Before we knew our difficult child was indeed bipolar we changed our diet, we had always eaten healthy, but we went to a basically no high fructose,no partially hydogonated oils, no dies, no fast food, no soda, tried no dairy and try to eat mostly organic, small farm grown etc. very little meat. Did we see any changes with difficult child??? NO. But we are healthier!!! I feel good about our diets...It can't hurt to try it though, especially if your difficult child ends up not BiPolar (BP).
Especially now that she is on medications and struggles with the weight gain... she will eat tofu and rice or soybeans with chicken etc. We do fight about the carbs and she does want more homemade goodies... But I put more whole grains or flax or nuts or sneak fruit in the snacks I bake.
We also have to travel pretty far for our psychiatrist- from Idaho to Chicago!!! A 4 hour non-stop flight that we have to be up for at 3am and it only leaves once a day or 7 to 9 hour flight with stops...yuck. But UIC was the only place taking new patients so quickly, and our difficult child was having psychotic episodes with non-stop talk of wanting to die. Right now where I live they informed me at the hospital that we are "officially" in crisis mode regarding psychiatrists!!! We are losing one and not one is taking new patients, but I did get an in with one psychiatrist in 3 months who is 2 hours away, so I took the apt. Out of state...
My difficult child does what is called ultra ultra rapid cycling, she cycles up and down multiple times a day, it may change as she gets older and hits puberty.
Another good book out is "Parenting a bipolar child" Dr. Faedda It is a new book, he is out of new york.
Hang in there and keep pushing for answers if something doesn't feel right...
