[Jan1755]

I'm bipolar. 2. My therapist and I think my adult son is bipolar. He left his marriage a few years ago and I encouraged that when I was undiagnosed bipolar. He got depressed and lost his job. Hasn't really worked since then. He has two kids and the ex won't let him see them since he hasn't been able to pay child support. He got heavy into drugs and got in trouble with the law. He is depressed and feels sad a lot of the time. He can also be up for days. He is supposed to go to jail where his ex works. He was supposed to turn himself in two days ago but could t bring himself to do it. I think the fact his ex works there is too much for him. He is also on probation so I'm afraid he will end up in prison instead for the duration of his probation or three years if he doesn't turn himself in. I don't want to enable him but I'm watching my undiagnosed bipolar son make a huge mistake and don't know how to help him. Looking for advice. Thanks.

[Ocean Swimmer]

This is a tough one.
Tell on him, and he may resent you for a long time.

Depending on his mind set he may not believe the threat of prison.
Would he go to a psychiatrist to be formally diagnosed? Then maybe back to court for a sentence in a mental ward, whereupon he could be helped?

[Icare dixit]

Is he up for days because he can't sleep due to obsessions/thoughts or because he doesn't want to or can't because of too much energy?

I don't know whether it's helpful to have two threads about this: people on here might together come to the best advice and don't feel like repeating themselves.

Edit:
I would let him feel the consequences of his actions. Depression is much about guilt and he can relieve some of that by turning himself in. If he is angry at the world, causing the depression, he must understand that the world won't change by isolation but by taking responsibility.

Another edit:
3 years isn't that long when having BP: many of us have probably "wasted" a lot more time. If it helps him to realise he has real psychiatric problems then it might be preferable.

[pirilin]

==========Hugs!!!.

[ComfortablyNumb5]

He may be BP or his moods may be up and down from drug abuse. And yea being locked up where your ex can point and laugh would really suck.

He may be your baby but you have to do what's right. I'm sure there's a warrant out at this point? And having him in your home with this knowledge puts you in trouble too. I would talk to him and if need, call the police to come get him.

I was in a situation just like this a few years ago and family and I helped hide my brother. Cops would pull over all our cars and check our trunks ect. He finally got caught when a person he was driving with got pulled over. And because he ran, he got more time. So yea I regret helping him hide because it did worst in the long run.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Katieissweet]

You know tribal societies have no jails,no drug addicts and no one with bipolar,says a lot about our society.

[Icare dixit]

Originally Posted by Katieissweet

You know tribal societies have no jails,no drug addicts and no one with bipolar,says a lot about our society.

I am not so sure about drug addiction (e.g. ayahuasca; might not be real addiction) or bipolar (e.g. shamans), but many might be more accepting.

Edit:
I very much like your signature!

[ComfortablyNumb5]

Originally Posted by Katieissweet

You know tribal societies have no jails,no drug addicts and no one with bipolar,says a lot about our society.

I have to disagree with the bipolar part. MI including BP has been around since before Jesus walked the earth (if you believe in that sort of thing). However these people were often left to die, tortured, accused of being the devil ect. I've even heard of some areas looking at BP as a gift. Yikes. So it's definitely been around, just treated differently and probably called something different.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jan1755]

Thanks everyone for your support. I plan to talk to my son today and encourage him to do the right thing. I will consider calling the police but I'm bipolar also and it affects me in such a way with my children that I don't think I can actually be the one to turn him in even thou I know I should

[tipper1492]

We have a complete failure in my wife's family. He is thirty-two, always uses some sort of drugs, and in the past always got fired. However he has been with his cooking job for sometime now. Never has money and feeds off his grand-parents who have always, for the most part, enabled him. Lived with them from very young age. Lives in a half-way house, I think still. Provides zero child support for his two yr old daughter. Seems to have no direction I guess. His poor dad has always been worse than he has. Heart breaking to think it could continue on like it is. He has a record of loosing things including his wallet. Grand-parents, over the years, got him a vehicle of some sort, and he would total it out. Of course nothing fancy, and probably needed repairs for this and that. Has a real habit of stealing including from his grand-parents. They would say they would hide something (meds) as best as they thought, and still he would find them. No one gets better until they want to. Can't put a spell over them for that.

[Row Jimmy]

Get him a good lawyer who will go to court and negotiate a deal to keep him out of jail as long as he gets treatment. The courts are very willing to work with offenders who are mentally ill and have substance abuse problems. The jails are crowded enough.....part of this is a business decision on the part of the judge.

[Icare dixit]

Originally Posted by RxQueen875

I have to disagree with the bipolar part. MI including BP has been around since before Jesus walked the earth (if you believe in that sort of thing). However these people were often left to die, tortured, accused of being the devil ect. I've even heard of some areas looking at BP as a gift. Yikes. So it's definitely been around, just treated differently and probably called something different.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yikes? Sounds like paradise. Apart from the no jails, the heat, no ...