Of course everyone is different and responds to medications in different ways. You have to start off with a VERY low dose, because of an extremely rare allergy to the medication that will result in a full body rash. If that happens with low doses the medication is immediately stopped. The condition is 100% fatal if the medication is continued. There's a federally required scheduled increase in dose over about 6 weeks (if I remember correctly). I could tell on the second increase (after 2 weeks) this was really working. However, I was reserved, because out of the many other medications I'd tried, a year prior, Abilify started working wonders. However, it only lasted about 2 months, and then had no effect.

My bishop was able to get me into Dr. Michael Voss in Sandy, who normally doesn't take on new patients. There's a pre-assessment that you're encouraged to fill out before the initial visit, and I probably spent 30 hours on that. The reason being, every day I wanted to completely revise it, since my sentiments and self assessments were so different one day to the next. He then spent 3 1/2 hours with me on the first visit. He was just fantastic. I was diagnosed with severe acute anxiety disorder and bipolar type 2 (type 1 is the more severe version that most people think of). He seemed pretty confident when he suggested Lamictal. He certainly proved to be spot on.

My bishop has a son who experienced such a severe panic/nervous breakdown on his mission, that two years later he has to be in the same room with as at least one of his parents 24 hours a day. My bishop's wife has Lupus, which will most likely be fatal. That changed my perspective on so many things, and I couldn't believe he was so willing to give so much of himself for me. He didn't know me from anyone. He was my sister's bishop, and she told him about my situation. He immediately said, "I want to take him under my wing" and he received special permission to have my records moved to his ward. The last time I'd participated in anything church related was (as a temple recommend holder) my sister's temple wedding 17 years prior.

I wish you the best of luck with your son, and my prayers are with you and your family. I know how awful and debilitating this can be. Fortunately, there is so much better awareness about mental disabilities than there were 20 years ago. Ignorance was the only reason for the stigmas. It wasn't because of bad, intolerable and judgemental people. Thank God for the information age.