Children With Bipolar Disorder Posted: 01-29-07 22:14pm
My twelve year old daughter was diagnosed
with bipolar disorder at the age of 10.
She was on meds for a while and then
decided to stop them all together. I went
through hell and back not knowing what
went through her mind and if she was happy
or not. I was in the hospital last year
and my daughter went through a very hard
time. It was then that she decided to go
back on meds. She is now on wellbutrin
and has done very good so far. She also
has add and odd so she still struggles in
school. But so far, she has done well.
Any other mothers with children who suffer
from bipolar disorder?
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anttm04
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 05 Feb 2006 Posts: 121
Posted: 01-29-07 22:28pm
Hi nmulder....My name is tracy...My son
trey was diagnosed with bipolar disorder
this year, though it's been suspected for
several years now...He is now 9..Was
diagnosed with adhd and a mood disorder
(nos) at 5 or 6...There are a few others
here with the same issues...See 5 yr. Old
with bipolar inthis forum...Lots of good
advice...If you ever need to chat...Feel
free to pm/post...I check often...
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nmulder33
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 15 Location: Minnesota
Posted: 01-30-07 19:22pm
Thank you tracy...Btw, my name is
nancy...Lol
i will check the thread out!
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Color of Paper
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 22 Jan 2007 Posts: 171 Location: Long Beach, Ca
Posted: 01-30-07 21:40pm
Hi there girls. I'm 24 and have been
diagnosed by multiple dr's bipolar. I
have a strong opnion on child diagnosis.
First off if your daughter is 10 its
probably not the best idea to let her
decyde if she needs meds or not...There
needs to be responsiblity and seriousness
about the matter. Bipolar is a very
seroius thing to deal with but if handled
right from early on it can turn a
otherwize "messed up kid" into a very
beautiful person.
I concur color of paper. A 10 year old
shouldn’t be making these decisions.
It’s imperative for her to stay
medicated so her mood swings balance out.
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anttm04
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 05 Feb 2006 Posts: 121
Posted: 01-31-07 10:32am
No problem nancy..Nice to meet you.. :d
..Hope you are able to find some info you
can use....
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blulyneguy
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Jan 2007 Posts: 334 Location: Idaho,
Bi-polar/neuro. Posted: 01-31-07 10:50am
Just wanted to interject my 2 cents....
I am the father of a 7 yr. Old son with
tourettes syndrome, ocd, and hd and the
son of a mother with bi-polar disorder (i
suffer from t.S. And anxiety and ocd as
well). He needs meds. To control his
tics as well as behavior problems. I
highly recommend keeping the med. Dosage
stable (no fluctuation in dosage or
missing days, etc.) with bp. I have seen
several suicide attempts by my mother when
the meds. Were missed, or skipped, etc.
At 12, your daughter needs you to be the
one making the decisions. You mentioned
odd- is that opositional disorder? I have
been reading about it and don't know alot
yet. Ask any questions you may have
here....Really good folks around.Good luck
and stay involved...
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nmulder33
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 15 Location: Minnesota
Posted: 01-31-07 22:25pm
My twelve year old is very mature for her
age. I think she has a saying in this too
so I ask her about the use of her meds.
We talk a lot about what she wants and
what might help for her. If she says she
doesn't want on meds because she doesn't
feel or believe in it, then I respect her
opinion on this. Luckely she takes her
meds and is aware of her illness.
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Color of Paper
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 22 Jan 2007 Posts: 171 Location: Long Beach, Ca
Posted: 01-31-07 23:45pm
You must respect there decision but I can
garentee a 12 year old bipolar child will
be able to make a rational one. Im not
attacking your child at all, its just a
very serious matter and i'm very senstive
to this. 2 of my very close friends I
grew up with from very young went though
the whole add thing. I cant stress how
important it is to get comfortable taking
meds/therapy in an early age.
**i ment taking meds at an early age if
needed.
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loadedguncmplx
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 23 Location: Nipomo, CA
Posted: 02-01-07 14:17pm
I totally agree with colour on this. I
have a few points I would like to make
here though:
1. If it was a psychiatrist that
diagnosed her bipolar they know better
than to put them on just a unipolar
anti-depressant. Especially with a
bipolar child because they rapid-cycle or
mixed-cycle. I'm going to go out on a
limb here and say it was her family care
doctor that diagnosed her?
2. The suicide rate for bipolar males and
females is 10 to more than 20% higher than
that of the general public. But having a
bipolar child on an anti-depressant which
can actually aggrevate and make the
condition worse is very very dangerous.
Incorrect medications can trigger mania
and/or suicidal ideation and attempts.
The energy, impulse control difficulties,
and lack of maturity in bipolar children
can make suicide risk a serious concern
especially with pre-adolescents.
