[samantha4i4]

My younger sister is bipolar, along with my father, grandfather, and uncle. My mother seems to keep insisting that my oldest daughter is acting EXACTLY like my younger sister did. She is worrying me because I odnt see anything but the terrible twos... my daughter is 23 months, is this way to young to diagnose her with it?

[Withay]

Most psychiatrists will say that a child your little ones age cannot be definitively diagnosed as bipolar. Many times the symptoms don't show up until later.

[dklevy]

My duaghter was diagnosed bipolar around 3 or 4. It's a tricky thing at young ages. Some of the tell tale signs she showed were:

1. adverse reaction to ritalin when they thought she was ADD

2. obsession with death

3. vivid dreams of blood and gore while never being exposed to such things [tv was closely monitored]

4. seeming lack of sense of pain [she'd bite herself so hard it left marks]

5. violent outburst [she cut my mom's nose open by headbutting her directly on the bridge of her glases]

6. overall difficulty with simple things since birth including diaper changes, feeding, and baths.

Things didn't really get batter until she was hospitalized a few years back. But she's 12 now and an honor roll student. We can still see the signs but they are so under control that they are decreasing her meds a bit. The psychiatrist explained that since nerons are still developing sometimes the right meds at right stages with help the brain fix itself so meds won't be continually needed in the long run.

I would trust your judgement but it won't hurt to bring it up at the next physical either. Just to talk about it and get a professional oppinion since there's a family history.

Hope that helps a little! Best of luck!

[samantha4i4]

Thanks for Reply