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Page 2
My son screams, calls me names, hits me, talks about killing himself and how he'll do it; he used to do the screaming for several hours. Now it only goes on for an hour or two.
Courtney can live a full life with bipolar. Many do. I believe my son has bipolar, and possibly my daughter. I can't change that, nor am I feeling guilty about it any more. If they have it , that's the way it is. I am only grateful that they can be dianosed so young so they will not have to live the life of hell I did and not find out until 33 years old. I used to feel so powerless to see my little boy bathed in sweat, angry, kicking, flailing. I wanted to make it better. Setting limits on behavior does help because of the consequences. He still does it, but he finds that he can control some of the outward reaction. He screams, but he knows if he keeps doing it, he loses, big time. When it's over, I hug him. I've explained to him that he's not a bad boy like he thinks he is, and that it's something else in his brain making him do this, not him. I explain to him that it's the same disease Mummy has and lots of nice people are going to help him, including Mummy. You've taken a brave step by taking her to the doctor and starting the medication. Now, learn all you can to help her and how to teach her to help herself. I believe it was Hemingway who wrote a passage that we get stronger in the broken places." Isabel made a strong case for striking a balance between helping your mentally ill child but letting go and letting the child take some responsibility for their behavior. It is a delicate line, that between what cannot be controlled and personal responsibility.
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The copyright of the article Early Onset Bipolar Disorder - Page 2 in Mental Illness is owned by Amy Hillgren Peterson. Permission to republish Early Onset Bipolar Disorder - Page 2 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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