Parents of Bipolar Children Support Group

Hello,

Welcome to the Parents of Bipolar Children Support Group.

This Support Group is a comfort place for family members and friends to share and ask questions regarding Parents of Bipolar Kids.

Feel free to introduce yourself, ask your questions and be around people who are in your spot.

We'll be happy to hear your thoughts on how to make this Parents of Bipolar Children Support Group better.

Best,

roy

I started a discussion, as I am new to this group and didn't know where/how to submit. I may not be of much help right now as I am trying to figure out how to get my son to accept treatment. He has been diagnosed with adhd, oppositional defiant, and/or bipolar...he is twenty years old, and these past few weeks I believe he is exhibiting manic symptoms. It came to a crescendo yesterday, and by the evening I had called to an ambulance to come get him so he could get calmed down. He refuses treatment, refused to go to the hospital, and the police who accompanied the ambulance were rude to me, totally uneducated re: mental health issues, as they called what he was going through a "temper tantrum" and were not going to help get him in the ambulance because of his age, and that I could not articulate to their satisfaction that he needed to be helped. Oh my god, just one look around my apartment (holes in walls, door torn off hinges)would have been a clue that this was not just a "temper tantrum". How do you get someone a correct diagnosis and treatment when they refuse help? I'm emotionally drained and looking for guidance.

I'm sorry you are going through such a terrible time. It is so much more difficult when people on the outside don't know what we go through. My daughter is 20 now and although things aren't perfect, she's doing better. She left home just days after turning 18 and came crashing back a short time later after she'd gone off her meds. We had rules for her returning home. She had to go to the pdoc regularly, take her meds and go to therapy regularly, she had to respect us and respect our home, and had to pull her weight at home and with finances. She was told that if she didn't follow these basic rules, she could leave again. After a couple hospitalizations and alot of intensive therapy, I believe she came to understand that we love her and that's why we had rules. THings aren't perfect. She almost didn't graduate from high school when she pulled that stunt, but she got through it and is in college. Although she used to be an honor student, college is very difficult for her due to the meds. She's talking about taking a semester off. However, we will be having a talk about new rules if she is not going to be in school. She isn't going to be happy about it and will probably start talking about moving out again, but we have to hold her accountable, no matter how tough that is.

I will pray for you and your son, as I do for me and my daughter. Welcome to our group. You are NOT alone in this.

My son is 16 years old has bipolar, adhd, odd and was just recently placed in at CBAT treatment facility after waiting in our local hospital for 7 days for a bed. A CBAT is considered a step down program from an Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital. I don't like when he gets the rage side of mania it scares me and my two younger children, plus I think it scares him too. I am having a hard time punishing him when he is home if you have any advice please let me know.

Dawn

He is currently taking

Rispirdal 1mg am, 5mg pm

Stratera 40mg

Tegratol 200mg am, 400mg pm

Trazadone 100mg pm for sleep

This is really hard for me to accept and family and friends are asking why my 8yr old daughter was in hospital for a week. i dont want to disclose the diagnosis pf bipolar. but i can confidently say its been great having my daughter that i know home with us, she became someone i didnt know. my only concern now will she have to be on lamictin for the rest of her life and will she ever grow out of the childhood bipolar....i guess thats a silly question. i am so scared on her part!

Hi Dawn,Welcome to the group.I sorry to hear about your son and that your having a hard time. It truly is a hard thing to know how to punish a Bi-Polar child at any age.My son is now 24,but he isn't living at home.I can only suggest to research some books that deal with mental illness or Bi-Polar children in their teens. Keep posting here I know there are alot of parents here that have children the same age.*HUGS*Keep coming back

My son graduated in 2010 as the valedictorian of his class and NHS president, had a full ROTC scholarship, everything was "perfect". My world came crashing down as we got a phone call on Sept. 27, 2011, from an ROTC professor, stating that my son had not attended ANY classes for three weeks. We were completely blindsided by the events that followed, bringing him back home from school in December, learning of the multitude of lies, and finally hit rock bottom in February when we had to place him in the hospital for a week, terrified he would hurt himself. It's been the worst 9 months of my life, not because of what my son has given up or of the diagnosis he carries, but to watch someone you love more than yourself go through this is heart-wrenching. And from the little I've read on this website, so many of you have children with MULTIPLE issues. Good grief, how do you pick yourselves up off of the floor on a day-to-day basis?

