Posted by Karen_kay on December 22, 2003, at 23:39:37
In reply to mood disorders and adoption, posted by Lyrical13 on December 22, 2003, at 18:40:23
Hiya! I looked into your post and found some info... First of all a site you may want to check out from time to time, as I've found it very helpful
www.bipolar.about.com
I too worry about the same situation, as I'm dx Bipolar I Disorder. But, I'm nowhere near ready to have children. So, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it :)
Ok, this is what I found. There is an interestig article at
http://bipolar.about.com/library/uc/uc-adoption3.htmalso, if you go to google and type in bipolar and adoption it brought up quite a few hits...
But, this lady adopted (I think) three children when she was 39. What she needed for the adoption agency (are you going that route?) was a letter from her Pdoc stating:
*She was stable
*How long she has been stable
*She sees her Pdoc regularly for med check (monthly)
*His professional opinion (that she is able to parent a child)*He also provided her with a letter of recommendation
Also, she suggested that a person only give basic information regarding the diagnosis... ie:
*I take XXX medication
*I've been stable for X amount of time
*I see my Pdoc X number of weeks for med checkDon't go into details or volunteer any additional information. Check out this page. She gave a quite descriptive recollection of her journey, and some great pointers.
As for your medical history, I don't see that as being a barrier. Very few people have a completely clean bill of health. I'm only 24 and it would take me half an hour to recount my medical history. And I'm in great shape. You sound like you and your husband would be great candidates for adoption. Go in with a positive attitude. It works wonders :) And research, research, research!!!!!
poster:Karen_kay
thread:292508
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20031221/msgs/292609.html