I have a 7 year old with bipolar and ADHD that is?

Question

always saying he wished he was dead and stuff like this. He even threatened to get a knife a time or 2.
he's on medication see the dr regularly and a therapist.
What do i do? Im lost and confused!
I fear for my life and my 4 and 3 year olds as well.

Answer 1

Dear Sliverkat,
First of all, I am sorry you have to deal with what you do. You are an excellent mother to ensure that your child is getting the help that they need.
Secondly, I don't know all of your 'story' or that of your child. But, I question (not on your part) the validity of the Bipolar diagnosis. I have worked in the mental health field for years and have NEVER seen a 7 year old child diagnosed with Bipolar...ADHD...yes...Bipolar no. I do not think the the American Psychiatric Association allows this diagnosis (of Bipolar) for a child. But, I don't have my DSM (the book mental health professionals use to diagnosis mental health disorders) at home...so I can not look that up for you. I would ask your child's providers if the diagnosis of Bipolar disorder can be made on a child as young as 7. Your question intrigued me as I have never...ever...heard of this. I have more often heard of Conduct related disorders in children this young. This could be an alternate explanation. Please ask your childs doctor about this.
Thirdly, I would make sure the child's therapist and doctor are aware of the knife incidents and make sure they understand YOUR fear and confusion and that you are concerned for the welfare of your other children. Perhaps your child needs to get inpatient treatment for their problems. Sometimes in the case of severe mental health issues this is the best course to take.
Another thing I would check into is your childs medication. Some antidepressant medication is contraindicated in young children and instead of helping them makes them more aggressive. Please ask the prescribing provider if this could be the case with your child.
Fourth, I would make sure to reassure my child that they are loved and try to find alternative activities that might capture their attention. Perhaps an art of music lesson would help your child to focus on more postive activities.
You could possibly lock up the knives in your home so the child does not have access to them and also lock up anything else they may be able to use to harm themselves or another member of your family.
Lastly, you mention your fear and confusion. It might help you to talk to a therapist as well to discuss this and your frustrations. It will give you an outlet to express your emotions.
I hope this inforamtion is useful to you and I wish you all the best with your child. It is not easy to cope with a child that has problems. I am sure you are doing the best job you can. If you need to chat further please feel free to email me and I will do what I can to help...even if it is just a friendly ear. Please take care of yourself...that is one of the most important steps!! Good Luck!

Answer 2

You certainly have your hands full and it is not easy. But you are not alone.

There is so much I can say, especially after reading some of the responses you got, but I'll stick to the basics.

First of all, I have BP and ADHD (the onset of which was very early) and wish so much that there had been serious intervention when I was 7. My whole life might have turned out differently. Children do sometimes have BP and personally, i think the earlier it is diagnosed (if the DX is accurate) the better the prognosis is. I also think that in general doctors are hesitant and cautious about giving that DX and if they have, then there is a damn good reason for it.

My 11 y.o. son has psych issues as well and trying to get the proper treatment can be difficult. Not to mention day to day life.

Maybe your son is not on the right meds for him. It can take a while to get the meds right. Your concerns are very valid, it is very disturbing to hear a child say they wish they were dead and to make threats like that. And trust me, it is really difficult to be the child saying those things.

Are you satisfied with the doctor and therapist you are seeing? If not, is changing one or the other or both an option? Having competent mental health professionals is important. They should, preferably, specialize in treating children.

I just read a good book called If Your Child Is Bipolar: The Parent-to-Parent Guide to Living with and Loving a Bipolar Child by Cindy Singer, Sheryl Gurrentz. I definitely recommend it. I can give you more resources too if you email me and let me know what you think would be helpful. I read/ research this stuff rather extensively.

One last thing...keep in mind that ignorance runs rampant in humans...do not listen to those who have no clue of what they speak...

It is true there is no specific criteria in the DSM-IV for childhood bipolar disorder. But I can almost guarentee there will be in the DSM V. Research has come a very long way since the last edition of that was printed and there is MUCH talk about adding early onset BP to it. Children display symptoms differently than adults. All this time, doctors have been looking to the DSM-IV to DX...but it doesn't fit right for kids...and this is something that is being worked on. There really need to be a criteria established for children.

Answer 3

First off, in response to a few of the previous answers, bipolar disorder can be diagnosed in children as young as 6. Although it's rare, it does occur, and typically has different clinical features than in adolescents and adults. It's also rare for such a young child to be suicidal, although it's relatively common among bipolar children, so I would say that the diagnosis is probably accurate.

