I just received the following email from Jan regarding her 15 year old daughter. I have included my reply in this blog:
Julie, I don’t know how to reach you other than through this blog, but I have a 15 year old daughter, diagnosed with bipolar disorder 1 year ago, who also has sleep problems, not the least of which is affecting her ability to function in life, period. She is in a therapeutic school but we have been told as of yesterday that they can no longer manage her and we must make other arrangements. We are desperate for info about programs for adolescents with bipolar disorder and are wondering if you can give us any suggestions or direct us toward people who can help??? Thank you.
Hi Jan,
I suggest you visit the following website- it has information on the Parry Center inpatient psych treatment program here in Portland, Oregon. They may have [ Read More ]
Hi, I just received this comment about my speech last week. I want to respond to it directly.
julie. . . .we attended your speech in Eugene on last Thursday night. My daughter is having a hard time right now and any little “light” that she can see is SO important, so you can imagine how important it has been for her to be exposed to your hopeful messages, your time that you took to speak with us afterward! We bought the health cards CD. Haven’t had time to look at it yet, but WILL. Many thanks. becky
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When I meet wonderful people at my talks, I’m always happy to see mothers and fathers with their child. There is so [ Read More ]
I have a friend who has done everything possible to help his son find a diagnosis. The recent diagnosis was bipolar disorder. His son lived in a treatment facility for a year, went to a special camp in the country, learned more effective communication techniques and truly tried hard to fit in with his family. I have been amazed at how hard my friend and his partner have worked to find out what is happening to their child. The bipolar disorder diagnosis was a catch all- as it often is. It’s not that the diagnosis was wrong, it’s just that it was so vague.
Finally, some answers: My friend just wrote and said that his son has a new diagnosis that makes more sense. It’s called Pervasive Developmental Disorder. Here is what I just read in Wikipedia: **
The diagnostic category pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), as opposed to specific developmental disorders (SDD), refers to a [ Read More ]
The following is a copy of an excellent WEB MD article on bipolar disorder diagnosis in children.When people ask me about childhood onset bipolar disorder, I always have the same answer: I believe that what we call bipolar disorder in children is VERY different than what we consider bipolar disorder in adults.
One of the main differences is the level of anger, irritation, tolerance levels and duration of screaming, crying, and out of control mood swings. Another very imporant distinction is the ADHD behavior of these kids. They have more of the hyperactivity part of the ADHD than adults who are usually diagnosed with ADD.My heart goes out to these kids as I know they have a lot of troubling symptoms, but like many people in this industry- I question these bipolar disorder diagnoses.
This is a looonnnggg article- which is why I’ve put it in two posts, but the information is extremely helpful. It’s [ Read More ]
Here is the continuation of the excellent WebMD article on childhood onset bipolar disorder. …
Definition of Childhood Bipolar Disorder Controversial
What, exactly, is childhood bipolar disorder? It’s controversial. Bipolar disorder used to be called manic depression because it is characterized by bouts of depression and bouts of mania.
Mania in adults is characterized by euphoria, grandiosity, irritability, racing thoughts, and frenetic activity. While some experts argue that childhood mania must also exhibit signs of euphoria and grandiose behavior, others say irritability may be the only sign.
“In children, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are very different from the symptoms in adults,” Julio Licinio, MD, chairman of the department of psychiatry at the University of Miami, tells WebMD.
In January 2007, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) set out a “practice parameter” acknowledging the controversy. The AACAP’s expert panel noted that for both children and adults, doctors are much more often diagnosing [ Read More ]
Wow, I am getting so many comments regarding teenagers and bipolar disorder. It’s a topic that is NEVER talked about- maybe that is because it’s so complicated. If you have not read my blog entries on the topic, you can go to the right and click on the teenager category to read them. I am following up with the topic through a reader question- here is a good one that captures the fear and confusion so many of us feel when someone we love has bipolar disorder that isn’t being treated effectively.
This reader comment is from ‘Mom from a 19 year old with bipolar disorder.’
Julie,
I have two bipolar daughters and a bipolar ex-husband. My heart is hurting now for my teenage daughter. She’s not well right now and she seems only to become involved in destructive relationships with guys who have criminal records, drug issues, no job etc. How can I help [ Read More ]
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