Those with BiPolar (BP) kids...

[klmno]

I remembered today that i had emailed the school a week or so ago and told them about difficult child's medication changes and what signs to watch for in case the mood cycling might be starting. I told them that the medication changes were due to difficult child having serious signs of depression and that if this was turning into mania or more serious depression issues that the first signs would include disruption in class, not complying with rules (whether or not this is all deliberate or just inability to do certain things like sit still and pay attention, who knows), inability to focus on what he should be doing, and not complying when re-directed. If he is fussed at over these things, he will start acting rebellious. Whereas this appears to be complete defiance and generally results in anger of the authority figure, so far, these "indicators" have always preceded erratic behavior in difficult child.

Then, I realized that this is exactly what I'm seeing in difficult child the past few days at home. I have put the medications back where they were (I think it was too much too fast, with the albuterol and all) Hopefully, I have done this in time.

But, I was wondering if this is seen by anyone else in their difficult child who has mood cycling? Inevitably, while I'm going thru it with my son, I always feeling like he is deliberatley being defiant and disrespectful. Then, after the manic bout or the period of "completely losing it", I look back and see this stage as the precursor. Is this common? Do you think it's really a part of mood cycling or is it just a stage of difficult child being defiant and not caring and he gives up and gives into too much that leads to mania or irrational behavior?

 

[Ropefree]

The Psyciatrist doing the medication monitoring can give snap evaluations that the teachers can fill in daily or weekly and that way have insight into the patient.
I feel this helps so much. Because we parent do not see how things are going at school. And our own snap evaluations over time reveal lots that are not aparent over time.
I would take it up with the psyciatrist perscribing the medications and take the child back and not guess or tamper with the treatments without direct supvervison and direction from the perscribing psyciatrist.

 

[totoro]

YES... I see it with K so much. We have had a rough week. She has been cycling really bad, these past couple of weeks have gotten worse, even the teacher has seen it and has had to talk to K, which is unusual.
K bolted from class the first time, screaming. Had to be brought to the Nurse.
She has left class 2x now in 2 weeks. Couldn't handle the chaos. Another time she *got in trouble*
She has been so defiant, which is her starting to destabilize... more depression also.
I don't know if difficult child is a rapid cycler? But K is, so she gets more extreme symptoms when she is less stable. Or more Hypo or Manic.

I see these things in myself as well. My laptop has been acting up, so I get bad anxiety about bringing it in to the genius bar at Apple.
So what happens the last week? husband is bugging me about making an apt. I get agitated, PO'd. Mad at him, NO-you make the apt. I just start wigging out about doing it.
He actually realized I was getting hypo over the whole thing. I hadn't been sleeping and it was triggering me, I was not doing well anyway so i was very sensitive!
SO he didn't say anything and we went on Saturday... It was not good just like I knew it would be. But I did it. They could not fix it!!!
But by him not bugging me it took away some of my stress.
It is much harder with our kids because it is not so cut and dry.
I become very ODD... I wish i wasn't! I try to curb it.

And yes it is very hard to see it at times when it is going on. Afterwards it is much easier to see it or look in a journal and pinpoint things... hindsight is so nice, huh?

 

[Jena]

Yes without a doubt!! Yet I think to be honest it's alot harder for your difficult child because of his age. BiPolar (BP) kids I've read have so much more of a difficult time during the teenage years. He's already changing and experiencing hormonal changes and their just made so much worse in my own opinion by his condition.

Wanna hear something odd, my difficult child holds her "stuff" all day long. When she's manic she pull an all nighter or she'll be up till 3 a.m. be nasty to me in the a.m. and than she experiences anxiety during the day yet doesn't get nasty with anyone or the teacher or her friends. We had an incident two times two years ago where she told off a teacher, a principal and a aide. Wow did she ever plant them, it was scary.

anyway i agree with your thought process. do you keep a log of behaviors that you can go back into a track it??

 

[klmno]

Thank you!!Tommorow will be interesting, I'm sure. difficult child has an appointment with the PO. He hasn't boken her house arrest rules and I have no faith in her whatsoever to back me up so there's no point in telling her anything. I am going to try to talk with the principal before that appointment with the PO.

I know I've been burning the board up lately with threads/posts so I really appreciate everyone's input. It has all been very helpful. I guess everyone is aware that I'm trying to nail down a plan so things like group home info helps me know what to push for. Info on what might indicate mood cycling vs deliberate "bad" behavior helps me know how to word things and to whom do I contact.

