Any one who could maybe share with me abit about bipolar dysorder

[lovelyboy]

Sorry...I know I'm maybe being a pain now...but after this day I feel so desparate for answers!

I did post earlier about my son and the whole tantrum thing today....but this escalated to such an extend that later tonight he had moodswings...anything between crying, screaming, laughing, even hiding under the chairs like an fearfull animal!

The dr only diagnosed ODD and anxiety...but after reading PLENTY on ODD....I do feel there is more going on with my son than just that. For instance...he does have respect towards other authorities.....he is the best behaved child at school...never get into fights with kids at school (emotionaly yes, but not physical).....he can be oppositional (often) but there is times that he is extremely obediant?

He has almost most of the symptoms of Bipolar that I read, just not the ones assosiated with ADHD......Even on the Conners Q he got no problems....

Is there any of you that could maybe give me a better understanding of how bipolar looks "in real live"?

Ok....thanx for your patience with me!

 

[HaoZi]

Bi-polar comes in several varieties. Has your son had a thorough battery of tests? If you're not getting the answers you need from this doctor, you need to find a new doctor that can help.

 

[lovelyboy]

My son only saw this dr once...me and my husband are seing her on Monday....we have PLENTY of Q. No, no tests was performed only Conners. I don't know how the medical systoms work in other countries, but here we have to pay for everything cash....so it's not that easy just to jump from one dr to another and pay everything from scratch again....Every consultation with this dr is R1000! To see an Occupational Therapist (OT) is between R600-R1000 for a session!

 

[LittleDudesMom]

There are a few websites (I think these really are the top three), if you haven't already visited, that could give you more information. One of the reasons that BiPolar (BP) is so difficult to diagnosis is that the symptoms very often mimic other pediatric disorders AND each child manifests differently. See if you can find some helpful information here:
http://www.thebalancedmind.org/
http://bipolarchild.com/

Sharon

 

[HaoZi]

Another issue in kids that many doctors can mistake a child's natural bounciness (or even ADHD) for mania and misdiagnosis unipolar depression as bipolar depression. Can you tell us more about your son? Our collective knowledge might help narrow the field.

 

[TerryJ2]

Just wanted to say welcome, and to do more testing. Best of luck!

 

[seriously]

Has your son been tested for celiac disease? If not, I suggest you ask his medical doctor about that along with getting the psychiatric consults and other assessments as you are able.

 

[lovelyboy]

Thanx for you support.....
HaoZi...here is some info:

My son does have a history of food allergies....he tested positive for 18 foods.....and avoided it for 4 yr. The last tests showed that he has outgrown them and is now only positive for environmental allergens and moulds.

What confuses me regarding ODD is that he is mostly very cooperitive, caring and sensitive....he is not an fighting type of child...he uasually is the victom of bullying.

It seems as if he is an very gifted child....could name all the forms and shapes at 2 yr old...identified and named alphabet at 3yr and started teaching himself to read at 4 yr....but what does concern me is that his IQ has never been tested and sometimes I wonder what if we are wrong assuming he is so clever....and maybe he isn't and then he has all this pressure to perform.

Occupational Therapist (OT) assesment of his visual perseption and memory, done at 5yr age...showed his abbility is that of 10-12 yr old.

He was a bit lazy with crawling and walking, but started at around 12 months.....only started talking at 2 yr, but then it was very well.

As a baby he had reflux, vomiting alot! Didn't like rough textures....easily got skin hives....cried sometimes for hours.....didn't sleep through till around 3-4 yr old.

He likes having friends, but finds big crowds overwhelming....prefer 1 on 1 friendships. Gets very irritated and overwhelmed on outings....to a point that he almost goes into 'shut down' when he gets home.

As a toddler he would sometimes look so sad and just start crying and when I asked him why he is crying he said he doesn't know and only feels sad.

He is emotionaly VERY demanding...shows anxiety, espesially when being left alone, doesn't like surprises, exct. He is usually clingy and demanding. Sometimes he makes silly jokes and pull faces and doesn't understand that his friends just 'doesn't get it'.
He has problem with encopresis and used night diapers till 6 yr old.

The last 2-3 months he started showing this hostile, aggressive and oposisional behavior. He showed some opposision earlier, but more like strong willed. It's only the last 3 months that he sometimes looked spaced out while screaming, shouting, aggression and then 'suddenly' changes and starts crying, hiding and feeling very depressed. He is also obsessed with violence, and like the baddies (but I think this is mostly to be eccepted by his best friend who loves these kind of things). Strange enough me and my hubby also went through a vERY bad time in our marriage, just before this behaviour started....We also found out that my son has been introduced with porn on the internet around this time by older friends at their house in this time.....I've really investigated the situation, but it seems that they only shared internet addresses and my son secretly explored it....

We are suspecting that he has sensory integration problems....eats limited things...says other food smell like poo and even wants to vomit when smelling like garlic or ginger. He HATES it to be hugged, or unexpectedly touched....doesn't want to wear sox and shoes....gets anxious in class when children touches him, make noice or bright lights.

Ok.....I think I've said to much now!

 

[DammitJanet]

I am thinking maybe not bipolar child but do read up on that. Do you have a library? Get the book The Bipolar Child and if he has bipolar you will probably read it and go...Oh WOW...they wrote about my kid!

I am thinking your little boy may have more of a touch of one of the autistic spectrum disorders. The learning his shapes and letters early, reading early, sensitivity, even the depression can all be part of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).