Today I feel tremendous anger over everything I cannot control. Anger is a destructive emotion. I wish it would motivate me to induce change, but it only makes me want to steep in it and to find something to be angry at. Maybe tomorrow I will be able to let it go.
10 comments:
Megan, I just wanted to let you know that I totally understand what you must be feeling right now. For some reason, I find that I am swayed by anger alot more often this time of year. It's not good...anger is such an exhausting and potentially dangerous emotion.
I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers tonight. I hope that you are able to find some peace tomorrow.
Chynna
www.lilywolfwords.ca
www.the-gift-blog.com
www.seethewhiteelephants.blogspot.com
hugs
How are you doing today......? Thinking of you.. :)
Megan,
Have you ever noticed that your daughter's moods or outbursts coincide with how tired she is? My 8 yr old son was diagnosed with BP, OCD, Anxiety and ADHD over the summer. He is currently on Abilify, Strattera and Celexa. His outbursts seem to get worse if he is overly tired. And after he has a "fit" he falls asleep and is very hard to wake back up. Is this normal?
Is there any advice you can give me?
Thanks!
Jessica
Thank you everyone! I had two days of total emotional exhaustion. Better now. Thank you for praying!
Jessica, I thing that your son exhibits very typical traits for bp disorder, especially the huge meltdowns, rages followed by sleep. The Bipolar Child by Papolos describes this pattern. Has your son been on Strattera for long? Has his outbursts increased or become more frequent since starting Strattera or Celexa? I am asking because most bp kids can't handle adhd meds or antidepressants because they make them worse.
He was on several different ADHD meds before he was hospitalized and diagnosed with BP in July. That's when he was put on the Abilify and Celexa. After school started his teachers told us he was still having a lot of problems keeping his focus and slowing down to do his work in class so his phych put him on the Strattera. We STILL can't get him to slow down. And the more tired he is from constantly going, the more likely he is to have an outburst - it's almost like he's stuck in a Manic state till he just can go anymore. They happen most often in the afternoon when he would be coming down off the Strattera. I have found that if I give him and his sister a snack when they get home from school and then immediately have them take a 30 minute rest (during which they both usually fall asleep) and then start the homework things usually go a little better and he is less likely to melt down.
My heart is breaking for him that I can't help him to be happy and I don't know what to do to fix him. I'm going to look into The Bipolar Child.
Thanks.
Jessica, the medication protocol recommended by the American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry is one or two mood stabilizers in combination with an antipsychotic. Your son is presently on abilify, which is the AAP, but doesn't have the mood stabilizers on board, like Trileptal, Lithium, etc. Check out the medication protocol listed on my blog to the right under AACAP BP Medication Guidelines. Not all psychiatrists are knowledgeable about this protocol. It seems like your son is missing some key ingredients so to speak to achieve stability. The strattera might work better if the rest of the meds are right. I would stay away from the antidepressants if you can. They can be activating. Lithium asks as both a mood stabilizer and an antidepressant and so does Lamictal.
Thanks for the advice Megan. I discussed it with his Home Therapist tonight, and have left a message with his PDoc to discuss changing his medications. I also found some great mood charts at my local Georgia Childhood Bipolar Foundation web page that his therapist and I agreed to try. I am learning to be more proactive and vocal about his treatment - that his doctors can't possibly know everything.
Thank you.
Jessica, (I hope that you will get notified of this post by email or something)
You have described my almost 7 year old son to a Tee! The PDoc actually witnessed this in his office where he had a rage fit and then went to sleep and explained to us that there is a theory out there that with the BP kids it can be a form of epilepsy with actual miss-firings in the brain that controls those impulses, etc. It coincides with the symptoms of epilepsy that it happens more frequently when they are tired and that they nap after wards. It could also explain why the anti-seizure drugs help BP people.
Post a Comment