Hi, I am new to this site. I joined it because oftentimes I feel very alone as the mother of a bipolar son who is a month shy of 18. I am hoping to get some feedback and/or advice on what are the best ways to respond to him when he is phasing. I am pretty intuitive with him, but not sure sometimes if I am responding to him in ways that are helpful.

Like this afternoon, he was frustrated with me for not picking him up at his high school, driving him home, waiting an hour for a couple friends to get out of their classes, and then driving him back so he could go with them to a Starbucks near the campus. He said he didn't feel like waiting for them. He had other options but none of them were agreeable to him.

Up until now I have generally allowed myself to be at his beck-and-call, but am beginning to set more boundaries with him as he will be 18 soon and is still not showing maturity about tolerating inconveniences or respecting others' time. He is indignant that I would not drop whatever I was doing to pick him up and drive him back.

I have 2 other children, work, and am a student about to graduate from a counseling program, but his attitude is that if it's my day off I am not doing anything and should be available to him for whatever he wants. I asked him why he thought my time was not valuable and he said because he is better then me. He also told me not to get "an attitude" with him.

I understand boredom is uncomfortable for him. Waiting any length of time, for anything, is a constant challenge. And yet I am tired of feeling manipulated. All these years watching him struggle I'm afraid I have babied him somewhat by giving in, often out of fear he would go into a rage. He told me when he got home he wasn't going to be "nice" to me and that can mean anything, depending on his mood, from cold shoulder to outright aggression.

I love him dearly but feel like this has to stop. He is on meds. Any advice?

Thanks for listening.