Julesverne
New Member
I have an 11 year old son who was diagnosed with Temper Dysregulation Disorder about six months ago. He's been in therapy for years, and his therapist has said numerous times over the last couple of years she thinks he has a mood disorder. The original testing results, which were conducted when he was seven (first grade), were ADHD, anxiety, and they also indicated he was on the autism spectrum for Aspergers, high functioning. The original testing was done by a psychologist. We have tried anti-anxiety medications and medications for the ADHD, but only after a couple years of counseling and behavioral therapy first. I have always been reluctant to try medication; it made me nervous. While the medications seemed to help somewhat, the more pervasive issue/problem has always been the mood piece. He has extreme reactions to things, he rages over what others would see as minor - whether it's food he doesn't like, clothes that don't feel right, something not going the way he thought it would, his brother saying the wrong thing to him, losing at a game, not being able to accomplish a new activity, etc. etc. I had hoped some of these things would get better with age, but it's actually the opposite - his behavior is worse than ever, and it's affecting our entire household. I have two other boys, a 13 year old, and a 3 1/2 year old. The 13 year old never knows what to say to him because a comment which would bring a laugh on one day will cause a major meltdown on the next day, and the 3 1/2 year old is either scared or picking up bad behavior. I am tired and sad. My son is not currently on medications; he has been off since November. According to our psychiatric (I like him very much - he is cautious when it comes to medications and was a pediatrician first), the next step is mood stabilizing medications. I wanted to take a break and see what happened. It is now 3 months since my son has been on any medication, and therapy, behavior modification, consequences, positive reinforcement - whatever we try, it doesn't make a difference really. I feel beaten up emotionally - my son is very emotionally and verbally hostile. From what I've been reading, there's argument over the whole "TDD" diagnoses. I don't think my son is bipolar as he doesn't display the manic episodes. Between the rages and the extreme outbursts he displays a general negative attitude toward things. He's very difficult to be around these days. He does, however, really enjoy sports and loves to be outside throwing around a ball. As long as we don't make anything competitive (within the family), it's fine. So, after this lengthy introduction, I was wondering if anyone had any experience with mood stabilizing drugs, and what your thoughts are on this. I'm not sure how much more our family can take. I love my son so much, and he has such a sweet, caring, and sensitive side that's wonderful....I wish I saw more of it these days. It's like living with a Dr. Jeckyll/Mr. Hyde.....we never know what we are going to get. Thanks for any thoughts/feedback you can give.