Bipolar - Hudson,WI

Here is the definition of Bipolar disorder:
A major mental illness that affects many people. It is sometimes called "manic depression". About one person in every one hundred people (1%) develops the disorder at some time in his or her life. It causes symptoms that can interfere with many aspects of people's lives. Some symptoms cause severe mood swings, from the highest of highs(mania) to the lowest of lows(depression) Some of the other symptoms can make it difficult to know what's real and what's not real(psychotic symptoms).The symptoms of bipolar can be found in other mental disorders also. To be certain a specific diagnosis must be done by a mental health professional.

Hope this helps! I work for a mental health agency here in town.

I am new to this site and I cam across your concern.

I do work in the mental health area and you should know that mental health disorders are typically caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Also they tend to be genetic.

There is no shame in getting your son help for this as a matter of fact it is the most important thing you can do as a mother. Your pediatritian or the school may have knowledge of providers they have worked with in the past.

Just because a provider is booked way out does not mean they are the best for your child. Mental health is not like a physical ailment, personalities go a long way. Your son and the provider need to be able to communicate with each other, and the provider and yourself need to feel comfortable communicating.

If you have a decent insurance company they should be able to assist you in finding a provider for your son, that will be in network for you.

You know your son, if you think getting some help for him is the right thing do not give up until he gets it. You are both worth it.

Best Wishes for the both of you!!!

My husband is bipolar, his father is, his grandmother was, an uncle of his was... His one brother is schizophrenic the other brother is just wierd and mildly uses drugs.

So far none of my children show signs but we're being vigalant. And, horrible as it is, a childhood friend of mine's younger sister, who was 10 at the time and suffered from depression committed suicide at age 10.

If your son is bipolar then your child certainly can not help himself and he needs help. Contrary to Tom Cruise statement, depression and bipolar is a medical disease and drugs do help - but and I can't stress this enough- you need a psychiatrist coupled with the drugs. One with out the other won't help.

The bipolar person still needs to talk thru what is happening to him/her, understand that is body chemistry and not their own fault and he/she needs to learn how to deal with the 'triggers' - the things which can trigger an up or a down - and identify those triggers. A great book on the subject is Anne Sheffields' "How you can survive when they're depressed" (It talks about depression and bipolar people.)

Do be persistant in getting help - if it is bipolar it won't fix itself and will just build more and more trauma and pain for your son to deal with and have other repurcissions as you already see with problems at school, having freinds. As he get's older its typical for undiagnosed kids to 'self medicate' which is to seek release thru alcohol or drugs..and to have severe finacial problems as they excessivly over spend when they are on the 'high'.

When we finally recognized what was going on with my husband it took us almost 2 years to get the right balance of drugs - to control the ups and downs. But now for 5 years he's just like 'normal' and for the past 2 years has not needed to see his psychiatrist - he just uses meds. And he's so mad as his family for not admitting bipolar existed in his family and for letting him self distruct for most of his life.

If your son is bipolar you can spend all your time teaching him 'right' behavior to no avail - he really can't help himself. My heart aches for you and your son.

J.,
first of all my heart goes out to you, I have a son that was diagnosed with Attention deficit /hyperactivity disorder when he was in kindergarten and we are now wondering if it is Bipolar disorder because he seems to cycle from high weeks where nothing can bring him down to low weeks where nothing is good or right he's just plain mad and bummed. This is with a low dose of medication for bipolar disorder that was given to help with angry out bursts and defiant behavior.
I can tell you that it can be very hard to get in to see a good child psychologist but the ones that are booked for months are usually the ones you want to take your son to. The reason there booked so far out is usually because there very good! Do your homework do research on bipolar see if you think he has the symptoms here is a helpful link http://www.webmd.com/hw/bipolar_disorder/ty6919.asppagenu... I would also research ADD symptoms. Bipolar and ADD or ADHD can co exist so it helps to know what fits where. Schools some times have programs to help with different testing (free, it's there duty to provide a good education for your son don't take no for an answer!) It would be good to start there to see what turns up and see if you agree. It's always good to have more than one opinion so you will have the schools then see what the psychologist says. Then step back and look at all the information to see if you agree before medicating him. I want to worn you about the danger of labeling him bipolar at such a young age, it's a diagnosis that will stay with him for the rest of his life and once it's in his file it's there forever. My 11yo sons DR refuses to put that diagnosis on paper because of that reason.
Ok I've babbled enough, as you can see I have been on this rollercoaster with my sweet boy for a long time now if you want you can contact me privately at ____@____.com for a sounding board, shoulder or anything else you might need.

A great big hug to you!
T.

J.,
I don't know anything about bi-polar, however, prior to having children I was a special ed teacher for 7 years. Your child sounds like he is struggling in school. You need to send a note to the school special education department and ask to have your child evaluated for possible learning disabilities. You must do this in writing, they (by law) have to test your child. Ask specifically for pyscological, social and general learning disabilities test to be done on your child. These test take time, and schools don't just rush into them, that is why it is imperitive that you put it in writing. This will bring your child's issues to the attention of the people who could possible help him. They will also be able to help you find some resources. Another place to find some information, resources is the Pacer Foundation. They can help guide you through this process.
Best of luck!

This does not sound like bi-polar at all. Bi-polar depression is going from manic to extremely depressed with a snap of the finger. If you need a medical reason it sounds more like ADHD. Your insurance should cover ADHD screening. Getting an appointment in the near future is much better than not having one at all, and be willing to travel through the metro, within reason, to get to the appointment. I am having my daughter screened for ADHD on the 4th. She is misbehaving in class, trying to get the other children to join her and struggling with learning this year where she excelled last year.

