college suggestions for bipolar student

mom60
Sat, 14 Jul 2007 12:43:38 +0000

U of Denver does have a nice business school. I would strongly advise against it unless your D has a car. My child went to Denver and had a really hard time getting good mental health care. The counseling center is staffed mainly by interns and they are not experienced enough to deal with bipolar. There are not therapists within walking distance or an easy bus ride. My D found it impossible to find a therapist who had a time slot available when she didn’t have class. The student also has to have enough time to travel to the appt plus 50 minutes of therapy and make it back to campus on time for their next class. Another problem she encountered was that while friday was a light day for her she could not find a therapist who worked on friday.
As much as I am a fan of going away to school in this case I would suggest as Bookworm suggested a school within driving distance. College is stressful enough for the traditional student. Someone with any mental condition is going to have the added stress of dealing with getting to therapy, taking meds on there own and living in an enviroment that is hectic and loud most of the time. Also if you are within driving distance she can come home to either check in with her Dr or to just have a quiet weekend away from the dorm.
Also most health centers do not stock the medication she will be needing so easy access to a pharmacy is important.
When your D decides where she is going your local therapist and Dr should begin looking for therapists in her college town. Many of them have sporatic hours in the summer so it is best to start looking in the spring.
Good luck to your D.