Second opinion yields 'new' diagnosis...

[Last ♡ Hope]

So my difficult child's 'official' diagnosis is now 'Bipolar not otherwise specified'. Well, the ADHD/ODD is still on there too I think, but instead of 'mood disorder not otherwise specified' we've made the leap to BiPolar (BP). I think original psychiatrist, therapist and myself have been dancing around it for the last two years so I guess on some level I feel almost, maybe... relief? Although deep, deep down I feel like 'schizoaffective disorder' really fits him best, but he's too young and I don't think anyone is going to touch that with a 10 ft. pole around here until he's much older. So anyway, he'll start a trial of lithium on Monday. It's probably the last four days of peace and happiness speaking here, but I'm actually feeling optimistic right now.

 

[Wiped Out]

Last Hope,
My difficult child was also 6 when they made the diagnosis to Bipolar (they also kept the ADHD medication). I understand how you are feeling. For me it was a relief in that we could start treating his illness. It was also sort of a relief knowing that others were seeing what we were seeing, Know what I mean?? (((Hugs)))

 

[pepperidge]

If your child had a disease (diabetes etc) and you finally got a diagnosis and maybe on the right medications, you would be feeling hopeful too--I think it is much the same thing, except that the medications for mental illness are more of a cr&pshoot!

good luck, how did you like the second psychiatrist?

 

[TerryJ2]

Yes, that is a relief. And yes, you won't know about schizoaffective for many yrs.
I hope that the trial goes well. Fingers crossed!

 

[Last ♡ Hope]

If your child had a disease (diabetes etc) and you finally got a diagnosis and maybe on the right medications, you would be feeling hopeful too--I think it is much the same thing, except that the medications for mental illness are more of a cr&pshoot!

good luck, how did you like the second psychiatrist?

Oh I liked him very much, it's a shame my advocate kind of messed up any chance we may have had to switch to him, but at least we were able to benefit from his expertise via the second opinion.

On a related note - I bought The Bipolar Child (Kindle edition) yesterday morning and could. not. put. it. down! I was almost in tears reading the descriptions, they fit difficult child to a T!! Especially the part about the blood and gore dreams and daytime fixation. We always wondered where the HECK such a little boy came up with the horrific stuff difficult child does - it's not like we watch movies like that and we haven't had television access since he was 1 but even back then we weren't watching gore. It was one of the things about him that honestly made us question demonic possession as insane as that sounds, because we just couldn't understand how his mind could create the scenarios he was so fixated on. Having said that, I still don't understand, but at least it seems to be a common thread among children with this diagnosis... meaning, we're not alone here.