Bipolar teen not taking meds - Bipolar mom wants advice. (Long)

[NotALICE]

I've vented often on here. It really helps. As I've stated in other posts my son & I were just diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder - he has I, I'm guessing i have I but My Pdoc did not specify, but our treatments by different docs have been similar.

We both were initially on Lamictal. The first time me son stopped taking his meds, after being committed, he ended up committed again less than 3 weeks later for suicidal thoughts. After he got out I monitored his med & he took them until he got a rash. He'd been pushing for Adderall. I wasn't against it, as long as it was coupled with a mood stabilizer.

So he goes to his Psychiatrist & is prescribed Trileptal (I heard good things about that med) and Adderall. My son is 17 - turns 18 on May first. I trusted him this time & kept asking if he was taking his meds. Yes, was always the answer.

The day before yesterday he told me he was only taking one Trileptal a day because it made him too sleepy. When he brandished the bottle of Trileptal in my face as evidence he was taking them it seemed suspiciously full. Meanwhile he's been holed up in his room playing video games non-stop all hours of the night, sleeping all day. Leaves only to go to his PT job. His room is like a bat cave. Dark & gloomy. I reversed his door lock to the outside of the door so I could at least check on him. (I always knock before entering).

Yesterday I got nosy. . .He went out & I checked his meds. He lied. Not a single Trileptal pill taken. He just wanted the Adderall. I took his meds & planned to dole them out...

He became enraged when he found out I took his meds (the Adderall) and the game console, which belongs to my husband.   He threw things, called me numerous curse words in front of my 11yo daughter & I and even locked us in my daughters room for a few minutes by holding the door shut while laughing maniacally about it. I didn't know if his behavior would escalate (he's cut himself & stabbed knives in his bed) so I called the police. I sent my daughter to my mothers (my son scared & upset her).

My son was still home when the police showed up. The officer got mad at me for taking his meds. Said the Adderall was working and he probably didn't need a mood stabilizer. Made me give them back to my son. Now you have to understand, my son comes across as a model citizen when faced with authority figures, doctors, etc.  This kid who had Jeffrey Dahmer as his profile pic on his FB page. Then the officer said to my son needed to respect me and when my husband got home he needed to kick the **** out of of my son. (I got the officers business card after that advice).

It's Saturday. I'm calling his Psychiatrist on Monday. My son turns 18 in a few weeks. I want to help him, but nothing I do seems to make a difference. I cried my eyes out last night because all I do is try to help him. his behavior also makes mine worse.

Sorry this was long. The officer said this was a parenting issue, but it's more than that to me. He's a sick kid, incapable of taking care of himself.

[Bubulous]

I sent you a message.

[rjwells00]

I know some days it seems impossible.  I too have bipolar.  My neice is diagnosed as well.  I take mine as perscribed because I know the concenquences are if I dont take them.  These teen are still growing and dont have enough experience to know what is best for them.  I really think that they have to see the difference in them selves before they will take their scripts on their own.  My niece is excatly the same she looks as her meds as a downer because they are no longer manic.  Thats the reason they dont want to take them.