like she is. The thing of it is, she also drinks a lot.
2 people like this
@baileym11 (887)
• United States
29 Dec 07
Definitely. My husband. He can turn into a complete monster or selfish pr*ck as I call him. Other times he is wonderful.
2 people like this
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
30 Dec 07
How do you cope with this? I need to know.
1 person likes this
@balasri (26537)
• India
29 Dec 07
I think every one of us is a little Jekyll and Hyde ourselves.I can hold an hand of an old lady and listen to her woes and comfort her for hours.And the same me can turn into the nastiest person in the world who come to harm my daughter.The circumstances play a major role in playing with your character.
1 person likes this
@balasri (26537)
• India
29 Dec 07
Yes I understand.Certain people oscillate between moods at random.May something wrong with the chemicals in their brain.
1 person likes this
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
29 Dec 07
What you are speaking of is normal, what I am talking about is not. I am normally a sweet person, but when it comes to my family being in harms way, you would not even recognize the person I become.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
6 Jan 08
Could it be she needed her medication adjusted, or maybe she missed a dose or something? I must admit, my knowledge of Bipolar Disorder is pretty much limited to what I've seen on TV but I do know my daughter's brother and sister-in-law (her husband's brother and his wife) are both mildly bipolar and with the wife it's sometimes very pronounced that she's "off her meds" or something's just not quite right. Like you said, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde; she can be the sweetest, kindest, most sensible person going one time and the next time she's vindictive and sarcastic. It's a tough call because you don't really know how to act around people when they're like that. I fully understand and respect the fact they have a medical condition, same as if they had asthma or diabetes, but with something like Bipolar Disorder I'm always afraid I'll say or do something to set them off. At least when you're aware of her condition it makes it a little easier to know how to react. Someone who had no idea there was a medical issue could really do or say the wrong thing. Annie
1 person likes this
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
6 Jan 08
Actually, it took me a while to consider her disorder. I just figured it was something demonic, LoL.
@Zorrogirl (1502)
• South Africa
28 Dec 07
i know one too! my mother in law. in my life i have never met a two face like her. and i discovered that too late. she knows too much about me. she is so sweet and makes every one believe that she is near angelic. but just when they turn around, she turns demonic. its scary and i try to avoid her nowadays. she has gone psycho on me one too many times.
1 person likes this
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
29 Dec 07
From angelic to demonic, you hit the nail on the head. I feel like I need a degree in psychology to be able to deal with her. It is just so weird when she goes back and forth. I wonder if one state of mind can remember anything that happened in the other state of mind? It's a perfect mistery to me.
1 person likes this
@Zorrogirl (1502)
• South Africa
29 Dec 07
its really difficult. as much as i try to avoid her, she lives only ten minutes drive from us. i am so scared about the way i act around her and what i say. the next day it could turn on me. a lot of people dont know her well enough to be weary in her presence. i have heard a lot of times how she belitles her best friends behind their backs. she is psychologically psycho.
3 people like this
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
30 Dec 07
This girl is the same way. She talks about her friends behind their backs like they have four legs and a tail. I told her one day that I knew she talked about me the same way she did her other friends. She said, no I don't because you are my real friend. Nothing but a bunch of bull.
1 person likes this
@miamilady (4910)
• United States
29 Dec 07
Sounds like she has some serious issue. I think there is a little bit of Dr.Jekyll/Mr. Hyde in everyone, but I think some people have it more than others. Bi-Polar Disorder is really tough to deal with. It's tough to have it and it's tough for the people who have friends, spouses or family members who suffer from it. My advice to you would be to try not to take her mood swings personally. Her issues are exatly that "her" issues. Just live your life the best way you know how, be the best person you can be, and try not to let the behavior of others affect you so much. She's probably not a bad person. She cleary has thoughtful moments if she brought you that chicken soup. Appreciate her good moments and try not to take her bad moments to heart. If your uncomfortable dealing with a person who has those issues, then just don't go overboard on becoming too close to her. Dealing with someone like that can be mentally exhausting if you let it be. It's not for the weak of heart. Good luck.
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
30 Dec 07
You are right, she can be the sweetest person in the world at times. That is what makes this so painful for me. It's like there are two different people in the same body. It is so creepy. I just don't want to feel more anger than I already do. I know that I should not take it personal, but it is hard to tell if I am coming or going and it hurts.
@marciascott (25529)
• United States
29 Dec 07
Hi, Rosie, sounds like she has a problem just ignore her, you don't have to take that, be bother with her when you want to or don't be bothered with here on her turns, she sounds like a real a$$. Don't let it stress you out!
1 person likes this
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
2 Jan 08
I am taking your advice and learning to ignore the behavior.
• United States
29 Dec 07
I do not think it is just her bipolar disorder going on with her. Usually with bipolar diorder the mood swings are for a while and they do not happen like that. I thing something else is going on. Good luck to you with dealing with this type of person.
@garnet80 (349)
• Australia
29 Dec 07
My sisterin-law is like that. One moment she is so sweet and nice and the next she is abusing you. It took about 9 years for my sister to see her nasty side as she lives a fair distance away and even though she had heard what she was like when she saw our sister-in-laws mood change she was still stuned. This woman makes me feel so angry and she treats my brother bad some people who work with him said that sometimes she makes him cry. My brother is a strong man but to me this is wrong. They have 2 kids together and she has an older now 18 year old daughter from a past relationship. She even treats her oldest like dirt. I really don't understand why some people are like this.
1 person likes this
@vera5d (4005)
• United States
29 Dec 07
i used to work with a lady exactly like this. she made the biggest deal about wanting to take me out for lunch in honor of administrative assistant day (i guess that's the pc term for secratary now)...we had a really nice lunch and she was nice as pie... an hour later she was screaming at me...yeesh! she drove me and everyone else in the office crazy...my boss literally told her she needs to be nicer to people or she would need to work somewhere else... the best thing to do with these people is usually ignore them if you can...you're not going to be able to help them even if you want to or they want you to... i was always polite to her and non confrontational...that seemed to help slightly. i stress the word slightly :)
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
30 Dec 07
I know that I can not help her and God knows, I do not even want to try. Everything that I have tried to help her with so far, seems to have been flushed right down the drain. It makes me mad too, because there were times when I would get into a knock down dragged out arguement with her, before she could see where I was coming from. So I know she knows better, she just doesn't seem to care. She tells me, "I do what I want to do." I say fine, but you won't be doing it to me. I have my own issues, but I have decided that I want to be the best me that I can be. So I am constantly working on myself. And knowing her has taught me a lot, but I get real drained dealing with her.
1 person likes this