A blog for anyone who needs to know they are not alone in raising a bipolar child.
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!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Sick
So the season of colds, flu, strep begins. Can I just say yuck? Missing school. More make up work. Sigh. Just when I think we are getting back on the bandwagon!
Oh, my. Oh, my. I am reading this and biting my lip. I'm sure that you know the isolation of raising a child like your girl. I know it, too. We've had glimpses of support, but it has never been long-lasting. My beautiful, sweet-hearted girl is now almost 11 years old and has been on medication since right after she turned 7. Should have done it earlier, but I couldn't do it. When she became aggressive, I had no choice.
At times, we are okay. Never great, but okay. But we are currently in one of those times, just switched meds from depakote to lithium, and she has been over the top agitated, irritable, uncontrollable, etc. I would love to be able to talk with you or e-mail. I will go back and read through your entire blog. I have a very poorly maintained one.... www.findingourlittlegirllost.blogspot.com It tells our story. I also have 4 children, my youngest is 3 and experiencing trouble going to/staying asleep and what I believe could be night terrors. You know what my fear is....
Hi mamatufour! I am glad you have posted here. yes, this is a terrifying journey isn't it? Nothing seems fair. And yes I worry about my other kids when they seem to show some similarities. My oldest is afraid to have her own biological kids because she doesn't want to have a bp child. And switching meds is soooo hard. You can email me at meganbstack@yahoo.com. I would love to "chat." Megan
2 comments:
Oh, my. Oh, my. I am reading this and biting my lip. I'm sure that you know the isolation of raising a child like your girl. I know it, too. We've had glimpses of support, but it has never been long-lasting. My beautiful, sweet-hearted girl is now almost 11 years old and has been on medication since right after she turned 7. Should have done it earlier, but I couldn't do it. When she became aggressive, I had no choice.
At times, we are okay. Never great, but okay. But we are currently in one of those times, just switched meds from depakote to lithium, and she has been over the top agitated, irritable, uncontrollable, etc. I would love to be able to talk with you or e-mail. I will go back and read through your entire blog. I have a very poorly maintained one.... www.findingourlittlegirllost.blogspot.com It tells our story. I also have 4 children, my youngest is 3 and experiencing trouble going to/staying asleep and what I believe could be night terrors. You know what my fear is....
Hi mamatufour! I am glad you have posted here. yes, this is a terrifying journey isn't it? Nothing seems fair. And yes I worry about my other kids when they seem to show some similarities. My oldest is afraid to have her own biological kids because she doesn't want to have a bp child. And switching meds is soooo hard. You can email me at meganbstack@yahoo.com. I would love to "chat." Megan
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