talked to my aunt about my cousin. feel like the welcome wagon for bipolar
 

Hello,
I heard Randy my 15 year old cousin misses school because he sleeps in the day and that the cops brought him home one night for walking in his neighborhood at 2:00 am (after curfew).
My parents whisper about him because they are weird about mental issues. :annoyed:

I called and gave my aunt my old pdoc's number and address. He has moved from my part of the country to theirs.

She's hoping that a sleep study will confirm that Randy has sleep issues and not a mood disorder.

Randy might be ok soon.
But he might also benefit from his parents being more aware. She doesn't think that he has bipolar because the pdoc told them some BS that made me think he could exactly have bipolar.

She said that they are getting a new pdoc for him. Good. Craapy pdocs get my ire up. :mad:
I also told her to get the book Bipolar Child.

I think my aunt (uncle's 2nd wife) didn't know I had bipolar until tonight. I think that that is the main reason I called -- to let her know that she is not alone and to let her know that her son is related to at least one more bipolar than she has already counted. :)

Mari

I wonder what kind of sleep issues...insomnia?
or hypomania...did she explain?

I wonder if any of us here were diagnosed bipolar in our teens? or is this a new occurance?

I am glad that you shared with her...hope you feel ok in doing so.
very nice of you to do this!
you are a good woman.
(((HUGS)))
bizi

She doesn't know.
The pdoc told her that he cycles too often to be bipolar. :confused: Time for new pdoc.
Randy has missed 30% of the school year so far because he stays up all night and sleeps in the day. She is worried about his schooling...

My aunt and uncle both started taking anti-depressants about a year ago she revealed. In the past, they self-medicated. The extended family knows that they used to drug and drink but it seems to be hush hush that they are each seeing a pyschiatrist for anti depressants, sleep meds,....


The child has a strong family tree.....

I have no idea what his dx is. I was trying to be encouraging by giving her the name of my old pdoc and giving her a chance to talk a bit -- I could tell that she and my uncle don't talk about it to "outsiders." And I don't blame them. It is probably frightening to thing about things like this for ones children.


I got sick when I was 25 and dx'd 6 months later.
mari

Mari
 

M-

I think its a great thing you did by calling and sharing information. Even if they like to keep tight-lipped on things, at least they have some info.

Recent relatives visited and her sons all have dwi's and assualt charges and I told her I was in AA and shared a little. It was clear to me, they have alchohol issues. It was clear to her too, but, it was not clear as to whether they should go to AA. I just backed off. It was really a silly conversation, and I never say silly, but she asked whether I (cringe) had to stand up and say I was an alchoholic. I was like NO, its not like that, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. I later on got that they are seeing a psych doc. and I just dropped it.

I wanted to say a whole lot more.

I had my breakdown at 25 also, and I wish my parents had, had more info at the time.

I was just dx'd at 34 years old. I am sure had my parents not been so self involved with their lives they would have realized I was in trouble when I told them at 13 that I thought about commiting suicide. I was basically ignored. Now that I look back I was a mess. I just hid it very well.