Bipolar Disorder: Signs, Symptoms, and Seeking Help - Psychiatry

Bipolar disorder issues

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Hello, my father is in his 60s, and after observing his behavior for several months, we suspect he may have bipolar disorder.
Below is a detailed description of his condition, and I would appreciate your response.
Thank you.

Around August of last year, he began to talk about things from his past, often forgetting whom he had spoken to about them.
After some time, he would bring up the same topics again.
Subsequently, in conversations about daily life, he would repeatedly mention the same things, even if we reminded him he had already discussed them; he might still bring up the same topics days later.
Starting in October, we noticed he was talking more, but since he has always enjoyed socializing and chatting, the family did not initially find this unusual, attributing it to aging and a tendency to ramble and express opinions about everything.
By December, he became very eager to help others, wanting to assist with sales and promote handmade cookies, but his methods were overly hasty, not considering whether the recipients could handle the volume.
When he later wanted to retract his offers, he became angry, feeling that others had not communicated the "rules of the game" properly (he began to use the term "play" to describe life situations).
In January of this year, while traveling abroad with old colleagues, he suddenly called to say he wanted to buy a large quantity of local specialties to sell, claiming he felt sorry for the store staff and wanted to help.
The amount was substantial, and we were shocked.
After much persuasion, we managed to dissuade him from this idea; however, the souvenirs he brought back seemed excessive.
After returning at the end of January, a colleague who traveled with him privately told us that they felt my father was different from before, noting changes in his tone and attitude.
This prompted us to consider the possibility of bipolar disorder.
We began to observe his behavior more closely and hinted at our concerns, but he insisted he was fine and had no issues.

The behaviors we observed included: incessant talking, an inability to stop; euphoria, laughing loudly at things he found amusing that others did not understand; excessive self-confidence, believing he was highly capable and could teach many people, while thinking others knew nothing; impatience in explaining things to others, abruptly ending discussions if they did not understand quickly; issuing commands when asking others for help, responding poorly to attempts at negotiation, insisting others follow his instructions without question; and a noticeable change in spending habits, becoming less frugal than before.
In February, during the Lunar New Year, he had an accident and was hospitalized.
During his hospital stay, possibly due to inactivity (he used to enjoy walking and observing nature), his bipolar symptoms worsened.
He began to propose unrealistic and fanciful plans and made unfounded assumptions about others or situations, often exaggerating them without evidence, while dismissing differing opinions as stubbornness, believing others were playing tricks on him.
We believe his logic and judgment have deteriorated, and now we can only listen to his one-sided narratives without being able to express our thoughts.
If we disagree with him, he refuses to listen, telling us to stop talking.
If we persist, he becomes emotionally agitated, claiming we are stealing his voice, and may even start to cry.
When he asks for help, he only wants us to follow his directives, and if we try to clarify or ask more questions, he shuts down communication entirely.
In this state, he seems unable to handle external matters, as he lacks the patience to confirm necessary information and believes that if others do not act quickly according to his instructions, they are incompetent or deliberately obstructing him.
Regarding psychiatric treatment, he began experiencing insomnia two years ago and has been regularly visiting a psychiatrist for sleep medication (Ramelteon, Uloric).
Initially, he seemed to be prescribed an antidepressant (Mirtazapine) to extend his sleep duration, but we are unsure how long he took it; the last time he received this medication was around March or April of last year, and he seems to have stopped taking it.
In January of this year, during his trip abroad, he claimed (though we cannot discern the truth of his statements) that he was almost robbed at the local airport on his return, which left him with significant anxiety.
He returned to the psychiatrist, who diagnosed him with anxiety and prescribed anti-anxiety medication, but he believes that mental health issues should be self-healed and that medication is ineffective, so he has not taken it.
I would like to ask:
1.
Could the antidepressant medications mentioned have triggered his bipolar disorder?
2.
Based on his current behavior, it seems he is in a manic phase.
Is it possible for bipolar disorder to present without depressive episodes, or can manic phases last for several months?
3.
Over time, the family has been under considerable stress, worried about his potentially uncontrollable behavior, but he lacks insight into his condition and we cannot communicate with him about anything.
How can we encourage him to seek psychiatric help for his bipolar disorder? Is it possible to compel him to receive treatment?

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Niming, 20~29 year old female. Ask Date: 2024/03/01