Amanda – Just a couple of thoughts. First, wondering if your son is in therapy, as well as on meds? If not, that might be helpful for him in learning to manage his behavior, to the extent he can. Family therapy might be helpful for the whole family, in learning how to manage your son’s illness, and give him the attention he requires and deserves, without letting it take over your lives.

Then, as far as his meds, your son seems to be on a lot of them, espescially considering they aren’t working all that well. Maybe it’s time to talk to his doctor about revamping his treatment plan, or even seek out a 2nd opinion.

My sister has been diagnosed with Bipolar and has since had 2 espisodes of bipolar. She is very apprehnsive about even talking about bipolar when it comes up. I try to make it light and not be so pushy, by joking about what she did or daid, she remembers litlle or none of what she daid or did. I eant to help her but she get offended when I ask her if she takes her medicne. She also drinks on occasion so I know whe doesn’t take her medication properly is she at risk of having another episode?

Amanda, I want to respond to you, and I hope this is OK with the author, and other readers, as my comment will be ‘different’. Yet, I feel, now that I have read this article and the comments, that I ‘have to’ comment, and that it is my responsibility, and that I owe Amanda this much…and for her to just keep in the back of her mind. (So, take what’s useful and throw out the rest, please)

I was never married to my son’s father, but it appears that genetically, my son got a lot from his father. It became clear from an early age on, that H. had ADHD and he was put on stimulants and this helped a lot.

H. was a difficult child and like yours, Amanda, not only did i not like him very much much of the time, but nobody else does, either.
He really does not have any friends.

He is now almost 19 and has improved significantly.

So when he was about ten, H. got Tourette’s syndrome on top of the other, and our pediatrician referred us to a psychiatrist.

Just before we first saw the psychiatrist, H. had an episode of ‘night terrors’, and that scared me a lot.

So, this was the information we brought to the psychiatrist and also, that H. father had ongoing ADHD, and although he was never diagnosed with such, he was also surely bi-polar.

She (the doctor) asked if H. had any syptoms of OCD and I said ‘yes’. (although i did not feel they were interfering with his life) H. did seem depressed to me though.

So, the doc put him on Luvox, and then he continued on the stimulants, and Clonidine to help with sleep.

It really made a difference, the Luvox, and it helped so much.

(There is so much to tell, but i cannot say it all, Amanda)

Then things started getting bad again, and for the next 6 or so years, living in this family became torture. having to protect the little brother, and school problems, and then, I slowly had to accept, that h. was manic depressive, just like his father. it was so obvious at some point, I could no longer push this truth away. (The psychiatrist thought I was very slow…I do not)

For an entire year, we went from one mood stabilizer to the next, and if it weren’t for me, h. would surely be dead. he had severe adverse effects to many of these drugs, and this usually did not show right away but rather when the drug was working, like around day 10. Everything was horrible! it also seemed to me that h. became much more sensitive to adverse reactions, and became more allergic as he grew into a teenager.

Then, two years ago, a little over two years, an aduklt in the family called CSD, or DHS, because H’s brother had told him that H. acted sexually inappropriately, and one morning, I found the case manager banging on my door.

This case worker happened to be great. He really listened to me, and i told him H. was bi-polar, and all that, and one of the things he requested was that I sign a release so he can talk to the psychiatrist.

A day later, and without explanation whatsoever, the psychiatrist orders me to stop h’s Luvox, like in 3 days. He had been on this medicine now for about 6 years and I refused to stop it so abruptly, but otherwise complied.

This is the point of my story, here, and i am hardly stupid.

The moment I took my son off the luvox, his bi-polar illness was gone, and never again for even one moment has reappeared, it was the damn Luvox that cause my son’s manic depression.

i AM 28YEARS OLD AND HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH BIPOLAR FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS. i HAVE TRIED JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING FOR THE CONDITION AND AM CURRENTLY ON SEROQUEL AND DEPEKOTE. pSYCIATRY TO. i STILL LIVE EVERY DAY WITH A DEATH WISH. I SEEM NOT TO BE ABLE TO GET THE RIGHT HELP OR HELP MYSELF. I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO COPE. I ALSO HAVE A SLEEPING DISORDER AND HAVE MIGRAINE HEADACHES DAILY, I HAVE EGSAUGHSTED EVERY OPTION POSSIBLE, INCLUDING FILLING MY BODT WITH PAIN MEDS THAT SEEMS TO MASK THE SITUATION FOR THE FEW HOURS THEY LAST THEN THE CYCLE CONTINUES. IT HASNT GOTTEN ME ANYWHERE BESIDES ADDICTED. LIKE I SAID IVE TRIED EVERYTHING. IM ABOUT TO GIVE UP ON MYSELF…PLEASE HELP.

From my experience self-medicating for years out of fear of seeking treatment, only to find out that I had something which would be negative to my future, I have found that Marijuana helps me more than any pill ever could. Actually, I would be willing to try a pill just to stabilize my moods, and prevent Mania, but it would have to be done in conjunction with my medication of choice, Marijuana. It diminishes my racing thoughts, I can focus a bit more, concentrate on things for longer periods of time, helps me to relax, helps relieve tension, there’s less fidgeting with things, or repetitive behaviors, puts me in a good mood to make another day bearable, helps me to laugh more, helps my creativity, gives me a boost to do things, helps with the aggression, helps with the phobia of being out in public, and above all, helps me feel better about myself, about the World, and others around me. I’m not a medical marijuana patient, so I’m at risk of getting into trouble with the law, which I don’t care about, considering the more people ruin my life for their amusement, the more ammo they’ll give me to go out with a bang, and then leave a juicy “tell-all” memoir to describe the events that led up to it. If I’m to be able to pick myself up, and give life a 2nd chance, I have to be able to determine the best thing for me, rather than having someone else tell me what to do, especially when they don’t have my condition, illness, problem, and know nothing of what makes me tick. I feel that if I approached a Dr. or Psychiatrist, and told them that Marijuana benefits me in so many ways, they would never refer me to the medical Marijuana program because they’d either be afraid to lose their license, would prefer to have me on pills that not only have more negative side-effects than symptoms they’re created to cure, or simply because they think they know what’s better for me than I do. Considering I’ve been self-medicating for 20 years already, I think I have enough life experience to supercede the assessment of someone who doesn’t share my body, or conditions. What I need is for someone to help me find a way to make a successful argument that would allow me to continue to self-medicate legally before the law ends up ruining my life. After all, if I can’t control my symptoms, and feel good about myself, I can’t become independent, or get back out there again to become a contributing member in society. I’m actually at the point where I don’t give a FK any more what people think of me, whether or not they like me, and whether or not I leave this planet NOW. If I’m to appease the masses, I have to be able to enjoy my life free of fear from being prosecuted because I’m different, and resort to my own methods of coping…