[turbulence]

I am freaking out. I have bipolar and have been in treatment for about 6 years. My son is 15 and I have been trying to figure out what is going on with him. He is tiny...69 pounds as a freshman. Yesterday he was finally diagnosed with an eating disorder. I am completely overwhelmed. I am terrified for him, I feel guilt that my being bipolar contributed to this, and I am nervous that this will send me into an episode(didn't sleep last night). How am I suppose to deal with my son's mental illness when I can barely take care of my own?

[faerie_moon_x]

I'm sorry about this. I don't know much about eating disorders except the few people I have known who had them went to special facilities like a rehab center.

I don't have any advice for you, but my thoughts are with you and your son. I feel confidant that you can both get through this together.

[Warrioress]

It is NOT your fault! Even if your bipolar has contributed to your son's ED, you never decided to be bipolar! So it's just silly to blame yourself and feel guilty. You have enough to cope with even without that. Eating disorders are scary, both for the sufferers themselves and for the people who care about them. I've never been diagnosed with one, but sometimes I fall into a state where I starve myself and so on. And it's never really about food. It's more about self-loathing and low self-esteem. It's about feeling weak and out of control, like you're all over the place and can't pick yourself up. You think you're controlling your eating but really it's the other way round. It's the food controlling you. Well actually it's your own mind. I felt so trapped and helpless!

People are different though and your son may not exactly be going through what I did, but I thought maybe sharing my experience would help you understand the whole thing better. I don't know what advice I can offer, but there's one thing in my mind at the moment. Your son is on his own journey and you are on yours. Your paths go together but you can't tread the path for him. Dealing with his illness is not really up to you. You can be there for him. You can ask his T or psychiatrist how you can help him. However, he can recover only if he recognizes the ED as an enemy and decides to put up a fight. Meanwhile, you'd better take care of yourself and avoid freaking out so you can give him enough support.

You'll manage turbulence. I know you will. You'll be great. Just hold on

[turbulence]

Thanks for the advice. I guess I just blame myself for being preoccupied with my own mess and I didn't see what was happening right in front of me. I am really scared for him. I also think what if I have an episode? Will that trigger him? It took me forever to begin to understand all the crap that goes on with bipolar, now I have to figure out another mental illness. It is just overwhelming.

[Victoria'smom]

My eating disorders are triggered by my mood swings. Do not blame yourself for not noticing it's part of the nature of the illness. He's going to have learn his triggers ans make you aware of them.