NBR- Vent about student's mother

Halen0804

I am a school social worker for this student, F, who has such an irritating mother.  F has Bipolar and the mother constantly blames his behaviors on the Bipolar and how he can't control himself.  Part of it is that she asks the dr to change his medication MONTHLY.  She does not see any of this child's behaviors as manipulation or choice.  It drives me nuts because it makes it very difficult to work with F on developing personal responsibility and accepting consequences appropriately (getting a minus on his behavior chart is a big trigger for his anger). 

I vow as a parent not to excuse my child's behaviors just because they might have ADHD or some other mental illness.  There is such a thing as free will and choice.  Thanks for reading.  Vent over.

MKinney86

I agree 100% with this. I have a long line of family with manic depression and bipolar disorder that likes to blame everything on it. I'm sorry but having a mental disorder does not give you justification to act out and treat other people like sh!t! And the mother that keeps switching his meds is doing him a major disservice. Constantly switching medication like that will never let him adjust to it and can make the symptoms worse.

I also don't understand the people that think they can fix any problem by just taking more drugs. The idea of why you are prescribed them is so that you can feel what it is like to be more stable then wean yourself off of them.

Liz710

MKinney86:

I agree 100% with this. I have a long line of family with manic depression and bipolar disorder that likes to blame everything on it. I'm sorry but having a mental disorder does not give you justification to act out and treat other people like sh!t! And the mother that keeps switching his meds is doing him a major disservice. Constantly switching medication like that will never let him adjust to it and can make the symptoms worse.

I also don't understand the people that think they can fix any problem by just taking more drugs. The idea of why you are prescribed them is so that you can feel what it is like to be more stable then wean yourself off of them.

1.  Actually it does.

2.  Not even close.  People have trouble with their illness because they feel stable on their meds and choose not to continue them.  In most cases, mental illness is not treated like a yeast infection.

Halen0804

I have no doubt in my professional mind that this kid is Bipolar and some other things too.  I do not agree with his mother using it as an excuse for his behavior.  He still needs to be held responsible for his actions.  Medication is used too often as a crutch.  I think medication can help stabilize moods, reduce impulsive behavior and help people make rational decisions.  It is still up to the individual to make choices.