My 5 year old son has ADHD and is bipolar. Since he's so young sometimes I feel like I'm alone and have no one to talk to that truly understands what my family goes through. I talk to my mom about him but mostly only the good times because she doesn't fully agree with having him on such harsh medications. But I know it's the only choice we have for him to be stable. I just wish i had more people I could cry with when he's in a rage that knows what that's like. It's the worst feeling to see your child struggling with something you can't fix. I am signed up for the childhood bipolar foundation but it's not really the same as sitting down and talking face to face. Every now I then I do sit and talk to his psychologist which helps. Thanks for listening to my rant! As far as dietary changes all three psychologists said they are not proven and will not help every child. And with the severity of my sons condition we didn't have the time to wait and see if removing certain things from his diet would work. Nor will I take him off his
current meds to see if it would.
@Susan b the person who should understand the most my mom has delt with depressions for many years. Bunas far as we know he is the only one with bipolar. And like I said this has come from 3 pyschologists and the residents at the hospital we took him to so we are sure it's bipolar.
@dawn yes 3 pyschologists have diagnosed him. And he's been hospitalize 2 times. All the drs are confident in diagnosing him as bipolar even though he was only 4 1/2 at the time of diagnosing. I should add that he is doing good now and is doing very well in kindergarten :)
@jaimee no food allergies he's been tested. Like I said we've been to 3 psychologists have all come to the bipolar diagnoses. Just to give insight into what he was like before meds and even now sometimes he would run into the walls and glass door yelling he was going to kill himself, I had to lay on top of him while I waited for my husband to come home. Another time he grabbed a fork and said he would kill me in my sleep. And then there are the days where he says he can jump out the windows and fly.
@ anyone who wants to suggest i not listen to drs who ARE HELPING him, and do dietary changes if you want to come take my kid and watch him while his meds are discontinued so he will become unstable again and wait for who knows how long for something thats NOT PROVEN to work (i have talked to some of the best psychs in the state) your more then welcome to because to be honest i don't want to see him in the state he was in just 6 months ago. we have had him tested for every allergen so its nothing food related thats causing his problems, like i said i have had to leave my child in psych hospitals because i was so afraid he was going to hurt himself. its like i hear from some people you wouldn't deny your child meds if they were sick or had cancer, well I'm not denying him meds for this. His current psych is very proactive about getting his blood tested every 3 months to check the levels of his meds, and he gets an EKG done every 3 months as well. sorry but like i said in not risking my sons stability for methods that are not proven or approved by psychiatrists.
being in Orlando, I would contact the hospital associated with the drs you're using....& search for a support group thru them.
I sincerely wish you Peace.
I am so sorry. Perhaps what I will say will offend you and I don't mean to. I am sure you are making the right decisions and I don't know your situation at all. I thought I'd put this out there though just in case it would help you. My son used to struggle with rages too - he used to get so incredibly angry any time he did not get his way. It was awful. He was an extremely hard baby, an extremely hard toddler and an extremely hard preschooler. He had some real behavior problems that really were not normal. I worried so much and I read every kid book out there. We talked to his doctor and we had him see a psychiatrist/child counselor. I have a friend who was sure he was bipolar (she has family members who are and has experience with this illness). We never put him on medication though I thought about it. We ended up 1. really cracking down on bad behavior immediately. For example using a rude tone of voice got him a consequence. We became really black and white about things. No chances. and 2. using the Kazdin method for parenting the defiant child book. This method is where you praise good behavior like crazy. Those things AND him just growing older and getting more mature are maybe what helped. His 1st grade year (age 6-7) he suddenly matured and mellowed so much. My husband and I are constantly amazed at what a different child he is. This is the kid that used to put holes in walls and scream his head off how much he hated us for an hour. We think something in his brain just grew better connections or something. I just wanted to tell you this bc things got so much better. I used to feel alone too. I would try to talk to my mom but instead of being a helpful listener she became very critical of my parenting and of our son. I felt truly alone. I felt like our child was totally different from all the other kids...and from what I could see he really was.
Hi M.. I was diagnosed biplolar when i was 23. But afterwards realized that it was something that had been going on for quite a long time before - bipolar is pretty heavy on my dad's side of the family, however until I was diagnosed, no one really spoke too much about it. I am what you would call, a blabber mouth, I guess. I immediately became my own advocate and have two daughters, who I will be the same for, should they end up w/the same. My mom tried to find out as much as she could about my father's side of the family, but the doors were pretty much shut in her face. My best friend's son is bipolar and he was diagnosed very young, he is now 12 and does really well. He hasn't been hospitalized in a number of years, not that he doesn't give us a run for our money at times, but he knows that we are going to call him on his stuff. A lot of it is control, maniupulation and it can be so hard. I know that because when I see him acting the way he does, it breaks my heart to have to treat him the way we do, but I know it first hand, because it 's the same stuff I would do as well. It is frightning to hear things come out of a child's mouth, but the things he would say to his mom are the same thoughts I have had so very often. One group that I joined and later co-facilitated was with the DBSA (Depression Bi-Polar Support Alliance) you may want to check their website and see if there are any groups in your area that you may be able to check out. I know that there aren't many available for younger children but honestly it's all the same and if you could go and maybe apply something you hear to what you could do to better your situation with your son, then so be it. Or just be able to vent a little, then it would be well worth it. If you have any questions or need a shoulder, you could always email me @ ____@____.com and your son will be close to my heart, as I know what this crazy ride can be like, but I promise you it does let up. I have since had 2 beautiful girls and will be celebrating my 18 wedding anniversary next month. I know that is far off in your son's future right now, but just know that there is hope, you just have to hold on to all of that right now. The best thing you are doing right now is all that you are doing and I commend you for that.