Acceptance is part of it and sucks and days I want to run away or cry or whatever LOL

BUT I have to do all I can to help my daughter she didnt ask for this and as hard as it is for us Im sure it has to be worse for her.She was first diagnosed week or so before 13th Bday and she was 19 few weeks ago.We are still trying to find right cocktail meds for her to be stable and functional.In 6 years sevral hospitalizations,many different meds we never give up as many here have made me see someday we will find meds in combonation that will help.Her pDr always tells us we keep trying til we find what works.

Thats whats so hard with this illness meds dont work the same for each so you have to do trial and error and I think some worse then others and some have multiple things like mine he borderline personality stuff and couple other things were only added past year when things got so bad.

I think the more you learn about the illness and the more stories I see it helps.

bgeorge, I really understand what you are going through. My brilliant daughter, a girl that was a great student, not only book smart but sweet and kind to others, she was a girl where I received phone calls and letters from her teachers telling me she was an all around outstanding person and notes on how lucky they were to have her as their student!

In year 2 of college (on set adult bipolar reared it's ugly head) we find out she has been taking our money, traveling all over the world and taking off one semester of college. She was lying constantly, fighting with everyone, could not hold down a job and made everyone's life that she was in contact with a living hell.

I knew bipolar my daughter's relatives were highly bipolar, I then studied bipolar and spent thousands of dollars on Drs, medications, everything and anything you can think of to help her. Because my daughter was in constant mania she became narcissistic and unbearable. I went through many years and lots of wasted money trying to help her. I became beat down and did not even know who I was anymore. I decided to take a 3 month complete total break from her. I did not answer my phone, door and I refused to let her hear my voice. I simply could not take anymore. I knew if I continued with her I would be dead. I decided I wanted to live, I had a right to be happy and I was sick of riding a damn roller coaster to NO WHERE.

In the 3 months my daughter realized I was dead serious about not tolerating her crap anymore and decided deep down within her that she was on the wrong road. I finally saw some changes in her, small changes but positive changes. I would rate my daughter's bipolar on a 1-10 scale, an 8 or 9. My daughter is now 30 years old, not on medication and trying to manage her life on her own. Things are not perfect but are much better. (knocking on wood of course). You ask how do you pick yourself up off the floor on a day to day basis? For me it was deep prayer and guidance on what to do next through the Holy Ghost. I tried everything! The therapists told me not to blow her off it would be the worst thing ever, but I listen to my heart and it was the ONLY thing that worked with my daughter. We have to try different things and we have to find something, anything that helps our children get back on track. I wish all of you good luck for this hard and rocky journey. Update- Daughter is doing many home improvements and has been acting kind to all around her, she told me that when she feels her chemistry changing she hangs low and really watches her behavior. She told me she can tell right away with the changes and tries to make the best of it. I look forward to reading your stories when your life turns to the better.

Clearthinker....WOW! How very strong you are...SO many people told me to do that very thing. My husband had reached the point where he was ready to do the same exact thing as you. We were within inches of throwing him out...my son looked at me the day before Mother's Day and told me he didn't care about me or anyone else in the family. I looked him right in the eye and said I loved him, and I didn't scare that easily. This disease has blindsided all of us,...no known family history, no childhood indication that anything was amiss....I just knew that the sweet boy I had raised was NOT the one sitting before me. We chose to wait it out and hope for the best. We are VERY blessed that we are now sitting on four weeks and one day of forward progress. Boy, when that medication works, it's like a light-switch! Clearly, not out of the woods, and there is a very long road to recovery, but it's a welcomed change to what we've been living for the past few months.

Thank you SO much for sharing your story, clearthinker. I cannot imagine how difficult that must have been to give the "tough love" shoulder to your daughter, but it sounds like you had no other choice. I continue to be amazed at how strong a mother's love is, and how moms ALWAYS intuitively know what is best for their children. I love the follow-up story....gives me hope that my son can lead a normal life with this disease and he can learn to recognize his symptoms.

Best wishes!