Advise on Childhood Bi-polar

Hello L.,
I have some great news for you . My friend Tracy tried all sorts of things and had her dtr. with a psychiatrist, on meds etc.. Then she found out about something revolutionary and had incredible results with her daughter! Call with the best time you can be reached and I'll put you in touch with her so she can share with you how and what she did!
Love and Blessings, C. W.
###-###-#### cell or ###-###-####

I feel for you. My son also has bi-polar and adhd. He is now 13. It is a rough road, I wish I could tell you that it gets easier, but it is always a struggle. My son is also on medication, he takes Trileptal for the bi-polar and Concerta for his adhd. These drugs do help tremendously but there are still times when his anger flares. We have tried to teach him some acceptable ways to get his anger out... going to his room to yell or punch a pillow... it sometimes works. Unfortunately he often takes it out on his younger brother. Counseling has helped some, when he actually will talk to the counselor!! Sometimes I feel like our whole family walks on egg shells just to try to make sure he doesn't get upset. It is very trying and frustrating. I wish you the best of luck. If you would like to talk more, feel free to email me at ____@____.com.

L.,
I'm not overly familiar with help for bi-polar but with ADHD, there are actually some great natural methods that could help supplement (or even one day take the place of) the current medication regimin you're working with. There's a great book out there called "Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders" by Dr. Kenneth Bock. I've seen kids react wonderfully to new diets (like removing dairy and/or wheat). It's crazy to think that this non-medical step could help a child's behavior but I've watched it work wonders with my nephew. Honestly, he's a new kid since he started the diet and you can completely tell when he gets a little wheat or especially dairy - his behaviors totally regress... Best of luck as I imagine this is not an easy thing to work with.

There is so much going on with these things...kids being overdiagnosed with made up "diseases" and "syndromes" and SO MANY kids even as young as 2 on literally mind altering drugs. This is a travisity! All young children are capable of going from happy to a meltdown, it doesn't mean there is something the matter with them.
I would first take him to a good nutritionist or natural healing doctor. SO MANY of these kids just have food allergies or blood sugar issues that affect their behavior. "White food" ... ANY sugar, flour and artificial sweeteners, MSG, preservatives...all those things you hear about are really poisoning our children and causing food allergies. So many would rather "fix" it with a pill than find the source and get rid of it! It wouldn't hurt to find out if the foods your child is ingesting are affecting his behavior. It is WAY better than a lifetime of mind altering, dangerous drugs. Go to www.ahccenter.com this is a great group that really has a handle on these things. Good Luck!!

HI I am C. and olso I hear about pycnogenol and ADHD. Look at this product on www.marketamericascience.com or check this web site www.marketamerica.com/moraru and read about OPC 3.
Best Regards C.

I don't personally have a bi-polar child but I have a good friend that has a son who is now 8 and is bipolar and ADHD. He was diagnosed at age five. I know that with them it is a constant uphill battle. He has an older sister and a younger sister and I don't think being in the middle helps him much. He has been on several medications and he has his really good days and his really bad days. I am sure that is probably the case with your son too. If your son gets violent when he gets upset it maybe best just to have a safe place (his room maybe) where he is allowed to work out his frustrations and allow himself to calm down. Maybe get him a heavy bag for the garage or something it's okay to hit. I don't know if this will help but I have seen my friend and her family struggle with this and I see how hard it is on them all. Good luck to you.

J.

Ive done daycare for years and have had alot of strange things come by me! One of the major things that have repeatedly come past was Ranch dressing! Almost every child that has had that here broke out in hives and had alot of behavior problems-One child went to U of M in Ann Arbor and they told them to cut out Ranch and ketchup!!! (along with a few other things) and to this day--it`s been 9 yrs now--he is off all meds and no RANCH!

Hi Leslie,

Children with bi-polar/ADHD really benefit from having toxins removed from their surroundings. I have seen dramatic improvement in these children from doing this. I could give you testimonies from thankful moms by email if you like.

I work with a health and wellness company that offers alternative products for our homes for the same and many times less than what you are buying now.

Many health problems are linked to toxins we're exposed to over a period of time. These weaken our immune systems and leave us vulnerable to a host of diseases.

Switching over to more healthy safer products really makes a difference.

My website is: www.WorkiAtHomeMoms.com

My email is: ____@____.com

My daughter has adhd and a mood disorder. One of the main symptoms for her was problems in school. She couldn't concentrate, didn't have friends etc. Has your son been evaluated by a psychiatrist? That's my recommendation. My daughter is on 3 different meds now, but that took about 5 years to figure out which ones and what combination. Good luck.

