Convinced my daughter has bipolar disorder as she has every symptom..

[LisaH2017]

I posted on Friday about the hell were going through with our 11 year old daughter, I have spent years researching trying to find out why she is so different, she's angry, short tempered, unhappy and when she is happy she can't deal with her emotions and that usually turns into anger too! She's constantly talking about death, she's been to see a councillor who didn't help but I think she's got something more going on and all her symptoms lead to bipolar.. she's being referred to cahms so fingers crossed they will see her!
What I wanted to ask was who do I go to with my worries? And who will listen to me as we're not getting very far and it's starting to take its toll

 

[HMBgal]

Bi Polar is hard to diagnose in developing children. We've gone the gamut of ADHD, Anxiety disorder, and the new one Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD). DMDD is supposed to be that diagnosis that give a diagnostic home for children exhibiting symptoms like bi polar, but may not grow into full-blown bi polar. The latest psychiatrist is now saying my almost-11 year old is most likely bi polar, but I'm not seeing the big ups and downs, pressured speech, sleeping problems, flights of fancy, etc. In any case, he's being medicated with generic Ability (aripiprazole) and I guess it's helping. He's been on it for a year, and they just upped his dose, but it's still considered a low dose. He is managing general ed with a 1:1 aide. He just refuses to work and if challenged, will cause a classroom-clearing situation. He hasn't done that in about 6 months, but for middle school next year, he's being placed in a therapeutic class for kids with emotional, behavioral, and mood disorders. He's super smart, but just can't manage the social stuff and needs more support that a regular ed class can give.

So, to answer your question, here is a good place to vent, ask questions, etc. All we can do is give you our personal stories. I can say that as my grandson matures, some things have gotten a lot better. He's learning to handle his rage. He may not go to those tools in the moment, but it's a long, slow process. He's just like his father in looks, personality, and temperament. And his father isn't doing very well at age 37 because he never got the help he needed A good family history will probably be useful for you.

 

[JRC]

Hi Lisa-

I'm sorry you're going through such a rough time with your daughter. It truly does suck. My son is the same age and has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I don't know if what your daughter is experiencing is bipolar disorder or not, but I can tell you that juvenile bipolar disorder doesn't necessarily look like adult bipolar disorder. And, children can also look quite different from each other in symptoms.

Are you in the USA? I ask just because I don't know if your healthcare system is the same as ours.

Have your daughter seen by a psychiatrist (not psychologist) who specializes in childhood mood disorders, anxiety and depression. Have you done this already? They may not be able to make a diagnosis very quickly. They will want to monitor her for a while, and will likely try to treat the mood lability with a variety of available medications depending on her symptoms, your family history, etc. I know you think she has bipolar, but it may be something else entirely. How is she performing in school? A neuropsychologist can help evaluate her for other learning issues as well which might be contributing to her symptoms. I'm happy to tell you more about our experience if you like. Best of luck and hugs.

 

[Triedntrue]

My 36 year old son is diagnosed as bipolar 2. We first took him to a councelor in 4th grade. In middle school he was transfered to an approved private school for kids with problems and went through several diagnoses there but was not diagnosed as bipolar until he was 17. Hang in there sometimes it just takes awhile i think they are more aware of it happening in kids now than then. Tired mama