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, May 6, 2010

Mental Health Week on Discovery Health

I don't know how many of you out there know that this week Discovery Health has been showing nightly documentaries about different mental illnesses, including one about a child with bipolar disorder. I don't get the channel on cable, but you can watch the videos on Discovery Health's website. I have already watched some of the bipolar girl and it is VERY familiar. The shrill screaming and the slamming of doors (repeatedly) rings a bell with many of us, I'm afraid.
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2 comments:

Debbie said...

i didnt know you could watch the whole thing online - neat.
i'm waiting until 9 to watch it tonight and i'm recording it.
i think many of us will be nodding our heads at it.

May 6, 2010 at 8:05 PM
CC said...

I DVR'd the bipolar kids show and have watched it twice. I cried the first time I watched it. I could feel the out of control emotions and the despair of the parents/grandparents. I could so relate to it.

May 13, 2010 at 12:22 AM

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