Hi, I am sorry to hear about your son's diagnosis. He's only 18, it just doesn't seem fair that young people with all of their lives ahead of them are so afflicted.
I wish you and your son all the best for getting him on track to a positive future. My experience is having my son diagnosed with bi polar disorder when he was 22. It has been a difficult journey because it can be a very hard illness to treat successfully. My son's condition is compounded by a variety of psychological problems. So I hope your son responds well to the medication he's been prescribed. One of the things you will need to look out for as his parent/carer is whether, when he starts to feel better moods, he might take himself off his medication and not tell you about doing so.
In the early stages and even after that, it is very typical that people with bi polar, particularly young people, go into a denial stage and think that they can get on fine without their meds. They don't want to think of themselves as "this sick person who has to take medicine for the rest of my life - that sucks, that's not me." So, a question I would suggest you asking him regularly is: "Are you taking your medicine as the doctor has prescribed?" (using your own form of words, of course).
As regards accommodation, I can not be much direct help except to say that if he goes into share accommodation or some other arrangement outside your home, I suggest that you visit and phone him on a regular basis. Sometimes, when they are quiet and you don't hear from them for a few days, things are starting to unravel and they may be in an elevated mood and having a great time but not eating or sleeping. The danger is that he can slip into a psychotic episode and need to be hospitalised.
With regard to employment, there are disability support employment services, some that focus on people with mental health conditions. I cannot recommend a firm to you because I am located in Queensland. I hope you find one that is excellent and genuinely caring and prepared to go the extra mile. They are around and you can find them. We had a couple of very good ones over the years, but the downside is that they tend to be promoted to managers and you lose them as consultants.
You really should already have been given a lot of information by your medical practitioners - GP and psychiatrist - about the condition of bi polar disorder. There are pamphlets and booklets available from SANE and other non-profit organisations working in the field of mental health so good to download them and/or to request hard copies to be mailed to you.
I hope this information helps you and you son. best wishes
