Parent of Bi Polar 7 Year Old...

Amanda - posted on 05/17/2009

I heard that diagnosing a child with bipolar is really difficult and fairly new. What symptoms (or why does your doctor believe your child has bipolar) does your child have? *If you don't mind me asking* I'm curious, because my son has been diagnosed with RAD (reactive attachment disorder) for the last year and a half, and now they say he doesn't have RAD but that he has ODD (oppositional defiance disorder). UGH! Maybe it's bipolar....I don't know.

Shannon - posted on 05/17/2009

My son was diagnosed bipolar around age 9 and is now 13. He has shown symptoms of bipolar from a very young age. I was noticing things around age 3 that made me wonder, but because Im the parent I dont know anything. At least that is the feeling I got from the many doctors I took him to.

It is rare that children this young are diagnosed. Its a combination of lack of fully understanding this disorder by the entire medical facility and that it is not always easy to get clear answers from kids because they are not mature enough to provide accurate details as to whats going on with them. Most Drs seem to believe that this is a condition that people just suddenly get in their 20s. But that attitude is slowly changing. They are coming to realize that this is not something that just happens. And the sooner the diagnosis is made the better. Younger kids are so much better at adapting to problems. They are not yet set in their ways.

I was diagnosed with bipolar around age 14. Im now in my 30s. Nothing was done for me at that time. Basically my mom was told this is whats wrong with her, good luck. I am thankful that its not that way for my child.

But I do have to forewarn you. Sadly most of today's society still considers it the "dirty" family secret that needs to be locked away and not acknowledged. I cant believe how many times I have been told I should just put him in a home and make my families life easier. It makes my blood boil. You need to be prepared to fight with the public schools, strangers, even your own family members. I blame ignorance for this. There is still not that much information available out there for the young.

My son is my role model. He has given me more strength than I ever thought possible. I am proud to have him as my son. All you can and need to do is let your child know that you are there for them no matter what. The rest will fall in place. Just remember that you are not alone.

Kim - posted on 05/13/2009

Hi I have a soon to be 9 year old son that has been diagnosed with Bi-Polar and several other mental health issues. I recomend that you contact the local hospital and or social services they can point you in the right direction. I lived in Maine during his diagosies and they had a few support groups for the parent and children. Remember to stay strong and you can help her through the mood swings. If you need to talk I am available. My wishes are with you.

Kimberly - posted on 05/12/2009

Keep being strong.It seems that these kids are hard to treat when they are young but when they hit puberty meds that did not work all the sudden make a difference and sometimes the amount of different meds can be less. Your child is lucky you are fighting for him and not giving up.It makes all the difference in the end.

Katrina - posted on 05/12/2009

my son was diagnossed at 7 when he he tried to kill himself we wher see a behaiour and brain disorder specialist and he sad he was bipolar it was a reilf to think ok iam not a bad mum but then can the battle of the right combernation of medication and then medication wear off after a while we have tried dex abitif caterpres ,melaton and many other we are now on concerta/epilum/zoloft/seriwoal /neiviga and we know it will have to change agin its trial and error

Kimberly - posted on 05/09/2009

I have four sons three who are bipolar. My first son was diagonised with ADD first and around 10 years old later diagnosed with bipolar. He had several health issues as a baby and toddler including seizure, apnea, eating issues and unexplained fevers and deyhrdation.My second son was diagnosed with Bipolar at 5 years old . He was born 5 weeks early and faillure thrive , asthma and as the years progressed many other health issues . When he was a newborn he hated people to touch him and as he became a toddler he started having rages that I know where not normal for a toddleer. WE took him to several psychiatrist who diagnosed him as bipolar but I wouldn't believe it then finally one said to us accept his diagnosis and start helping him or keep searching for a diagnosis you are never gonna get what did I want to do . So we started treatment for him and it has been long and hard .He was very resistant to medications and none worked for a very long time probably until he was almost 13 years old did we finally see a change . He is now graduating in 2 weeks . My third son was just diagnosed in the past few months he is 13 and it was devasting to learn he to had the illness . We thought it skipped him and mmy youngest. Andrew is very very intelligent and plays the piano and all the sudden he was jsut turned upside down. Check your local mental heallth board to see if there is a support group in your area if not start one that is what a friend of our did in this area. The school can post where you are meeting, let the mental health board know about it and they can post it, post it in different doctor offices in your area and at you health and humane service dept. You will be surprised that in a short amount of time how many parents join. You just need a place to meet your home tthe library" another great place to post" sometimes community centers will let you use them or hospitals sometimes have rooms to use another spot to post.Hope all goes well for you and your family .Happy Mother's Day

Cyndi - posted on 05/09/2009

My soungest son wad given the dx of ADHD, Bipolar at age 4. The Psychologist told me to get the book "The Bipolar Child" it helped me understand alot and it was like they wrote the book about him.

Sarah - posted on 04/01/2009

Quoting Crystal:

hi there my 4 and 1/2 year old daughter has just started seeing a peadiatrician who is starting the diagnosis process and at this stage it is possible that she has bi-polar as well as adhd so at this stage its still new to me as well but nice too now i'm not alone ive ordered a book but i'm still waiting for it to come in it's called Kids in the syndrome mix by martin kutscher and i'm hoping that will be helpful i will let you know how it pans out

although it is bi-polar they are trying to rule out ( or diagnose), you may find some helpful info in a book I love. It is called " a parents guide to high functioning autism and aspergers syndrome: how to help your child thrive". It is very parent friendly. It has charts with explanations of diagnosis and co-diagnosis, and even common misdiagnosis along with little case studies that explain why certain behaviors happen. You might also want to find books on sensory disfunction such as "the out of sync child". My 3 year old is not on the spectrum ( as far as we know) but he does have major tactile defensiveness around his head and neck, AND he is a sensory seeker in gross motor activities. Go figure...

