The stuggles of raising a bi-polar child

Cheryl - posted on 08/09/2010

well said..describes the process so well..you are not alone

Mary - posted on 04/23/2010

Angela I know what you mean about wanting answers. How old is your son? Mine is almost 12 and WAY into puberty.

Mary - posted on 04/23/2010

My son started out the same way- ADHD then BP. He also has ODD, PTSD, separation anxiety, GAD and Aspergers

Tonya - posted on 10/16/2009

Girl when he goes off those meds he's on now. You don't know what you'll get out of him. Let the specialist help him with this one. It can get dangerouse for you and the other sibblings. At the hospital they will be able to monitor him and he will probably get 24hr theropy while he is going threw the med changes. Just my opinion though!

Tammy - posted on 09/06/2009

My 7 1/2 year old son went thru the diagnosis of just ADHD, ODD and OCD for the longest time before the doctors and I found ot he also had Bi-polar. I also suffer from Bipoalr so I sort-of knew he had it. Ever since, he has shown so much progress and it's all due to the depaoke they put him on and the change in his school schedule.

If the schools are only dealing with him as a ADHD child, they are sooo wrong. You must deal with the child with Bipolar as such. When they get mad, let them throw their fits, and make them clean up their mess, if they made one while in the fit. Bi-polar children need to learn it's ok to get mad, but they also need to learn the proper ways of dealing with this anger. Most schools don't teach this to just ADHD children. My son was also enrolled in a Behavioral Disability class to teach him better social skills, anger managment skills, and to find better ways of teaching him his regular education.

Like I said before, it wasn't until I notified the doctor that there was something else wrong, then did the progress really happen.

YOu may want to talk with the doctors about med changes, and def talk tot he school. The more you are involved, the better for him and yourself.

Cynthia - posted on 08/24/2009

You are not alone! It seems no one but another mom of a bipolar child can understand what we go through. Finding the right medication combination is hard enough, then you
add in the kids are growing and changing so the meds need to change. My son is 15,
diagnosed at age 6. His hormones and the normal teenage attitude are driving everyone
crazy.

If you haven't visited the Child ad Adolescent Bipolar Foundation website (bpkids.org),
please do and join one of the support groups. You will learn so much from the moms
in the groups and get support from people who really get what you are going through.

Shannon - posted on 08/23/2009

My oldest son is 11, (almost 12), when he was five the Dr.'s told me he had A.D.D., over a period of 2 yrs. i had a couple different Dr.'s tell me that he should be treated for Bi-polar, I didn't want to except that. However, when he was 8 and his baby brother was 3 and, VERY small for his age, He kicked him across the room into a window in one of his RAGE episodes. I knew then that something had to be done. Many therapists and medicine changes later, we are now in our second anger managment class, we have a very good psychiatrist. I do agree with everyone else's post. This roller coaster ride is horrible. Now the dr.'s want to put him in the hospital and put him on a medicine washout for a few days and then slowly treat the symptoms that come up. This is so hard. He is so angery. I might get a day or two of a happy 11 year old. watching my younger two, (9 1/2, and 6), struggle with him is heart breaking. They don't understand, hell, somedays i don't either. My husband has given up hope. He will support me, but wont go to dr.'s or treatments. My family offers, but I feel like the family that no one wants around because their kids out of control. There is alot of fighting between the kids. I hope I am doing the right thing by letting the Dr.'s put him in the hospital, I do feel so alone, but so does he......

Angela - posted on 07/30/2009

My son is 10, and was diagnosed bipolar three months ago when he was admitted to an acute care psychiatric hospital. He had been diagnosed ADHD and ODD. He would have these horrendous meltdowns, and he finally had one in his therapists office one day. He was tried on two different medications, which did not work. He was just released from the hospital again this week, because my insurance won't pay for residential care. He's on Seroquel now, and so far it seems to be helping some. As you all know, life is a constant roller coaster ride. You never know what is going to set them off, and if it's going to be a short tantrum or a long episode. Trying to make people understand, especially work, can be exhausting. I just want to tell them they are welcome to take him for a day, and then maybe they would understand why I can't work somedays even though he's not phsically sick. I feel alone a lot of times too. It's rough to have a child with a mental illness.

Angela - posted on 07/16/2009

I am in the process of trying to figure out if my son has bipolar disorder. I have done a lot of research on the matter and it seems like at his age it's such a tough call. He has been diagnosed with ADHD, Sensory integration, OCD, ODD, some Anxiety disorder, and NOS. He has gone through so many medications that we are now getting off them in order to get a base line behaior because I want to find out what will work now before hormones kick in. Sometimes I feel alone too. People have told me I nee to dicipline more, others tell me he's just a boy and boys are wild, some say I baby him too much because he's so sensitive. It just depends on what mood they get to see him in. Each day is like a rollercoaster and it's up and down non stop and we never know what's going to set him off. It's moment by moment. It's either the best day ever or the worst and that is at any given second. I long forpeace, but I am on edge awating the next meltdown. My husband thinks if I calm down everthing will be ok. My son has never been ok.He has told me his whole life that he wasn't normal. He knew before I id that something wasn't right. If I had the answers I think I could live with it, but not knowing is so frustrating.