a bipolar daughter and the family who loves her: Funny Chance Meeting

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.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Funny Chance Meeting

I walked into the counseling office today for the weekly phone conference with Caroline and her counselor at Meridell, to find two of my good friends in the waiting room. They were there for different reasons, one was having her kid tested for educational reasons, and the other for counseling, I surmised. It is amazing how many of my friends have seen or are seeing counselors, (or need to be in counseling). Life is stressful, and our family spent the last seven years or so in counseling.

I have walked with more than one friend through the revelation of adultery and all of its aftermath, or husbands addicted to pornography, or scarred by childhood abuse. None of my close friends have any illusions of idyllic lives experienced without unexpected heartbreak or even tragedy. If you live long enough, something will break. So we are all broken people, but many don't acknowledge the brokenness or have ways of "coping" that only lead to more destruction in some form. I am thankful for skilled counselors and psychologists who help mend broken people and relationships.

2 comments:

domandkat said...: AMEN! Your yougest and my oldest were in the car on Sunday talking about counseling when mine asked what counseling was. I defined it and your youngest agreed with the definition (she should know the definition by now when she hears it!) and on they went. It was sweet.

Mine is SO EXCITED about camp next week she can hardly stand it!!!!! Let me know if you need any help in that regard.; July 28, 2009 at 9:36 PM
Accidental Expert said...: I just found your blog. I am also raising a daughter with bipolar, though she's only 10. We have not found the right med mix for her yet and we get discouraged. I started blogging in an effort to keep my own sanity. Its comforting to find another fighting the good fight.

Jean

http://accidentalexpert.blogspot.com; July 28, 2009 at 11:40 PM