Ding ding ding ding ding!!!

flutterby

Fly away!
We have a winner!!!!!!!!!

difficult child has been...hmm....human...for the last week(?). My concept of time is really bad. A week and a half, maybe. Except for attitude at my mom's tonight which I expected...and which we talked about later.

Tonight she came to me and asked if she could be bipolar. I asked her why she asked and she responded that, "The other day I was, like, slap happy, then I was [ticked] off, then I was crying, then I was [ticked] off again, then I was crying. And this all happened in about a 20 minute period."

I told her that if that was bipolar, it would be *very* rapid cycling and is very rare. I then took the opportunity to tell her about another disorder that causes mood dysregulation that works like that. She asked what it was and I told her it's Borderline Personality Disorder.

She asked if it was a mental illness. I told her, yes, but so is bipolar. I told her the good news is that with borderline, there is treatment and you can get better; while with bipolar you have to take medications for the rest of your life. She asked what would happen if she didn't get treatment. I told her she'd end up like Lisa (not the Lisa on the board...someone I know). I think that scared her a bit. Lisa is *completely* out of control.

She asked about the treatment and I told her a little. I told her it doesn't happen overnight and it can take a while. She asked how I know so much and I told her that I have in interest in this stuff and I read.

She said she doesn't and I responded that she had enough interest to look up bipolar.

THEN.....she said that she wanted to figure out what was wrong with her.

EUREKA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you know how huge this is?????? Until that moment, *nothing* was wrong with her; it was everyone else who had the problem.

therapist did mention last week that she actually had a very good session with difficult child. Maybe stuff is starting to get through.

She's actually been a joy to be around lately. It's really nice. :D

Throwing salt over my shoulder, knocking on wood, hanging garlic around my neck...to ward off the board jinx.
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
Wow! Doing a very quiet dance with panthers (because I can't stand liver) that she'll take you up on the reading and learning.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
WOW!!! this is HUGE! I know you have struggled with her for so long, and so hard. Hopefully she will continue to be receptive to info and treatment.

It would be just lovely if something could be found to help her feel more positively about the world.
 
M

ML

Guest
I pray her desire for feeling better continues to outweigh her previous denial. This is very good news.
 

crazymama30

Active Member
Wow, a light! Here's hoping the light stays on, and progress continues.

Very slick, by the way, how you made borderline a positive thing. That was really creative, not that it is better or worse than BiPolar (BP), but I just think that was some quick thinking lady!
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Oh, Wow, Heather! I'm speechless. That is so awesome.
I hope you two can continue on this path of openness and healing. I know it will be hard, but now that she's got an open mind, it will be so much better.
Many, many happy hugs!!!!
 

flutterby

Fly away!
Thank you all.

Things are still going really well. She's been a easy child for a couple weeks now. She did still turn in that nasty letter for her English assignment, but...whatever. Baby steps. At least she DID the assignment. She's really trying hard in school this year...without the constant fights over school work.

As far as the creative thinking...when it comes to her I have *years* of practice. :tongue:
 
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