Teens and Bipolar disorder
United States
July 5, 2008 7:05pm CST
My son is 16, he is very moody and has for the past 2 years given me a hard time. It's like walking on egg shells around our home. He has been to therapy and they told me to call the police!! It was not untill several months later they told me he is bipolar and that was after we told them that my mom is bipolar! I just think they should have said this early on, and now I don't trust them to know what they are doing, and I am woundering if its Bipolar, or just being a hard headed teen. Anyone else have a moody teen who is or may be bipolar?
1 person likes this
2 responses
@revellanotvanella (4033)
• United States
6 Jul 08
I am 26, bipolar and yes, very unruly as a child and very moody. I did not get onto medication until 26 and wish that I had gotten treatment much sooner because the calm feeling is priceless and just helps you be a more productive person so if its any favors you can do get him to a experienced doctor, psychiatrist, and they will know. Im taking lithium and although theres side effects that can be frustrating until your levels are just right stick with it! Im not big fan of anything else but only know about lithium but its basically a salt your brain would produce anyway for a 'normal' person. Be careful, anti-depressant make a bipolar person very silly and I know from experience! I have taken effexor, prozac, lexapro all at different times because I just never noticed the highs beind abnormal and no one else at that, but the lows were unbearable at times--like just breathing was the biggest effort and standing, oh man, the down of being bipolar makes it hard to function to the point of lethargy. Do you notice this in your son? As a kid I always slept in very late, stayed up very late (sometimes insomnia), had addictive habits where I would go out an buy 20 books in one week or just get obsessed with something off and on.
• United States
6 Jul 08
Oh your great! Thanks for your answer! Yes he can be onry as heck and his mouth can make your blood boil!
It seems like when he is agitated he takes it out on me, and that can be heartbreaking. At least he has never been in trouble with the law, and when he is not mad and agitated he is so sweet and loving. He did also try seroquel, and that was just not the answer!It did not help the mood swings in fact I thought it was worse at first, and when I thought it was working I find out that He was having some very crazy scary dreams while on that stuff, and he took himself off of it and did not tell me till later.The reason he did not tell me was because he did not want to ry something else that would make him crazy also. We are working on talking him into getting a new psychiatrist.I have never noticed being lethargic with my son but I will watch out for it, however he dose stay up late and sleep in, but again it is summer time. I will ask about lithium next time he go for help. Take Care and thanks again!
@thebeaddoodler (4262)
• Lubbock, Texas
6 Jul 08
I don't have. But my youngest daughter had a very good friend when she was in high school who was bi polar. Do you have the option of changing Dr.? I would try to find a specialist who deals with bipolar problems. I know there is medication they can put them on, which I would hope would be the last resort. I hope you have a partner that can help you. Even with medication, the teen needs constant discipline. At this time in their life moodiness is normal, but if they're bipolar their mood swings can become dangerous.
My daughter's friend's mother couldn't handle him. She finally sent him to the Boys Ranch here in Texas, which was sad because she lived in Illinois and couldn't even visit him. Some times that is the best thing that can happen though because they have the type of supervision and discipline that they need to learn how to cope with the mood swings.
I'm happy to say that this friend is back in Illinois now, is married with two beautiful children and is living a fulfilled life.
Try to find another Dr. that will help you explore options.
• United States
6 Jul 08
Thank you for responding, and I agree with everything your saying. He has been sent away for a a few months and did very well, I was lucky to able to bring him home every other weekend. He has been home for 7 months now and the mood swings are no fun, of course teens are moody anyway but he is a little to moody! He is not so ready to accept the help from therapy anymore, he is scared we will send him off again. And gosh I dont want to do that. But like you said, we have to keep him on the right path.
We are taking it one day at a time, trying to talk him into going to another Dr.
