Just not sure what to do or think

[aeditha17]

Pretty non-specific title, I know.
I have 3 difficult children - the oldest is almost 13 and has Tourette Syndrome, ADHD and anxiety. He's on no medications and has started to level out. We are over the hill I think.
Middle difficult child is my only girl and the source of this post. She was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and ODD at 5 years old and has been progressively symptomatic since then (though this last school year was pretty good). She goes 120 mph all day every day. She talks nonstop and sometimes it seems like she has the fact that people around here might be doing other things completely tuned out. She is the proverbial energizer bunny.
difficult child#3 is only 10 1/2 months younger than difficult child#2 and has a flash temper, but we have just figured out that his frustration level is so much higher than everyone else's because he deals with his sister more closely and more often than us on a daily basis. He has his own little oddities, but generally he is pretty typical boy.

difficult child#2 spent the weekend with my parents and my mother and I talked this evening. SHe was genuinely concerned about her. SHe said that there wasn't a moment when she wasn't talking or moving. It was manic, she thought. Mom is a former pedi nurse, so she has a little background. When difficult child was diagnosed at age 5 the doctor talked ablut Zoloft, but we were hesiant to medicate her at that age. Now, i am just not sure. Her ODD outbursts are getting really difficult and I don't want to punish her for things she can't control, but sometimes I think I am going to explode!!

Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[Fran]

Hello and welcome. Sounds like you have done a very good job of balancing all the kids needs.
Manic behavior tends to run in families. Any history of mood disorder, self medicating with illegal drugs or alcohol?
How does difficult child 2 do in school?
What are her teachers saying about her?
How does she do with her peers?
Does she have any outside hobbies or friends?
Has she been evaluated by a certified clinical psychologist, neuropsychologist, pediatrician. psychiatrist?

Hyper behavior isn't a problem unless it interferes with her functioning.
Medication is not a punishment for bad behavior but a tool to help a person/child to regain control. It is generally thought that any manic behavior should not be medicated with antidepressants until a mood stabilizer has been introduced. It can trigger a mania when give before the mood stabilizer.

On the other hand, you may want to see if any specific foods trigger her hyper activity. Allergies have been the culprit for some kids.

We probably have more questions than answers but I'm glad you found us and hope we can offer some suggestions and support.

Welcome.

 

[smallworld]

Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, MD, report that other childhood disorders such as anxiety/Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are often misdiagnosed as mania in a child. It is therefore very important that you have your child very carefully and thoroughly evaluated before settling on a diagnosis and treatment plan. Fran is right that the medications that treat Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (ADs like Zoloft) can make kids with BiPolar (BP) worse if indeed it does turn out to be mania.

In your situation, I'd recommend a neuropsychologist and a child psychiatrist to make certain your bases are covered. Neuropsychologists can be found at children's and university teaching hospitals.

 

[graceupongrace]

Hi there!

Sorry you're going through a difficult time. The behavior you describe is also a symptom of ADHD:[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] Is in constant motion, as if "driven by a motor."[/FONT] You may already be familiar with that since you said difficult child A has been diagnosis'ed with ADHD.

Who did the original diagnosis on middle difficult child? If it was a pediatrician, you may want to get another evaluation (neuropsychologist or child psychiatrist). Also, the diagnosis often changes as the symptoms change or emerge. These disorders look different in kids than in adults.

If you want to explode, you can do it safely here.

 

[catwoman2]

Hello and welcome to this wonderful site. I have a difficult child who was diagnosis'd with adhd when she was around 6. She now has problems with anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is so far only obsessive thoughts with out rituals. There are some days when she too doesn't stop talking and is constantly on the move, and sometimes it's hard to deal with all her energy. Hang in there, we're here for you.