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!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Mean Girls

I wish so much that we could just fast forward about five years so Caroline could skip all of the struggles with "mean girls." She seems to draw their attention wherever she goes and they hone in on her and make her their target--at school, at sports practice, at the pool, anywhere a group of girls is gathered. She is a beautiful girl physically, but moves awkwardly like she isn't comfortable in her own skin, and she talks much older than she is. Having no clue how to relate to other girls her age (you would think this wouldn't be true with three sisters!) she tries way too hard to "fit" in or does the opposite by ignoring subtleties and doing whatever she wants to do, which may be completely socially unacceptable in the mind of other teen girls. She was told to "go fetch" last night when her lacrosse ball landed at the feet of one of those "mean girls." I wasn't there but if I had been, I am not sure I wouldn't have gone over to "Molly" to give her a piece of my mind. I can see the pain in Caroline's eyes. I want to get her out of this place so she can start fresh, but I know that no where she will live will be devoid of "mean girls."
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3 comments:

Unknown said...

I wasn't a fan of the mean girls either. But you are right, 5 years from now none if it will matter. I wish I had known that in high school. I might not have worried so much :(

July 23, 2010 at 8:55 AM
Mamaqueteama said...

I know just how you feel. My daugther Bella,8 has been facing mean girls since first grade. I can't believe how young they start being so cruel and preying on the vulnerable kids nowadays.
I wish I could protect her from them and from herself.If only we could explain to other children how our children are suffering; if only we could make them empatyze; if only we could make other girls love our girls like we do and see them for what they really are and not for the horrible BP that afects their lives so sadly. If only...

July 23, 2010 at 11:04 PM
CC said...

My 15 year old daughter has struggled with the mean girl problem for years. I just can't understand why girls can be so cruel and hateful. And it seems to be the same ones that enjoy taunting her. Grrrr!

July 26, 2010 at 5:19 PM

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