3. I highly urge you to make sure she
stays on her medication. Going off of
medication for someone suffering from bd
will never help them. Even most adults
aren't completely aware of the
ramifications of going off of their
medication.
Now, I know all this (i actually just
finished putting this in another post)
because I was taken to a psychiatrist when
I was about 10 and since children with bd
don't often meet the strict dsm-iv
definition this psychiatrist put me on
prozac. Which in turn just aggrevated my
condition and caused me to act out in
school, get into trouble, and have more
grief for 2 years of my adolescence for
being on the wrong medication. But I
personally suffer from bipolar ii as well
as add and you didn't mention what or if
anything she takes for add, I know that
wellbutrin xl can be used to treat adhd
but I haven't heard of it being used for
add. I don't know if its been brought up
to you the probability that especially
once she gets to high school and the
curriculum is a little more rigorous that
they will most likely want to put her on
ritalin, concerta, or adderall. I don't
know if you know too much about them but
they are a controlled substance and
adderall for instance is an amphetamine
with dextroamphetamine. Which really
isn't as bad as it sounds just because it
says 'amphetamine.' it's actually derived
from the salts in the amphetamine. But
don't let the name and some of the
publicity its had lately scare you away
because some people died because they
didn't tell their doctors about heart
problems they had. But adderall and
adderall xr are the most prescribed brand
of add medication with 50 million
prescriptions since 1996. Don't know how
I got off on that tangent really but just
don't let the idea of controlled
substances scare you away because that is
really the most effective treatment and
the benefits are tremendous.
|
nmulder33
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 15 Location: Minnesota
Posted: 02-01-07 21:56pm
I'm well aware of what the consequences
are of not taking meds. I'm bipolar
myself and was admitted last year because
my meds were of and I became very
delusional. I was very manic and was
basically living in a dream. My daughter
is on meds and is doing really good. She
does wants to stay on meds and knows what
can happen if she goes off of the meds. I
respect every decision my child wants to
make, but she also respects mine if I say
it is not save to go off of the meds.
I feel a little attacked because of my
response about my child. But i'm sure i'm
overreacting like I usually do.
|
loadedguncmplx
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 23 Location: Nipomo, CA
Posted: 02-01-07 22:02pm
Well being bipolar yourself then you
should know the risks of having someone
with bd on a unipolar antidepressant and
that antidepressant aggrevating their
condition. That should have raised some
red flags for you right there.
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anttm04
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 05 Feb 2006 Posts: 121
Posted: 02-01-07 22:07pm
Hi nancy, I know that it can sometimes
feel overwhelming when it seems like
people are attacking you...I have that all
the time...About putting my son on
meds..You just have to do what you feel is
right for your child...It took a long time
for my son to get stabilized on
meds...He's finally able to cope
(somewhat) with life these days, though I
know that can change at any time
regardless of whether or not he's on the
meds...At this point I give him no
choice...He actually appreciates the meds
he's on (currently risperdal and
strattera), so I am fortunate...But
again...You are her parent..No one can
tell you what is right or wrong in terms
of raising your child..There are side
effects...Some of which are minor
inconveniences and some of which can be
deadly...So I know it's not always an easy
decision to make...Keep up doing what you
can do and don't let others sway you..You
and your child's doctor know what is right
for her and what is not...Just stay strong
and stick by your own decisions..And good
luck to you...If you ever need to talk,
just pm me, tracy
Last edited by anttm04 on 02-16-07 14:48pm; edited 1 time in total
|
nmulder33
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 15 Location: Minnesota
Posted: 02-01-07 22:21pm
Tracy, my daughter is still on wellbutrin
and likes it. Her behavior is changed so
much that it is a pleasure to be around
her. She has to go back to the doctor to
check into the adhd med. It might take a
while before we find the right med for
her. This week is the first week she
actually attented school. She has been
struggling with so many things but is
feeling more social and confident in
herself.
|
anttm04
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 05 Feb 2006 Posts: 121
Posted: 02-01-07 22:29pm
I'm so glad for you for that...My son,
trey, has extreme difficulty in keeping
himself under control..In the best of
circumstances, he is the most loving, kind
and thoughtful of all my children...In the
worst...He has screaming tantrums that
last from 20 min. To 2 hours long...We've
had both this week....He's finally on a
med level that allows him to control
himself and allows him to sleep....He's
been on the wrong meds in the past..One
time was prescribed trazadone because the
antipsychotics were unavailable due to
insurance issues and it threw him into a
manic phase...I still have some family
members who try to say nothing is wrong
with him and he's just a boy...But that's
not the case...I don't let it make me feel
bad anymore...Because I see the change in
him, and as I said, he wants to be on the
meds....He says it makes him feel more in
control....Again, I am so glad you have
been able to find something that works for
your daughter...It's dificult enough
living with this illness, you shouldn't
have to feel badly about the way you
choose to treat it... :d
Bipolar disorder typically emerges in late
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depression and mania flare up across the
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|
inmomof3
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 05 Mar 2007 Posts: 2
Posted: 03-05-07 09:06am
Hello,
I am new here and have a 5 year old who
since she was a baby would get upset very
easily. I remember at an early age, she
started biting when she got mad and to the
point she would draw blood. Maybe a year
or so later, she was still biting, but had
picked up on digging her fingernails into
people and "squeezing" their arms to the
point on all three she was drawing blood.
