[leca]

Well DD 10 finally has an appropriate diagnosis for all the raging, moodiness, anger, etc. It's bipolar. Now what? What the heck do we do? I am sorry. I guess I am terrible. It doesn't make me any less angry at her for her behavior. It will be a month before we can get her into the psych to get any type of mood stabilizing drugs but I guess we have went w/o this long!

[HongKongMomma2B]

I just PMed you with some information.

[mrsred]

go to www.bpkids.net it is a great site in regards to pediatric bp. If you can't get in to see a psychiatrist for month(s) go to your pediatrician and see if he can help you. The child needs meds. There are a lot of meds that can really help the bp child. Watch closely for side effects, but you have to get on some kind of meds, and the sooner the better. When you get with a psch. the meds can be fine tuned, but your pediatrician ought to be able to get you started on something that will help at least a bit.

[rk36]

My daughter now 13 was diagnosed last year with BP she is also ADHD. It was a long hard road and I felt like such a bad mom. We also waited about a month to have her seen. The doctor put her on Zoloft which made her even worse. My mom is also BP and told me to ask about lithium. B(13) has been on lithium for the past 8 months and she has become such a joy. We just recently changed her ADHD med. from Straterra to Concerta and so far so good. My hb and I are now looking to adopt from the foster care system. We have learned alot from our daughter. Don't give up, there is really a great child behind all the bad behavior.

[lilmama25]

My 13 YO adoptive (for 7 yrs) daughter is in a residential treatment ctr. probably diagnosed bipolar. She is so angry and is making her family's life pure hell, i.e. physical, verbal, abuse, etc. She ended up hospitalized 3 times before being sent to residential treatment. She still is being horrible. She is being weaned off Zoloft and I am going to mention the lithium tomorrow to the dr. and see what she has to say. I am glad there is hope. Right now I feel sooooo hopeless and questioning me and my parenting skills. My husband is so much help but we both feel helpless. She is now threatening to "say things to the counsellor" so they will take our youngest child away. When our younger 8 YO daughter asked "Court" when the "old Court" was coming back, she was told by her sister "shut up or I'll slap you." To help Court and save the family, we had to get help. I could really use some support and help/ideas for adjustment for all of us. Bless you for your kindness

[osa25]

I have been reading over the posts concerning Bipolar Dx and teens on Lithium. Yes Lithium works well but there should be a real concern with this drug. It will kill the thyroid gland if not watched extremely closely. My mother who is a high functioning A-type personality Bipolar sufferer was on Lithium for an extended amt of time. The psychiatrist did not keep tabs on Lithium levels and her thyroid function. It completely destroyed her thyroid and now she must take synthetic thyroid hormone forever.
There are other drugs that work very well but all of them must be monitored closely. Depakote, Zoloft, Welbutrin (can cause violent outbursts), there are tons more. Sometimes a cocktail of drugs is necessary to balance out the disease. Please try to find a psychiatrist, not psychologist, who specializes in treatment of bipolar. This is necessary to receive the best possible outcome.

[jodybird511]

Osa25,

Psychologists have nothing to do with medication issues for Bipolar Disorder....psychologists, by definition, cannot prescribe medications (with very few and limited exceptions). However, psychologists can be a very useful adjunct to a treatment team for helping parents to deal with behaviors related to bpd.

[osa25]

Jody,

I am very well aware of the difference between pschologist and psychiatrist. After 31 years of dealing with Bipolar and several years of adoptive/foster requirements, I think it is very important that a psychiatrist be used in the treatment of psychotic disorders not a psychologist. I do not believe that going to psychologist for counseling then to a psychiatrist for meds just doesn't work. It splits trust issues and treatment methods.

[jodybird511]

Actually, in today's world of healthcare, very few psychiatrists do much other than medication. If you've got a psychiatrist who is willing to do the psychotherapy as well as the medication, that's great! Most folks aren't lucky enough to find a psychiatrist who does anything other than see them for a five minute med check once every one to three months.

[lilmama25]

It has been over a year now since my daughter started with the mental health thing. After several different medicatoins, the best so far are Ability and Rispirdal, which, incidently, my daughter reluctantly takes, saying "she does not need medication.l" She is in a treatment group home, which, of course, she hates. It has gotten from "let's hurry up and get her well" at the beginning to now "we have a lot of time, let's let the therapy work and I'm actually terrified to bring her home." Bipolar is not easily diagnosed and after a year, her psychiatrist still isn't sure if he has her diagnosed right. And I quote "she is one in a million." Oh my gosh, in many ways she is. However, the emotional rollercoaster she has us on seems neverending. Thanks for listening!

[AudreyE]

The Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation saved my sanity when our older daughter was diagnosed bipolar at the age of four: Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation: Vital information on bipolar disorder in children, teens, and young adults.

The biggest thing I learned: get the right meds and question authority. Our daughter has been stable and happy on Lithium and Abilify for a couple of years now, but she wouldn't be on either of those if I hadn't educated myself and found the right doctors.

Audrey