Plus, it could be a phase, I remember my nephew was almost unbearable when he was in the 1st grade. My sister in law made him learn that there were consequences to his actions (he missed a couple of field trips because of his behavior) once he learned that it was unacceptable behavior it changed. Not saying he is perfect, but it helped him immensely.

Stop taking No for an answer. If they don't take your insurance, ask them who does. What kind of insurance do you have?

also, how long have you been divorced?

J. -

Don't stop pushing to get a referral form either your doctor or get into a counselor and get a referral from them for a psychiatrist. I have been dealing with this for 2 1/2 years with my 2 children and it doesn't get any easier. I had my beliefs that it was bipolar for a year and a half and just last week after my 5 year old started urting himself and others did everyone else realize exactly what i have been talking about for 2 years. Don't stop trying he needs your help the only one to fight for him is you and follow your gut instinct your his mom you are probably right.

K.

J.
First of all - big hugs. I can tell this is heartbreaking for you. Second, have you looked into places like Lutheran Social Services? Their fee is sliding scale if they don't accept your insurance. First call for help (United Way) is also another great resource. Get your little man help - good luck momma!
L.

I would start out with an appointment with your son's primary pediatrician. Go to the appointment with a list of concerns (on paper) that you can go over and not miss anything. Leave it with the Dr if need be. Don't be surprise if you need to go back a couple times. I would rule out any physical abnormalities before labeling him with a disease that he might not have. Other than that, I would make sure that you are giving him enough 'special' time and that will take devotion and time. Model the behavior that you expect of him.

Hi J.,

Bless you...you have a long road ahead of you but there is help! First I'd suggest that you google TARC in your area and contact them to see if there is a support group in your area. Typically they meet once a month, have childcare and you get to interact with other parents who are going through what you are and have excellent advice. There's nothing like finding out that you aren't alone in this journey.

They don't like to diagnosis chldren not in their teens yet with Bipolar. It's possible that there are other things going on. We found out that our son, who's symptons started showing when he was about 2, has ADHD, Asperger's Syndrome Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Bipolar. Not all diagnosis's were made early on so we treated the symptoms as they appeared. He's now 16 and on the road to living a healthy, happy adult life.

I'd suggest that you take your child to Children's Hospital and see if you can get some testing done. They can do a complete workup and uncover anything going on. It's hard to get an appointment but well worth the wait and persistance.

After getting a diagnosis you can go to your school and ask to have an Idividualized Education Plan meetng to discuss the best method for teaching your son. Our son has had an IEP since kindergarden and it has helped him with schoolastics as well as getting along with others. Each state is different but you can google IEP in your state and read up on your rights. In some states you can start the IEP process before you have the diagnosis...another thing you might want to check on.

It's imperative that you move on getting his diagnosis and proper treatment now. Starting now will help you avoid possible setbacks and aid you in raising your son to learn how to live with whatever he is diagnosed with.

I'd suggest that you start a 3 ring binder on your child now. Use one that has an outside, clear pocket where you can place a picture of your child. Inside you will keep any medical, school and mental health records as you receive them. Take this binder with you everywhere when you have an appointment concerning your child's health, education and well being. As you receive the documents place them in the binder immediately so they don't get lost. When you are at an appointment place the binder in a visible location so that the picture of your son shows. It's a visual reminder that you are advocating for a child...not just another case or statistic. As our son grew so did his binders. I now have about a half dozen of them to lug...but I always have the paperwork available immediately when there is a question.

Good luck and blessings,

W. Q

There is some GREAT information at
www.familyvillage.wisc.edu
or
www.wifamilyties.org

Each child is different we have dealt with everything from ADHD,Bi-polar,Cognitivly delayed, dyslexia, learning disabilities and of course behavior associated with these.

Wish you well...if you need to chat feel free to contact me.

J.,
I am giving you my email please email me. ____@____.com my daughter is 12 and had bypolar, my husband has it as well althouh he has not been diagnosed we know he has it he has finally came to terms with it. I know all there is to know about this frustrating disease so email me and I will help you as best I can about the resources and help you can try. good luck.

Bipolar is manic-depression. The symptoms include being depressed at times and being manic at others. My father is bipolar and he cycled every 24 hours until he was put on medication to control it. One day he was manic (any little thing could set him off into a tirade) and the next day he was depressed and didn't much care what went on.

My 5.5 yr old has Childhood Onset Bipolar Disorder (COBPD), as well as ADD. He had terrible mood swings and cycled between them many times a day. During his manic episodes he was "king of the world", doing a million things at a time, oppositional (like you wouldn't believe), hurt people at random and without provocation, and was basically like nothing a person had ever seen. During his "lows", all he wanted to do was sleep or stare off into space, extremely compliant (mostly because he just wanted to be left alone), but once in awhile would hurt people during a depression because they were "bothering him" (they weren't, he just perceived it). He was kicked out of a preschool and 3 day camps before he was diagnosed. I would definately get a referral from your child's dr for a trained child psych, explaining that there is a family history.

Now that my son is on meds for his COBPD, he is WAY different. Appropriate behaviour in school and at home for the most part, and we have not see a manic episode for over a month (yeah!).

Hope this helps.

Bipolar disorder is another name for Manic Depression and while depression can run in the family, it wouldn't explain the misbehavior. There might be other factors you need to consider, like have there been any big changes in the household recently, a move, a death? Consider speaking with your child's pediatrician for a referral for a psychologist or check with the school to see if there is someone there you can have your son speak with.