I helped my sister raise her daughter with adhd/several other problems. There is hope so don't fret. My neice is now enrolled in college full time and getting a's and b's and is also working 30 hours a week and does voluteer stuff for church. However, medication control is important. Her boss will send her home if she forgets her med's same with school. And sometimes their system will become immune so you may have to change doses and or even medications. As far as anger, there were two ways we found to deal. Alot of times we could sit on the floor and hold her tight in our arms and breath very slowly, eventually you being calm and calming breathing they will follow and it will calm them down. When she got so angry that she was violent, we had to do the ignore it approach until we could sit down and hold her, otherwise she was dangerous to those around her and would harm whoever got in her warpath. toys and walls were replaceable at this point people weren't, but actually once the medication and diet and time of dosing were all working together, we didn't have as many violent outbreaks. Hope this helps. if you need more info. feel free to email back.

I also recommend the book "Out of Sync Child" by Carol Kranowitz. It is very parent friendly. Typically, kids with adhd and/or bi-polar issues also have sensory processing issues; some of which this book will help you identify as well as provide solutions to anticipate and deflect the outburts from happening. It is a very good read and usually available at the library usually. And even ourselves, as adults, have sensory issues, but most of us have figured out a way to meet those needs in appropriate ways - kids just haven't done that yet! Good luck.

I highly reccomand OPC3 isotonix and Complex B iseotonix for your child.
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A Parent From California Tells Her Story
"Andrew is my youngest child... I noticed that as a baby, Andrew always seemed quite active and always ahead of most babies his age with sitting, crawling, walking, etc. He was always pretty fearless, aggressive, and not afraid to try anything. As time went on and Andrew grew older, I noticed behavior problems... how quickly he used to get very angry about the smallest, little things. At that time I still thought it was his age (2-4 years), and that he would grow out of it.
"When school started, not only was Andrew getting into trouble all the time, but he was not learning like the other children. By now I knew something was not right, but I still was not quite sure what... His behavior problems were getting worse every day.
"Finally the school psychologist tested him and diagnosed him with A.D.D. with the hyperactivity. I took him to the doctor and he put him on Ritalin... The Ritalin was helping him a little with his attention and focusing, but by now he was so frustrated and had such low self-esteem, that he was acting out tantrums and physical violence at home and school.
"On top of that, Andrew was having many side effects from Ritalin: Stomach Aches, Headaches, Lack of Appetite, Insomnia, and Extreme Moodiness.
"As time went on, I was trying everything to help Andrew in any way I could. I just wanted him to feel good about himself and to be happy. He was eventually put on another medication along with Ritalin, called 'Clonidine', which helped him with his anger and impulsivity. I accepted the fact that Andrew was a 'special needs' child, that he had a chemical imbalance and he needed medication to get by in life. I always worried about the long term effects that the medication might cause, and I was always bothered by the fact that he never felt good because of the medication. After three years, I began asking: 'How long will he have to feel miserable on those pills?'
"In September of 1995, I received a call from some good friends to let me know about a natural, non-toxic product that might help my son. After reading about this natural, non-toxic antioxidant called 'Pycnogenol' I ordered it right away. I received the Pycnogenol four days later. By early October, Andrew was off all of his medication - which he had been taking 4 times daily - and now taking Pycnogenol - once per day.
"He has been on this wonderful product for 15 months. Andrew is in the 5th grade now and having his best year ever. He is learning like he should and catching up with the other children. He is much happier and feels much better about himself. His behavior has also greatly improved. As far as side effects go, there are NONE!!!
"As a mother, it warms my heart to see my son who has suffered for so long, have confidence and feel happy about himself. He always tells me too, how good he feels physically. His teachers always tell me what a great job Andrew is doing at school and what a great improvement he has made. His school psychologist is also very impressed, and in her three-year evaluation of Andrew, documented the successful Pycnogenol results...
"Andrew is now able to participate in organized team sports - which he loves doing best. He is one happy little (not so little anymore) boy. I am one happy mom."

