We saw our psychiatrist the other day. We see the psychiatrist pretty often for medication checks but lately they consist of just more than a medication check but also trying to figure out what the hell is going on with difficult child#1. He has ALWAYS been aggressive (he has been on Risperdal since he was 5) but it has escalated to hitting husband and I all of the time along with becoming even more violent towards his youngest brother. I feel like I have to walk on eggshells around him. He is NEVER happy unless he is in complete control of everyone in this house. I am simply worn out with him. I have posted before about the behaviors my other children are exhibiting- wondering if it's them who might be bipolar and what not. At this point I believe it's his behavior that is causing them to act out. It honestly never even crossed my mind that difficult child#3 could be bipolar. I figure every negative behavior he has exhibited are all because of Autism but according to our psychiatrist his behaviors are more psychotic and suggest that he could possibly be bipolar. He has started him on Lithium which he will take 2x a day and then we go back in 2 weeks for another medication check and I think he said something about bloodwork.
Has anyone else dealt with these two combinations of diagnosis? I don't necessarily doubt the BiPolar (BP) diagnosis. My father is BiPolar (BP) and I also exhibit the symptoms of it as well. I see the symptoms of mania which I see VERY often in him (daily) but he isn't very low or depressed very often. I just still wonder if those are purely things that come from having Autism. I really have no idea.
And like I said earlier, he has been on Risperdal forever. We have increased, changed dosages, but it has little effect on him. He takes it 2x a day. He also takes Luvox 2x a day but is still as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as ever. It's hard to believe that this drug might actually work.
Has anyone else dealt with these two combinations of diagnosis? I don't necessarily doubt the BiPolar (BP) diagnosis. My father is BiPolar (BP) and I also exhibit the symptoms of it as well. I see the symptoms of mania which I see VERY often in him (daily) but he isn't very low or depressed very often. I just still wonder if those are purely things that come from having Autism. I really have no idea.
And like I said earlier, he has been on Risperdal forever. We have increased, changed dosages, but it has little effect on him. He takes it 2x a day. He also takes Luvox 2x a day but is still as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as ever. It's hard to believe that this drug might actually work.
