Quote From: madiesmom My 7 year old daughter was recently diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. She has been a difficult child since she was born, but I would never have thought she was bi-polar. She is profoundly deaf which makes getting her help so very difficult. We have not been able to find a doctor that can sign. She see's 2 doctors, a psychiatrist, and psychologist. She also see's a behavioral specialist at her school for the deaf. The school does not believe she is bi-polar and feel that it is the diagnosis of the moment for children.
It is so difficult, the doctors cannot communicate with her, so they just sit and view her. All their information comes from us. I feel she needs the opportunity to have someone talk with her, to ask her what she feels, but we cannot find anyone that works with the deaf in the field of psychiatry.
We have no family history of bi-polar disorder in our family, which also leads me to believe that this may be the wrong diagnosis.
She also has been diagnosed with ADHD and is on meds for that, which seems to help in her being able to sit and finish a task, and controls most of her hyperactivity. As the drug wears off she becomes extremely hyper.
She has behavioral problems, and frequent long lasting violent rages. She becomes so strong during these rages that it is almost impossible for 2 adults to control her. She is on a med. at night to help calm her down and get her to sleep, prior to her being on this med. she would only sleep about 4 hours a night, and go strong the next day with no naps and continue the cycle.
I feel so lost, so helpless, I have done hours and hours of research, numerous phone calls, but cannot find anyone that can help my daughter, short of giving her meds, but without, what I believe spending time with her and communicating with her (due to her deafness) to make this diagnosis.
Our lives are out of control and have no where to turn.
Mamma to Madison, Caroline
and your poor daughter...
it's hard enough to have the co-curring disorders, but to not be able to communicate would just rip me apart for my son.
I too, first thought my son was just ADHD, but then he started turning violent, not just hyper and impulsive, but actually violent (at 4! it was heartbreaking) and he would have these awful rages that came from nowhere, so I took him back to the psychiatrist he sees and did some more evaluations, read some books and tried some meds, which seemed to work.
He does have to have his meds adjusted every so often as he grows, but for the most part he is not "manic" like he was before and the rages are decreasing.
There is a new therapy for ADHD created by NASA called "Play Attention" and most insurances cover it, the goal it to get the child off the meds for ADHD. You may want to look into it. My son after 3 lessons is doing well, it takes about 60 hours of "training", the way his educational psychologist explained it to me is that it is "like rehabilitation for the brain" and it "retrains" the area of the brain that controls impluses. I'm praying that by this time next year he'll only be on the meds for bipolar.
The website I belive is www.playattention.com, and here is one for bipolar kids www.bpkids.org
both are great sources of information. I wish you and your daughter good luck. Fee free to e-mail me. SCUROMOM@dc.rr.com
Victoria
(Original Air Date: 03/07/06) Dr. Phil explores the ups and downs of bipolar disorder. This illness takes its victims on an emotional rollercoaster ride -- from elation to extreme irritability, intense rage, or devastating depression. First, Cathy was diagnosed with Bipolar II, 10 years ago and claims she goes from zero to psycho in 15 seconds. Dr. Phil takes a look at the toll her disorder takes on her two boys, and brings the family together for a dramatic moment of emotional healing. Then, during various manic episodes, Fred has stolen a taxi, crashed into a Starbucks, and climbed to the top of a church. He hears voices and believes that movie stars like Denzel Washington and Robert De Niro are talking to him through their movies. Still, Fred thinks he’s ready to move out of his parents’ house and live on his own for good … but should his family let him? Talk about the show here.
