My Teen Stopped Taking His Psychiatric Medication

I am someone who has Bipolar and thank you for this.
I started showing symptoms at 12, I had a manic attack then followed by the sudden swing down and had my first suicide attempt. My mom doesn’t believe in mental illness and never got me diagnosed. I had another suicide attempt at 16.
I finally got diagnosed at 21 and was put on medication that didn’t work. Another suicide attempt at 22 after I quit my meds had a manic episode and then crashed. I then got on medication and but none seemed to work until at 29 I tried lithium and it made me stable.
My being unmedicated has caused a lot of difficulties for me ($20,000 in debt on nothing stuff and some other big stuff) so it’s good that you’re talking about this because you want to set up your child with success and it’s hard to do when they are wishy washy with their medications.
I am 36 and I’ve gone through A LOT because of my bipolar. I still have mild swings but nothing drastic as I had in the past. How I maintain success is 1. Pills 2. ROUTINE I get up at the same time, eat at the same time, and go to bed at the same time 3. Mild Exercise (too much or too long sets off my mania) 4. I generally watch what I eat, nothing is off limits but I make sure I hit the water, veggies, and fruit guidelines.

Hello, I have done a lot of research into different mental illnesses and autism. The one underlying fact in all of this is FOOD. The human brain does not process preservatives, and these days, most of the food consumed is laden with preservatives. Macdonalds is probably the worst food anyone can consume. My ex girl friend had a young son, who she said had ADHD. The changes in him were pretty full on when drinking coke, or eating junk food. As much as I tried, and even gave her the reading materials, she refused to acknowledge the problem. You really have to look at someones diet. The society we live in today is eating the totally wrong foods. Fresh fruit and vegetables, plenty of water, and limiting sugar intake. Soft drinks especially have a huge impact on the brain. Fanta or Sunkist are really bad because of the colouring in them. I work as a support worker and see these issues all the time. I worked with a young bloke, who, when he had consumed Pepsi Max, would have bad behaviours. The sugar replacement is even worse.

This is my son - except he tells everyone that is will not and is not going to take any meds. they make him stupid and not his real self. Where do we go for help???? He is jr in high school in at treatment best of the best for 60 days and they have no place that will take him for long term under 100 thousand a year. because he is not and will not take meds. He can be dangerous!!!! i do not want him home.

It was an honor to read all of your stories. What really jumped out to me in your story Kate was the positive landing place he us now in. I'd hazard a guess your worry for him is hard to shake given such a challenging journey for you all... but really wow! You have successfully supported not just one child but three children to come out the other side of significant challenge to mostly stable, positive adulthoods. I'm filled with admiration. Cheers, sarah

I have been down that road and now it's 6 months and my son is compliant with meds, and every day I'm scared that he will refuse because of weight gain, other side effects. The doctor has been lowering the meds, so we will see....but I completely relate with you Katie.

Reading that story, just makes me soooo much
more sad! That's me, Her son is "ME"

Kate, thank you for sharing your story. As the mother of an OCD child , I can relate to so much. Even if life can seem perfect at times , it never stays that way for long. Our challenges are great and you have gained much in the face of them.

I too have a son diagnosed as Bipolar. He had ADHD as a child, was off-the-charts smart and tested off-the-charts, but he never fit in with other kids (he was a nerdy, geeky guy), not because of his smarts, but because of his inability to blend socially. Life was a roller coaster as my other two younger children were "normal" socially, academically, emotionally, and have "even tempers". As time went on, my oldest son had rapid-cycling bipolar disorder and would stay up days at a time, become extremely depressed and was all over the map. His highs were very high, his lows were frighteningly scary. He graduated high school at the top of his class academically, was valedictorian, but was emotionally withdrawn. I never knew what I'd get at breakfast and he'd be a different person at dinner. He was offered four full rides to elite universities. He decided he did not want to go to college. Talk about heartbreak. I won't go into how we found this out as it's a long story but it was full of lies and deception to his father and me. He escalated 3 weeks before high school graduation and my husband told him to leave. He (my son) hit me for the first time. I was heartbroken, but the violent behavior and his dismissal and denial of what was going on had become too much. He moved out of the family home and into an apartment with a friend. He stopped taking medications all together because he didn't like the way they made him feel. He then refused to have anything to do with the family for 3 years. Those were a very difficult 3 years; however, we still had 2 children in the home that needed and wanted parents. We kept tabs on our son through friends, although at one time we thought we would have to legally intervene and sought counsel re guardianship, if nothing more than financial and medical management. Our fears, our love, our compassion were all tested. He came back into the fold, only to leave again after 3 months. This time his no contact was 2.5 years and then my husband suddenly died (no illness, sudden cardiac death). I reached out to my oldest son. His initial response was with tears and emotion, then alcohol and pot. I told him the alcohol had to stop, he complied in my presence. My other two children went to grief counseling for one year. My eldest went for one visit, despite my offer of paying for grief counseling for one year. His drinking and smoking pot escalated as he was self-medicating. Now as a single parent, my goal is to remain in touch letting him know I am here for him. I have seen growth in his late 20s. He still refuses medication. He smokes pot occasionally and drinks occasionally. This is progress. He has worked since he was out of the home and I'm proud to say he keeps his jobs and always makes great moves in advancement when he goes from one job to the other. He makes over $100k per year at 27 years old, with no college education. He is doing well in the real world. His head still hurts, he still doesn't sleep. He drinks energy drinks when he's depressed and he smokes pot when he's manic. I've had to let go and love him just the way he is. It's not perfect, but he has his own home, manages it well, gets up and goes to and from work every day, makes good money, socializes with his group of friends, and is now in touch with me, his younger brother, and his younger sister. It's not perfect, it's less than pretty, but it works. I do not see the flashes of anger, the temper, the threats or any violence anymore. Fashioning knives out of broken glass at school and stabbing a student in the hand, throwing rocks at a "popular girl's" head ... those days are gone and I hope and pray my son is on the road to recovery. I keep close tabs on him but I never feel it's close enough. You never stop being a mother or parenting. You want to keep them safe and keep others safe. I've skipped over a lot of details re doctors and psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, counselors, two school districts, four schools, testing, fights, tears, and so much more. I understand. You are not alone. Many hugs to you and yours from one who gets it all too well.