indianaterri

New Member
Help! After a couple of years of heck my 15 yo daughter is diagnosed with a mood disorder not otherwise specified (whatever that means) and is getting treated as a bipolar. She is recently on an IEP at school and the suspensions and police calls have slowed down. But she can't STAND me and I am her trigger for defiance...

I am trying like heck to get her in to a partial hospitalization situation.

But I'm looking at the downhill slope to the end of the school year...SUMMER, yikes! I can't trust her to be by herself.

She loves horses and would love to go to a horse camp, but I can't trust her at camp right now...

Any ideas for a therapeutic ranch or summer camp? Any that will be able to deal with a bipolar adolescent?
Any I should stay away from?

There are some boarding schools we have looked in to that deal only with the behavior, wean them off the psychiatric medications, but that won't help her...there is no talking to her or reasoning with her unless she is more stable (and even then we haven't had her stable long enough to know if she is able to maintain these changes...)

I am so glad this forum is here! I just can't talk to folks about my situation without it sounding like I should discipline her more (other than jail I'm not sure how much more I can do...)
 

StressedM0mma

Active Member
Is there a reason that you feel she would not be able to handle day camp with-horses? There are therapeutic riding barns. I am not too sure, but I bet they have a summer camp program. Equine therapy does wonders. by the way, welcome. Others will come along and be able to offer other advice as well. We do not mention specific names of camps or schools on the open forum. It is all done through private messaging.
 

indianaterri

New Member
I can't leave her alone. It seems the older she gets the less I am able to leave her alone.

She has always been a challenge, very high energy and needing a lot of attention.
She was the tornado in the room, you knew she had been there after she left...

Tried treating her with ADD medications, Concerta and then Vyvanse....whew, could hardly get through a month with Vyvanse. She was fine during the day, but when it wore off...Oh My, what defiance, anger, and Mr. Hyde. It was the same with Concerta but it took a few months for her to get there.

After MANY stressors the past few years, divorce, boyfriend breakup, GM's death, and add in to that puberty, she has been in a 6 month manic phase. Before now she was engaging in risky behavior, but now she just doesn't care (or so she says). The consequences don't seem to phase her, she is on probation, been suspended about 6 times just since January (her behavior is not contained at home any longer) and she would literally have sex with anyone if she had the opportunity to. I wouldn't want to send her to a camp where they wouldn't have the time or attention or skills to deal with her, it wouldn't be fair to her, the camp, or the other campers. Also, my hope is she could be around other kids going through the same thing she is going through so she could see a little of what I'm seeing.

Do things seem to get worse around adolescence? And does it get better after they have more stable hormones? I know I'm dealing with BiPolar (BP), I'm just hoping the hormones are making it particularly worse right now and this won't be the brand of BiPolar (BP) she will have to deal with all her life.
 

buddy

New Member
I'm not in Indiana if that's where you're from but I agree, that has been a miracle. My son wouldn't even let me look his direction when he started and last week end we mucked stalls together and I got like twenty gentle hugs.

He even walked me up a path with his arm around me......unheard of!

There are equine therapy places all around here and some are not riding programs but rather doing simple cares like brushing and walking building trust and problem solving. Psychologists actually do therapy with them and insurance pays.

Others are private pay, often negotiable, with people who are trained in equine therapy.

The Ranch we go to is owned by a woman who trains for competition, and does therapy riding. She works with at risk youth, special needs, mental health, etc.

I personally did an out patient intensive program when young and I'm so glad I did. It was long ago but I really benefited. I choose it though.
 
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