Hi...I'm new here. I'm the mother of a 17 year-old boy with Aspergers, Bipolar, ADHD and OCD.

He's always been challenging, but in the past month, he's destroyed a kitchen table, bookshelf, the door to my bedroom, my kitchen window, and smashed the touchscreen of his phone, all in fits of rage.

His psychiatrist has been trying to change medications to see what works best (Seroquel 200mg at bedtime, and Effexor 75mg + 37.5), but daily, something happens.

I never thought I would feel or say this, but I'm at my wit's end. I love my son, but I want my own mental health back.

I know I haven't given much to go on, but does anyone have ANY suggestions for me to help my son avoid these rages? Anything will set him off, literally. I'm just frustrated and sad.

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Sounds rough.

People are kidding themselves when they talk about the type of self-sacrifice that entails giving your all to your sick child.

I know there's a politically correct response. I hope that you haven't immersed yourself into that image to the point where you believe it even when it's just you at night in a dark room.

You may love your child (or you may not, the truth of that is irrelevant), but you should understand your own needs for survival. Weigh your empathy against how much you are willing to sacrifice of yourself, and find intelligent methods to give yourself everything you need.

As for the advice specifically for what you asked for, give your son alternate options of what he can do instead of raging, and no matter what choice he makes learn to remove your emotions from the result. Take regular holidays away from him.

The OP hasn't been online since 2013.

True- I approved it anyway, thinking they may see it, you never know.

But it is unlikely.

Yeah I think you're right to approve it, but it's good for readers to be aware of the fact that it's a really old post, so I just wanted to point that out.