Hi stormbourne..My name is tracy. I also have a child who is bipolar and has adhd..He is now 9..Was diagnosed at 5 or 6 with adhd and a mood disorder, which was only recently confirmed as bipolar...My son has never been on depakote, so I can't speak to that..What I have found, though, is that once we found the proper medications for him, life improved vastly both for him and for our family..I know there are a few others on here whose children have bipolar, as well...If you have any questions or just need someone to talk with, vent to, I am here often..Feel free to pm me or simply post a message..Bipolar is a very tough illness to cope with..The meds themselves can be very scary as well and I have found there is very little in the way of support out there in the world..Just know, you are not alone..