Children with ADHD & bipolar have major energetic imbalances and unresolved issues in their subconscious mind that ordinary psychotherapy and psychiatry don't treat... over time the harsh drugs often lead to further complications. Diet and nutrition have been demonstrated to make a significant difference for a lot of kids [they are as "proven" as drugs, without the side effects] though they are not the answer for everyone and they don't address the deeper levels of consciousness that are involved. It is difficult to deal with kids who act with such emotional intensity and impulsivity, but there are approaches that can truly heal the problem - unfortunately those approaches lie beyond the understanding, training, and belief-systems of mainstream psychology and psychiatry. If you go to people who practice alternative medicine, Chinese medicine, metaphysical healing, etc., you may be able to get to the root of the problem. Best wishes in handling this challenge.
Could you possibly find a support group in your area? Sorry for what you are going through. It must be a helpless felling with him being such a little guy.
Does anyone in your family have a bipolar disorder? We know a child that received that diagnosis because her dad had it and she had exhibited certain behavioral signs. After taking medication for bipolar for 2 years without much success including one hospitalization, she was reevaluated by a different psychologist. She was found to have ADHD and certain sensory disorders (that caused some of the rages). Once they changed the treatment plan, she has made great progress.
I know that it is frustrating when you can't "fix" things for your child. I hope you can find a support group in your area. Call your local children's hospital and ask if there is a support group.
I'm glad you had him tested for food allergies.
My oldest was the same way. We had him tested for food allergies and changed his diet. It was a miracle. He reacted negatively to FD&C yellow #5, FD&C red #40, blue #60, to anything made by fermentation (vinegar, soy sauce, etc.) and some other things that don't come to mind right now. When we took away those foods with those chemicals in it his behavior changed in a month and in 3 or 4 months he had made remarkable progress.
Maybe it won't help your son, but I've told other moms about this when our son was diagnosed. They said that doing what we did helped their kids too. Just a thought for you. We opted to change his diet before putting him on medication. I'm ssssoooooo glad we did.
Good luck to you and yours.
Hi M.-
Maybe you could do a search online for moms who have similar situations that challenge them with parenting. Here's a good link for support groups and/or just to find some other moms in your area that you could get to know.
http://moms.meetup.com/cities/us/fl/orlando/?offset=0&...
You could narrow your criteria in your search and see if there are moms who want to meet up with children who have bipolar or adhd.
Good luck to you and helping your son.
Could your child have food allergies? Food allergies can mimic those problems. I had the same issues with my children but explored food allergies because of other symptoms too. Treating the food allergies got rid of the other problems. I wish you the best! I'm sorry I couldn't help you more.
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I understand to a degree. I had a sibling with mental illness that was diagnosed around the age of 4. Family and friends don't understand that one so young can have serious issues like this and how difficult it can be. My sibling was institutionalized twice.
That said, please watch the documentary called, "Food Matters". You can get it on Netflix. Huge changes have been made for people with mental health issues from nutrition alone, that leave fewer bad side effects than traditional medications.
In the meantime, I would also have him in some sort of behavioral or play therapy as well as a family support group. Ask your local hospital or psychologist if any groups exist in your area. Even online groups could help.
That sounds like a rough combination! Is there a support group for parents with special needs or mentally ill children in your area? Also, maybe family counseling can help you learn more techniques for managing the more difficult behaviors. I don't know what medications he is on but it is worth looking around to make sure you have an experienced clinician prescribing the medications. Sometimes it takes some trial and error to get the right balance of medications that are effective with the least side effects.
The first step is stop listening to psychologists and get into the real world of people who heal for real. No medications......getting your child out of "survival and protection." Integrating primitive reflexes which are keeping him anxiety ridden and in an immature brain. I live it everyday and see the huge results we get from kids with all diagnosis. Check out www.masgutovamethod.com The nearest person I know to see him is Janet McDonald who lives about an hour from Orlando. If anyone can help him, she CAN! Try something different and you will see a difference in all areas of his life! Also, I have found that regular allergy testing does not begin to show what they are actually allergic to. The only true way to know is through energy and muscle testing. Find a good NAET provider in your area and have him tested. You will be shocked.