I sincerely hope that I'm not walking into a situation where my son ends up in my bro's custody or anyone else's who is not in his best interest. I hope that this helps more than it harms him and that he can come back home. But right now, I need to take comtrol of my home back and he needs to know it, whether the problem is mental or intentional behavior. Although, I will not pursue juvy for this- he won't get any help that way.

So far from what I'm gathering, the issue is that "I can no longer afford to nor have the resources (financially, safety, time) to provide everything needed for a BiPolar (BP) kid, including the therapeutic care and structure that he needs in order to function". Does that sound accurate and appropriate for this situation to you all? If adequate supports are provided or if difficult child lives somewhere else until he can function in this home environment, he is more than welcome home. I will not abandon him and have no intention of turning my back and walking away or not being involved in his life.

Does anyone know- Star would but I was wondering if anyone else knows- is there really any difference between a foster care and a therapeutic foster care? (Any difference as far as what they do?)

 

[compassion]

Kimno, Absoulatly, that goes on around here. It hapned Fri. night. It happned today. With her I don't know how much is BiPolar (BP)-mania and how much is the substance abuse. It is hard not to react. I called her a selfish ***** tonight.
I als totlaly underatnda bout not having the resoures on all levels to deal. This wekend we were going to put her in Residential Treatment Center (RTC)-it has been 3 weeks -she has not run or used but it unbeleivably exhausting and difficult. It is veyr disruptive t our family. I am taking it a day at a time. It is good she has not run or used but she stil has that manic tyrannical attitude and I so want her to be healthy and she is not. Compassion

 

[house of cards]

I don't know how helpful this is and it is only my personal experience with foster care. The training you are given doesn't really prepare you for doing it. Living it does. My sister did theraputic foster care for years and she was very good at it. She would read about the kid's issues and advocate relentlessly. She enjoyed being theraputic because the state was more likely to give her the services/counselling she wanted for the kid.

I did foster care for 10 years but really just with babies, I had one 7 yo for 2 1/2 weeks once and I said never again(he was respite), he lied, stole and bite my youngest.

Theraputic foster carers should know what they are getting into and be willing to work with more problems...they should be more experienced. But in truth, the state will probably be willing to take anyone that says they are willing to take kids with a diagnosis so it is a bit of the luck of the draw.

 

[Wiped Out]

Yes-we definitely see this. Keeping a good thought tomorrow goes well. Hugs.

 

[smallworld]

What you're describing may not be "mood cycling" or "mania," but activation caused by medications. See my post on your other thread, "Akathisia vs mania." In your shoes, I'd opt for a research study over foster care, but that's JMHO.

 

[klmno]

I'll look into the study- Thanks!! I'm not really trying to put him in foster care- this "team" I'm checking into is actually designed to prevent out-of-home placement. But, they can fund out-of-home placement temporarily if the need is there. In my difficult child's case, he might need to know that there is a chance that could happen if he doesn't do some things. The real emergency is that I am out of financial resources and have to go back to work full-time. This team supposedly can contribute financially or with child care or with transporting difficult child, whatever the family needs to meet the needs of the child. Also, they can arrange crisis intervention when there is an issue that might not meet the psychiatric hospital defnition of acute. That would be most helpful if someone is available to step in quickly after difficult child becomes aggressive at home, even though that doesn't happen often.

 

[Critter Lover]

Jennifer.....your right BiPolar (BP) kids have a more difficult time in teenage years.
Take in mind that if anyone has an autistic child....those teen years can be stretched in to the 20's since our kids mature later. My son started in
17 for teen years and he is 22 still going through teen years.

My son cycled more in his teen years than younger years. Good luck klmno with whatever you decide is right for difficult child. I think we all go with bouts of burning up the board but then again.....that is what the board is for .....for everyone helping out each other in our everyday challenges that our difficult children give us.

HUGS for support!

Sheryl

 

[lizzie09]

My difficult child recently diagnosed with BiPolar (BP) has this most annoyinfg behaviour that makes you think he defiitely is out to get you.

Before it starts I tell everyone he is not in control but boy oh boy when he starts up...I am like a mad woman or a dog with a bone and I really feel he is out to get me"!
This is with medication and without medication so it must be quite common.