Parents of Bipolar Children Support Group

I have found since we have told anyone about the things we go thru with our daughter everyone has an opinion and most of the time it is very upsetting .... but we cant really get mad cause if you dont live with it you dont understand. I have been told by family members that we should send her away because of my other children... I have been told that if she were to kill herself that it wouldnt be all that bad cause then she would be in a better place and not in pain ..... EVERYONE has an opinion ..... I guess they all think that I dont understand it isnt normal for my 16 yr old to cry herself to sleep because she cant fix her sister.. or how my 10 yr old wants to be anywhere but home or how my son who is 8 has become obsessed with his xbox in his room alone ..... I see all this ... I see my family suffering but what can I do? We go thru each day and pray that it will all work out and we will all see tomm. About a mnth or so ago my daughter beat the crap outta me and took a knife and sliced my hand open and I accepted it ... I guess .... I was covered in bruises and had bandages on my hand and I lied to people when they asked what happened....Its like I am an abused mom ..... but what do I do? My heart breaks for my daughter ... she didnt ask for this.. she surely doesnt enjoy it.... maybe its guilt that I passed this horrible gene to her ..... I think ..... no I know I am overwhelmed and heart broken and have NO idea what to do with her. I actually went to her school last week when she was having a moment to talk her down but I really wanted to just bring her home so I would be the only one who saw her act like that..

O.K. So, here we go.

If your daughter is not in therapy, she should be. If you think money is an issue for in-home therapy, then contact your local mental health agency and see if they have any programs or teams that can help you. Many of them provide funding (free or on a sliding fee scale).

Also contact your local NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) and ask them to refer you to resources in your area. You need to have help NOW. Make that clear to them.

The meds are going to take awhile to really kick in. Most of these meds take 4 to 8 weeks for maximum benefit. You may need med adjustments in the meantime. Keep in close touch with her pdoc (psychiatrist) and let them know of any backsliding in behaviors. It may mean that a med adjustment is necessary. Again, the importance of keeping a journal.

THere are also local support groups for family members of bipolar. This online group may help you, but your 16 year old certainly needs help and understanding too. These groups are usually free as well. I'd check it out and see if it's appropriate for your 16 year old. The two of you could go together.

I'm sure your task list is a mile long already. But, it would be well worth it to start becoming familiar with the services in your area.

Hang in there. Knowledge is power in this battle. Take one thing at a time. Just go down your list.

We're here for you.

I have found due to our income we qualify for nothing extra and our insurance isnt the best ... I am finding ... when it comes to mental health. I considered SSI for her but I am sure our income is to high for that. We didnt plan well enough I guess when we were buying our home and such for a serious health issue to pop up.

Check out what the mental health services are for your county. We do live in the same state, and I know that there are resources in this area. If you live by a university, you might even find someone there who can provide you with some support.

I teach high school in Virginia, so I can try to give you advice about education if you ever have questions, although I am NOT a SpEd teacher.

I think we have all learned that you have to be persistent and somewhat creative when it comes to getting support for your child. And we have come to learn that other people, sometimes even family, do not understand what it means to have a bipolar child. My daughter is 24, and was diagnosed about 18 months ago, so it's a little different, but after having watched her lose a job because of the condition (you would think a pharmacy would "get it"), I can tell you that society just does not understand. WE DO! We've been there, and I can also say that the people you will meet here are some of the most supportive friends you can have!

*hugs*

Her school is AMAZING!!!! They give her a class in the middle of the day that she can decompress and catch up on work she misses due to therapy and dr appts. Also she can go to the nurse or counsler andytime she is starting to feel angry. She was just getting up and walking out of class if she felt she was above what they were teaching that day! Marryn likes to threaten when she is "winding" up into a rage so hopefully by being able to just go talk to someone she wont continue that wind up process. Once she hits that point where she is wound tight it becomes dangerous. I pray to god that she never hits that point at school! We also have open lines of communication with her peds dr, therapist and phychiatrist. My 10 yr old is ADHD and we visit ped each mnth for her meds and we always talk about Marryn. She talks to Amber too about how she is feeling with Marryns issues. I really thought I would need an IEP for her at school but it hasnt turned out that way yet.Also , she has started playing the saxophone this year and the teacher is really great with her.