My lovely mom has bipolar, and her recent manic episode (still ongoing) led to her moving out, denying the diagnosis, and her stop taking her meds.

She has puts loads and loads of distance between her and our family, and her and her close friends. The family was shocked when she decided to move out, and my mom’s old best friends keep reaching out to me unprompted and letting me know that they think she’s in danger, and is making very questionable choices at this time (I.e., flying out to meet strangers she met online, spending money till she’s broke and can’t afford to eat, sexual promiscuity without testing and safe sex practices, abusive relationships, hostile personality, cruelty to family and friends, and she wants to spend $20,000 on a boob job out of the blue…etc.).

Additionally, during my mom’s manic phase, while she lived at home, she would have nearly 1 panic attack a day, some so severe that she would pass out. However, I don’t hear about these panic attacks anymore as my mom lives on her own now. Her panic attacks seemed to be on the fence with psychosis, but I’m not entirely sure. Also, my mom gets very verbally and emotionally abusive while she’s manic. 

Also, for context, she went into this manic episode  right after she attempted suicide during her low episode - where her psychiatrist put her on an above average amount of antidepressants without mood stabilizers. 

I love my mom to pieces and I know that this is the bipolar talking, but I feel like I have no ways to support her at all. I’ve called doctors for health advice and they said I would need to wait for her to have a wild (likely public) psychosis episode, so that we could bring her in for help without her will. I’m finding that the doctor’s ideas aren’t entirely humane or realistic, which is why I need advice from actually people with the disorder.

I’m just wondering if there’s a way we can support her, and encourage her to pursue the diagnosis and seek help, without having to use this psychosis episode / against her will strategy. I don’t want to wait for my mom to have a big psychosis episode, because that can cause significant damage - I also want to work with my mom, and rather have her make the decision.

I remember my mom telling me during a brief period where her mood was controlled,  that she was really sorry for all the damage she had done while she was in her last manic episode, and that she never wanted to go back to that place…but here we are. So for the sake of my mom’s healthy mind I do not want to stop trying. I just really need guidance and advice on how to help her.  

What is the best thing we can do to support someone like this during their manic episode?

Maybe we can help her with the stigma or something too? Is that one of the things we should look into more? I’m totally lost for ideas, and I’m not keen on the doctor’s recommendation.

TL: DR: what can family and friends do when you are in a manic phase and you stop taking meds, deny the diagnosis, and push friends and family away?