I am a student also. Fifty years old and diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 46. My struggle has been a long one. Before diagnosed I had frequent bouts of depression and manic periods but had no idea what was going on. In my late forties I found marijuana helped me staying down when agitated. Here in the states unless you have insurance it is difficult to get proper psych care unless an exacerbation threatens another or you're suicidal then you can go to a hospital. Turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. After threatening a contractor who owed me about 20k for work, I had subcontracted and paid to have done, with a shotgun I knew I was loosing my mind and checked myself into a hospital. To make a long story short I have now been taking different meds including depakote and paxil. Lithium though seems to have worked best for me. Since I stopped smoking pot though I've been taking paxil and buspar a tranq. These two drugs seem to do for me what pot used to and is legal. My major in school is occupational therapy and although it is very hard to stay at it I have found that doing something I want to do more than what circumstance has handed me keeps me on track. I am a parent with three children, all grown now, and a very supportive wife. She was first to go back to school to get a degree and now supports me. I really can give no real advice just keep loving your child or children an learn to love yourself. Your struggle to stay at it says you're no loser.
Celia
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