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Janna's post has me thinking...
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<blockquote data-quote="BusynMember" data-source="post: 88749" data-attributes="member: 1550"><p>I want to jump in and say I'm relieved my son is on the spectrum rather than bipolar. I have bipolar and it wasn't a few years of medications and then walla...perfection. It was thirty years of suicidal thinking, rage, anger, wrong medications, medications that worked than pooped out, toxic reactions, three hositalizations etc. The structured environment of a hospital neither helped or hurt my conditon as an adult. I still felt sad until--and it was a total accident--one psychiatrist tried medications that worked. And I'm lucky they haven't pooped out.</p><p>My Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) son needs structure and will need it as an adult. My goal for him is NOT total independence. That's in my opinion for people who are not on the spectrum. I either want him in assisted living or some good group home (we have both out here). He will always need "typicals" to help him do the day-to-day stuff---like bathe, brush his teeth, changed his clothing, etc. plus he will need reminders to go to work and would stay by himself unless forced to socialize. And I don't see this as a horrible thing at all because he's a happy person. That's the bottom line. He is happier than I ever was because he doesn't have to fight swinging moods that take you to the dark pit. Bipolar is a hard disorder for the person who has it. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is worse, in my opinion, for many parents than for the child, depending on the level of severity of the child and, of course, the child's own frustration level. Many kids seem to cross from one diagnosis. to another, but my son NEVER acted bipolar and to this day I wonder why the psychiatrist didn't listen to me. And I wonder why I took so long to finally tell him, "You're wrong" and take him for a new assessment. If I hadn't finally done it, he'd still be on heavy duty bipolar medications. Four years off the medications, it's clear he never needed them. He is the same basically even-tempered kid as he was on them, but he's jumped academically by leaps and bounds. My guess is the medications cognitively dulled him. </p><p>I'm kind of rambling too, but the bottom line here is I don't think bipolar is an easier thing to live with--I have it, it zapped the majority of my youth. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a chronic condition too, and most Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) kids need help as adults, but that doesn't make them failures or pitiful, at least not in their own minds. Both disorders affect one's life and I'm with Janna--labels help, in my opinion. When you're an adult, they REALLY help, especially if you know you or your child need Disability, job placement help, or help with living arrangements. Without a diagnosis. you'll get nothing.</p><p>I'm on Disability. I have never been able to hold a job. The real reasons I have trouble with work are a NonVerbal Learning Disorder (NVLD) plus a visual processing disorder which make it impossible for me to understand anything visual. I'm also Face Blind. However, what got me the Disability was the Bipolar diagnosis., even though it's no longer really a factor in my life. I was told by my friend, who works in Disability, that Bipolar is almost always an automatic Disability "yes" because they know that people with bipolar explode and often are disruptive at work and can't hold jobs. That is so NOT why I have trouble working, but that's probably why I got Disability the first time I applied. JMO</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="BusynMember, post: 88749, member: 1550"] I want to jump in and say I'm relieved my son is on the spectrum rather than bipolar. I have bipolar and it wasn't a few years of medications and then walla...perfection. It was thirty years of suicidal thinking, rage, anger, wrong medications, medications that worked than pooped out, toxic reactions, three hositalizations etc. The structured environment of a hospital neither helped or hurt my conditon as an adult. I still felt sad until--and it was a total accident--one psychiatrist tried medications that worked. And I'm lucky they haven't pooped out. My Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) son needs structure and will need it as an adult. My goal for him is NOT total independence. That's in my opinion for people who are not on the spectrum. I either want him in assisted living or some good group home (we have both out here). He will always need "typicals" to help him do the day-to-day stuff---like bathe, brush his teeth, changed his clothing, etc. plus he will need reminders to go to work and would stay by himself unless forced to socialize. And I don't see this as a horrible thing at all because he's a happy person. That's the bottom line. He is happier than I ever was because he doesn't have to fight swinging moods that take you to the dark pit. Bipolar is a hard disorder for the person who has it. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is worse, in my opinion, for many parents than for the child, depending on the level of severity of the child and, of course, the child's own frustration level. Many kids seem to cross from one diagnosis. to another, but my son NEVER acted bipolar and to this day I wonder why the psychiatrist didn't listen to me. And I wonder why I took so long to finally tell him, "You're wrong" and take him for a new assessment. If I hadn't finally done it, he'd still be on heavy duty bipolar medications. Four years off the medications, it's clear he never needed them. He is the same basically even-tempered kid as he was on them, but he's jumped academically by leaps and bounds. My guess is the medications cognitively dulled him. I'm kind of rambling too, but the bottom line here is I don't think bipolar is an easier thing to live with--I have it, it zapped the majority of my youth. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a chronic condition too, and most Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) kids need help as adults, but that doesn't make them failures or pitiful, at least not in their own minds. Both disorders affect one's life and I'm with Janna--labels help, in my opinion. When you're an adult, they REALLY help, especially if you know you or your child need Disability, job placement help, or help with living arrangements. Without a diagnosis. you'll get nothing. I'm on Disability. I have never been able to hold a job. The real reasons I have trouble with work are a NonVerbal Learning Disorder (NVLD) plus a visual processing disorder which make it impossible for me to understand anything visual. I'm also Face Blind. However, what got me the Disability was the Bipolar diagnosis., even though it's no longer really a factor in my life. I was told by my friend, who works in Disability, that Bipolar is almost always an automatic Disability "yes" because they know that people with bipolar explode and often are disruptive at work and can't hold jobs. That is so NOT why I have trouble working, but that's probably why I got Disability the first time I applied. JMO [/QUOTE]
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