Bipolar Disorder and Your Son at A Boys Ranch–

We at A Boys Ranch can help your boy in his struggles with Bipolar Disorder, a condition characterized by periods of elevated mood and energy, alternating with periods of depleted mood and energy levels.  He swings back and forth between exhilaration and dejection, tending towards the extremes, when compared to the typical “ups and downs” which virtually all of us experience in life.

While he may experience normal phases in between, the high phase (clinically referred to as “manic”), could find him easily distracted, with racing thoughts, unsuitably high self-regard, too much talking and too little need for sleep, poor judgment and temper control, little self control and engaging in reckless behavior (i.e.: sexual activity, overindulgent drinking/eating/drug use).

His “depressive” (clinically low) episodes might be evidenced with anger, despondency, excessive/disturbed sleep, anxiety, regret, compunction, seclusion, loss of interest in once-enjoyable activities or friends, suicidal thoughts or actions.

Family history and brain chemistry are considered factors, but causes for BPD are not clearly known; recognized factors include: a blood relative with BPD, substance abuse, excessively high stress or a traumatic situation.

Boys ranches – Providing Tools to Help Your Son with Bipolar Disorder.

It is vitally important that your boy receive a correct diagnosis, especially due to the self-threatening nature of many of the behaviors connected to Bipolar Disorder; in some cases, commitment (either voluntary or compulsory) will be called for, in order to allow treatment to begin or progress.  Early treatment is critical (i.e.: not confusing his symptoms with chronic depression) especially as there is a high suicide rate among teens with Bipolar Disorder.

There are indeed medications that can help control his BPD symptoms, which should be taken along with therapy from a qualified individual.  Both are absolutely requisite for a lifetime, since it can be deceptive to feel that symptoms are no longer evident, causing him to think that his problems may have disappeared and he’s been cured.

Boys ranches – Where Your Troubled Boy Comes for Hope and His Future.

A supportive, Christian therapeutic boarding school for adolescent boys struggling with behavioral, emotional or academic issues, a Boys Ranch is here to help your boy learn to resist making destructive decisions, to achieve academically and physically, while learning to accept himself as a special and valuable human being.

Is your son struggling, out of control? Has his behavior changed dramatically within the last year? Boys ranches can help him get on the other side of bad behaviors, anger and self-destruction. The structured lifestyle of our home-like environment will enable him to develop better life attitudes, so that he may face and conquer his problems and challenges.

We make the most of both an accredited distance-learning program as well as alternative methods, since different students learn in different ways, and at different paces.  We work very hard on issues and problems … but we also play hard. Our rustic campus will provide plenty of outdoor time for camping, fishing, hunting, equine and other outdoor activities.

The ranch’s positive, incentive-based discipline program teaches the consequences for inappropriate behavior and unwise choices, along with money management and responsibility.  With your son’s new healthy choices (and God’s help), he’ll face the world better equipped with the skills necessary to succeed in life.