Question: My teenage boy has just been hospitalized and diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He was discharged to a partial hospital program. But he refused to go, and just wants to get back to school and “be like a normal kid”. He is giving me a hard time about taking his medication, even though it helps. His father doesn’t want him to take medication, either. What should I do?
Anne Fenton, MD: There are times when, due to the child’s opposition to treatment, and minimal cooperation or support from other family members, it can truly be impossible to enforce treatment. In such circumstances, a child my have to fail before he and others are willing to accept the reality of the condition and need for treatment.
Obviously, this is neither the ideal nor the preferred outcome. I therefore suggest that you try to enlist the support of anyone you know, friends, other family members, your pediatrician, your and your husband’s primary care physician, your spiritual counselor, and anyone else you can think of to speak with your husband about your child’s need for treatment. Once your husband understands and is “on board”, it will be easier for the two of you as parents to present a united front to your child. Many times, parental ambivalence is very transparent to the child. It confirms his or her worst fears and erodes trust in the treatment experience. On the other hand, when parents stand united on any matter, the child feels more secure and safe, and therefore more willing to turn his care over to the treaters his parents trust.