I never thought we would get her to stop.
This went on for years. Once she did
finally stop doing that (and she still
does it every once in a while) she started
in where she would scream "no" to you and
start kicking the walls when you made her
sit in time out. Once we somewhat got
past that she started the screaming and
stomping her feet, then it progressed to
throwing things and kicking the walls or
the couch or whatever was in her way, and
knocking things over, putting holes in her
bedroom wall from throwing things, yelling
at me telling me she hates me and for me
to never talk to her again. This has
continued now to a frightening state that
she has broken a glass candle holder in
her hand, thrown and brick at our dog and
missed, but hit her older brother in the
ear and many many other symptoms. These
symptoms and more have lasted for about 9
months now and are progressively getting
worse. Once she broke the glass candle
holder in her hand, my husband and I
realized we needed to have her checked
out. She has been seeing a therapist now
for a little while and will see a
psychiatrist in just a few weeks because
the therapist does not feel that the
therapy alone will help. The therapist
has said Conduct Disorder with ADHD and
her supervisor has added that they need to
rule out Bipolar which would cancel the
Conduct Disorder. At this point they have
been unable to rule out the Early-Onset
Childhood Bipolar Disorder. She believes
the psychiatrist is going to find that it
is Bipolar. My question is, do all
Bipolar children have these "rages" at
home and at school?
My daughter attends pre-school for 2 hours
(we did this hoping it would help with the
"rages") and is fine at school, but as
soon as she gets in the car it is all
over. She gets upset at the smallest of
things and is screaming at the top of her
lungs, kicking the back of the seat,
throwing whatever she can get her hands
on, and anything else you can think of.
When I first started researching Bipolar
Disorder, I read something that said some
children will only do this at home because
this is where they feel "safe", but her
therapist seemed to think that was
strange, and I haven't been able to find
the article since.
If anyone could offer any kind of help or
information on this, I would greatly
appreciate it.
Thank you.
|
inmomof3
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 05 Mar 2007 Posts: 2
Posted: 03-05-07 09:06am
Hello,
I am new here and have a 5 year old who
since she was a baby would get upset very
easily. I remember at an early age, she
started biting when she got mad and to the
point she would draw blood. Maybe a year
or so later, she was still biting, but had
picked up on digging her fingernails into
people and "squeezing" their arms to the
point on all three she was drawing blood.
I never thought we would get her to stop.
This went on for years. Once she did
finally stop doing that (and she still
does it every once in a while) she started
in where she would scream "no" to you and
start kicking the walls when you made her
sit in time out. Once we somewhat got
past that she started the screaming and
stomping her feet, then it progressed to
throwing things and kicking the walls or
the couch or whatever was in her way, and
knocking things over, putting holes in her
bedroom wall from throwing things, yelling
at me telling me she hates me and for me
to never talk to her again. This has
continued now to a frightening state that
she has broken a glass candle holder in
her hand, thrown and brick at our dog and
missed, but hit her older brother in the
ear and many many other symptoms. These
symptoms and more have lasted for about 9
months now and are progressively getting
worse. Once she broke the glass candle
holder in her hand, my husband and I
realized we needed to have her checked
out. She has been seeing a therapist now
for a little while and will see a
psychiatrist in just a few weeks because
the therapist does not feel that the
therapy alone will help. The therapist
has said Conduct Disorder with ADHD and
her supervisor has added that they need to
rule out Bipolar which would cancel the
Conduct Disorder. At this point they have
been unable to rule out the Early-Onset
Childhood Bipolar Disorder. She believes
the psychiatrist is going to find that it
is Bipolar. My question is, do all
Bipolar children have these "rages" at
home and at school?
My daughter attends pre-school for 2 hours
(we did this hoping it would help with the
"rages") and is fine at school, but as
soon as she gets in the car it is all
over. She gets upset at the smallest of
things and is screaming at the top of her
lungs, kicking the back of the seat,
throwing whatever she can get her hands
on, and anything else you can think of.
When I first started researching Bipolar
Disorder, I read something that said some
children will only do this at home because
this is where they feel "safe", but her
therapist seemed to think that was
strange, and I haven't been able to find
the article since.
If anyone could offer any kind of help or
information on this, I would greatly
appreciate it.
