“What does a parent of a bipolar 23 yo do when she finds out that her child is writing checks from parent’s account and lying about it?” That’s a tough one. Forging checks is a felony, and lying is just plain wrong. My answer would depend on your history with your child. You do not state whether there is any remorse or if this sort of behavior is typical. At some point a 23-year-old, with or without a mental illness, needs to take responsibility for their life and their actions. Having a mental illness does not give a person a green card to abuse, steal, lie, manipulate, and the like. Aside from the obvious action of hiding your checkbook, it seems to me that you have two options. One: You can try to reason with your child. Let him or her know that this is unacceptable, that the money must be paid [...]

“My son’s wife who has bipolar has started arguing with my son since the summer when he found out he was being transferred from Hawaii to another state.  During fighting she is violent – hitting and screaming – in hysterics.  She also seems to say my son is doing things but then it seems to be her doing them i.e. lying etc.  My son is very calm, soft talking – does not like any types of conflict.  We are trying to encourage them for counseling – we don’t know what to do but since they moved things are getting worse and I’m worried.” It is understandable that one would be worried about a family member who is dealing with their spouse who has bipolar. The most important thing a family member can offer is support and a lot of understanding. A few things to keep in mind is your son [...]

Yesterday was my birthday. If you don’t know me … well, I hate birthdays. Why might you ask? Well because it means I’m one year older and have lived another year without attaining my goals or reaching my dreams. SO … The only thing I asked for my on my birthday this year is that I could relax all day, do nothing, not cook dinner, and do it all without being judged. My FANTASTIC husband granted me this birthday wish and it may have been the best birthday gift I’ve ever received. I bet you’re wondering what happened, eh? Well, it all started at the stroke of midnight (or somewhere around). I was talking to my husband and trying to explain why I was so not looking forward to my birthday this year. “I didn’t used to be this person,” I told him. “I used to be successful, driven, and I [...]