About our Daughter

I am mother to four wonderful daughters, ages 17, 19, 21, and 23, and wife to the greatest husband on earth. God has given us a special child to raise one who was diagnosed with early-onset bipolar disorder at the age of seven, though she showed signs of it from the age of fifteen months. She also has ADHD, Sensory Integration Disorder (sensory seeking), Dyslexia, and Non-Verbal Learning Disorder-NOS, all typical comorbidities for a bipolar child. In spite of the trials, she enjoys lacrosse, running (finished her first marathon in October of 2014!), and reading and writing her own books. I will share with you the many joys and sorrows we have faced and will face in the future with the hope that you may find better understanding about this mental illness caused by both chemical and structural abnormalities in the brain. I desire that you will be encouraged by this blog if you are also dealing with a bipolar child. Thank you for reading and sharing in our journey.

How Did You Know She Was Bipolar So Young?

I wrote a long explanation of how we came to this bipolar diagnosis in a child so young under my post of March 19th of 2009. If your child or a child you know bears similarities, please seek out a good psychiatrist and don't wait for "things to get better." Often they will simply get worse, and the longer a child is unmedicated, the more damage their brain can accrue. Early diagnoses and treatment are key to providing these children with a chance at a successful life later as a teen and an adult.
Never change, start or stop a medication without the approval of your child's physician!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Mild Mania

We have decided, with the doc's permission of course, to decrease Caroline's Lamictal by 25mg in the morning because the mania we saw creeping in is actually still present.  She just seems way to much "on the go" like she is on speed or something.  The Lamictal acts not only as a mood stabilizer but an anti-depressant, so with the sunnier weather and longer days, she may not need as much now.   I am so thankful that our doc trusts our instincts and usually goes with our suggestions!  We know our daughter better than anyone else and so when we see early signs of depression or mania, we try to stay one step ahead as best as we can.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)