Tammie - posted on 04/01/2009

I think the MOST important thing that parents need to remember is that YOU are the expert when it comes to your child. Im saying that as a mom of four. My son has cp and two of my daughters are bi-polar and my third daughter is milk and egg allergic. I knew my son had issues a year before doctors acknowleged it. Same with my daughters. Trust your instincts and get bitchy!!!!! LOL. Doctors only know what they have been taught and sometimes thats not enough. Most mean well but they are human and I think feel inadequate sometimes and therefore get defensive just like the rest of us. But as parents we need to keep pushing for more information and sometimes that means switching doctors until we find one that has the experience in the areas that are causing the issues our children are having. I meet so many parents where I live that dont want to be rude or just accept what doctors and teachers say as the truth. While yes I believe doctors and teachers dont PURPOSELY lie, they do sometimes lie. THEY DONT KNOW YOUR CHILD YOU DO!!!! You are not being a bitch, you are not being rude, you are being a parent and fighting for the best for your child. If your child is diagnosed with a 'disability' research IEP requirements please. Schools have alot of legal responsibilities but as a parent you may have to put your foot down to get them to follow thru. Yes I get wound up when talking about all this but after 18 years of experience Ive learned alot and get pissed for parents who are 'walked on' and taken advantage of by doctors and teachers and others in general.

Crystal - posted on 03/31/2009

hi there my 4 and 1/2 year old daughter has just started seeing a peadiatrician who is starting the diagnosis process and at this stage it is possible that she has bi-polar as well as adhd so at this stage its still new to me as well but nice too now i'm not alone ive ordered a book but i'm still waiting for it to come in it's called Kids in the syndrome mix by martin kutscher and i'm hoping that will be helpful i will let you know how it pans out

Jennifer - posted on 03/31/2009

I agree that this diagnosis is better now rather than later.  I was in my early 30's when I was officially diagnosed but we realized that there was something there in my late 20's.  I am so relieved that I have a place to turn here that people DO understand and I may take several of you up on your offers and I will definately follow up with our pediatrician, psychiatrist, and behavior specialist on some of the suggestions.  THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

Tammie - posted on 03/31/2009

I know its a tough diagnosis to hear but personally I think you and your family are lucky to receive it while your daughter is young. I wasnt diagnosed as bi-polar until into my 30s. It took a major family crisis for me to start counseling and thats when it was discovered. It was like my life finally made sense. But bigger than that my two oldest daughters and my mother finally made sense. Our relationships always were strained and we had major fights but could never understand why we were blowing things out of proportion. I see know that my mom and her father were major bi-polar and it makes so many things make sense. My relationships with my daughters are incredible now. My eldest and myself started off taking meds and then decided thats not how we wanted to continue. We now take a supplement that provides stability that is 'more stable' and healthier than medicine. Granted its a very personal decision meds or homeopathic but for us it works. But bi-polar isn't a disaster, you just need to keep it in mind for the tough days. We do 'time outs' (lol excuse for alone time) when we start feeling cranky. If you can help your daughter understand her moods and encourage her to understand that its ok to be cranky but not ok to make other people sad because of it, it will make it much easier. It sounds difficult but speaking from experience its actually not to bad. If you ever feel like you can't take it another minute feel free to drop me a line. ttellison4@msn.com p.s. I see bi-polar much more in little ones than I do add/adhd. With four kids I spend alot of time in the schools. Unfortunelty doctors don't see our kids in their day to day activities.

Felicia - posted on 03/31/2009

I have a 7 year old son who has been diagnosed as bipolar. He has been on medication since he was 4 years old. I also have a 6 year old son who has been diagnosed as mood swing disorder & ADHD. We live in Northern Illinois. Our treating physician is in Madison, WI. I would be willing to talk more if you'd like.

Sarah - posted on 03/31/2009

My son has not been dx with bi-polar, but he has been dx with pervasive developmental delay. Bi-polar is on the spectrum for autism. My son has been having rages since he was 2 years old. He is now 13 and is medicated, but still has regualr rages. In just the last few years I have had a huge bruise on my chest that was 3x4 inches and took a good month to heal, gouges in my arms, and in august he nearly broke my nose with his foot during a rage. He has been suspended many times this year, even gone through a court intervention program. For the last 3-4 months he has been on reduced school days ( he goes from 8-11:30 then comes home). We finally found a psychologist who "gets" him and has some great ideas.



I think you are right, and it cannot be THAT uncommon. My friend down the street has a daughter who has aspergers and bi-polar. I believe her other daughter is bi-polar too...my friend also is. Maybe you can ask to put up a flyer at the psychiatrists office and start a support group...

Jennifer - posted on 03/31/2009

Her behavior has be escalading for weeks and we took her to the psychologist and she met the criteria base for a mood stabilizer/antidepressant.  There is no blood test or MRI for bi~polar period but she has manic moments and research has found similarities in things she did as an infant that people with bi~polar have done.  I looked at the website my dr. gave me re: bi~polar kids and it was like a book that had been written about my daughter.  There are on-line support groups but I really wanted to have people to connect with who can understand and meet them face to face...

Rebecca - posted on 03/31/2009

Quoting Jennifer:

Parent of Bi Polar 7 Year Old...

Does anyone else out there have a child this young with bi-polar? My daughter was just diagnosed and while there is relief, there is also trepidation at what next... There are no support groups in my area and it can't be that rare... can it?

I was wondering...how was this diagnosed? Were tests taken and the doctor discovered something in her brain off balance?