Hi ShynSassy, I dont have children, but I can tell you if you havent read any of my other posts that I have worked in the mental health field for many, many years and am very familiar with BP disorder. It is obvious by your post that your son needs to have some serious treatment. It was kind of unclear as to who he was living with? And he is 15 correct? During his manic stages he gets violent, I wonder if maybe he doesent have an explosive personality disorder under a dual diagnosis. He does see a psychiatrist? If not he needs to and also counseling. At the age of 15 if he is acting out in this way he is not understanding how to control the feeling that are inside of him, so he is lashing out in the only way that he knows how too and that is in violence. I am so sorry that you had to go through this. If your children where of a younger age maybe I would think that you should feel a little guilty about
being away from them, but their not. Abuse is a terriable cycle to break and you should be commended for getting out of it. I came from an abusive home as a child, and my little brother sounds a lot like your son but he has never been diagnosed with a mental illness. Take care ~elisha