AN ADULT WITH ADD
"I have been taking the Pycnogenol for approx. 15 days and I can hardly believe how good I feel. I have even stopped taking the Wellbutrin that my doctor had prescribed. I must admit, I was very skeptical at first, but after three or four days; I truly began to feel better. I did not discover that I have AD/HD until I was 38 years old. Much of the literature I have read on the subject states that undiagnosed cases usually develop other problems such as depression. I am one of those cases. Depression is what led me to finally seek help. My doctor diagnosed AD/HD and prescribed Wellbutrin. At first it made me feel very anxious,and I had aches in my bones. After about three weeks it began to help. I have been taking it now for approx. 9 months, and the last two or three months I have found little relief with the drug. Increasing dosages only made me sadder.
"Well, on Pycnogenol, I FEEL HAPPY. What is happiness? I really am not sure, after being so depressed, even as a child. But, I think I FEEL HAPPY, and I can only contribute this drastic change to Pycnogenol. As I write this, I have tears in my eyes, but they are so much different than the painful ones I have cried for years. I'm still finding it hard to believe, but this stuff is really helping me... I hope and pray that using this product continues to help me...Thanks again for enlightening me to a product that seems to have changed my life."
A CONCERNED MOTHER
"It took much convincing that my daughter could possibly have A.D.D. I took her to the doctor... we decided that JoAnne should go on Ritalin. Her work improved at school, but at home I still struggled with an angry child. This summer she was diagnosed with gall stones, and her whole gall bladder was removed... Upon returning to school this fall, the doctor had put her back on Ritalin. She was good with work until the last part of October, she got a nervous twitch in her face and her attitude appeared to get worse. Well, I took her back to the Dr. and he took Jo off the Ritalin, refusing to put her back on it fearing she might have Turrets Syndrome. I got real worried and frustrated at that point, because I saw my poor daughter deteriorating in front of my eyes...
"WOW!! What a difference this made! This little girl that was so angry and out of control has changed! In the past, the first thing I used to do when she woke up was yell at her to let her know I was tired and did not want to fight getting her ready for school. One recent morning I did that and she gave me a look that LOVING children give to their parents! I was shocked. What could I do?! I knelt down and hugged her. I asked her if she was feeling OK. I thought she had the flu or something. But it was the Pycnogenol..."
"Her school work is a testimony in itself; when she was on Ritalin, Jo Anne’s handwriting and work was great. Now that she is on Pycnogenol, her handwriting and work is 100% better... I am so excited that her teacher told me that she is actually sitting and doing her work... I sure have a lot to be thankful for."

Please e-mail me back or call ###-###-#### (cell).
C.

I also have a boy that is now 13 with emotional issues, ODD, and possiably being dianogsed soon with bi-polar. Life is never easy dealing with their issues but one of the things that I have learned to calm him down is take away stimulus, (TV, FRIENDS, any noise) Put in dark room, the light is also a stimuli. I have also had to take training from Community Mental Health to do a safe takedown when he is in danger or in danger of hurting others. Excerise also helps, even a walk with mommy helps get the extra energy out. Now that he is also going through puberty we are facing more medication changes, so look forward to that. After you have tried everything there are medications that can be given to help on a as needed basis, I don't always like to use that resort but will when I feel nessasary. Please email me if you need to ____@____.com

My mom used to tell my sister to go to her room, and she knew that has soon as she was done she was allowed to come back out. I guess it got to be where she would go to her room on her own and then come out when she was done.

Dear Leslie, please email me pronto! Not only do I have a child with bipolar, but I can invite you to our support group! K.. ____@____.com

Has he been diagnosed with bi-polar or adhd? I mean they're both relatively new and popular disorders. And the easiest thing would of course start him on meds. But is it the root problem? Is he acting out because he doesn't get his way or wants attention or something? This could just be a temporary behavioral glitch.
I would figure that out first. Because it makes no sense at all to pump kids full of meds. And consider a second opinion. And you don't necessarily have to restrict yourself to conventional medicine and viewpoints. Maybe it's an organic imbalance that causes the 'mood swings'.

I am a child therapist who has worked with many ADHD and Bi-polar children. The best advice I can give you for how to deal with rages is to read and use "The Explosive Child" by Dr. Ross Greene. Medication management, and getting appropriate professional help are also extremely important. I have responded to other inquiries about this subject, you may want to read them as well. Send me a message if you have any questions or need any more advice.

Are you careful with diet, excerise, and stress? I know that has had a huge impact on the people I know with both disorders. Remember S.E.E.D. -- Sleep, eat (right), excercise, drink (water).

When a rage arises here, time and alone time are what works to simmer down.