You need to call both your son's doctor and his therapist ASAP. In the mean time, watch him at all times. He's young enough still that he hopefully won't be too upset by the invasion of privacy, but no matter how much he complains, he shouldn't even be in the shower alone when he's suicidally depressed. Even a young child can sucessfully commit suicide if no one is there to stop them.

If you ever believe he's an immediate danger to himself or others, take him to the nearest ER, or if you unable to get him there, call 911. The ER doctors may recommend he be admitted to the hospital for 24-72 hours (depending on state and hospital policies), or at least will be able to keep him safe until the depression passes. Don't worry, they can't admit him without your consent, and can't keep him there against your wishes (even if you've agreed to have him admitted) without a court order.

What medications is your child on? Hopefully he's on a mood-stabilizer of some form. He might also be on something for the ADHD and possibly an antidepressent. I'm not sure how stimulants effect people with bipolar disorder, but I would imagine it could potentially be a concern. However, Strattera (used for ADHD) and many anitdepressants are associated with an increased risk of suicide in children and adolescents, so if he's taking either of those, his doctor might want to adjust his dose or switch him to a differnet medication. That's why it's important that you speak with the doctor who is overseeing your son's medication.

Answer 4

I too have heard of bipolar in children as young as 7.

It sounds like you are already on the right track to helping your son. A therapist and doctor are very useful and integral in helping to treat your son. Is the doctor involved a psychiatrist or a general practitioner?

If the doctor is a GP, then I would recommend a psychiatrist only in that the disorders your son is dealing with, and you are dealing iwth by proxy, are complex and could probably benefit from the psychiatrists specialized knowledge.

Also, have you explained to the doctor and the therapist about these behaviours? It is critical that they know that these things go on for them to effectively help you and your son.

Next... have you explained to your son that these things are unacceptable? Even at 7 years of age, he is still capable of understanding that certain things CANNOT be said and certain actions CANNOT happen.

If things become really bad, as much as it pains me, I would suggest that if he becomes violent or you fear his becoming violent that you look at placing him in inpatient treatment. While it appears by your post that he has not done this yet, it is the threat of it that is scary and there comes a point where you might wonder if the threat will turn into action.

Last but not least - you need to look after you and your other children. Are you seeking help for you and them? This is not the easiest of situations to be in. You as an adult might be able to rationalize some of what is going on and understand it, but your younger children cannot. For them, they will sense that things are going on but not understand - seek some help for them.

I hope this helps. Good luck to you.

Answer 5

I have a 12 year old afflicted with the same illnesses. Unfortunately it gets worse as they mature. That is the bipolar you are seeing. Even when medicated the symptoms never completely go away. If he or anyone in the household is unsafe don't hesitate to bring him to a hospital to have him evaluated and stabilized. You need to keep him and your family safe. You need a lot of patience and just love him alot! Best of Luck!

Answer 6

He has no idea what is going on with his brain. If anything happen in his life that was really big thing in his life make having Bipolar and ADHD hard on a 7 year old. Make sure you always tell his Therapist what he is doing. also try preying with him.

Answer 7

My younger sister and I are both ADHD. When we were on the same medication she was talking about killing herself and about how she wants to die- at age 6. It is a side effect of the medication that effects some people, luckily not me. We eventually took her off all her medications but she is still on ther same ani-anxiety pills as me. It is really helping and making a big difference. Wishing you luck- insist on a change of medications, pronto, and see how his behaviour is when you take him off it- he may be ADHD, but he won't be depressed.

Also, when I was little, the anxiety that usually goes with ADHD was misinterpreted as Bipolar Disorder. Talk to your doctor- it may just be extreme anxiety, just like my sister and I. We are both fine now on different medications that work fine for each of us.

Wish you luck- and, coming from an ADHD patient, please treat your son like a normal kid, it is terrible when people treat me differently because of my ADHD and calling me crazy. Respect him, and he will be happier as well.

Answer 8

I'm shocked that your 7yr old has been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. That usually isn't presented until early adolescence, 11-12. If I were you I would get a second, and third opinion! I don't know where you live, but where I work in the mental health field, we don't go 'round stamping every kid that acts up or has mood swings with bi-polar. Isn't that all part of growing up? Bi-polar disorder has a stigma that is hard to shake once applied and will make it difficult to be properly diagnosed later on. Do not blindly accept this diagnosis as fact. Please,for yours and your child's sake, get another hundred opinions, then decide. The previous answer, by Tiggers, hit the nail on the head. I DO have my DSM-IV with me and although it does not specify age of onset, neither does it specify criteria for children that young.And I'm certain it would say something about it as this is extremely rare. Bi-polar is becoming a catch-all diagnosis for every thing these days, so please be diligent in your research on this. Good luck and God bless. Peace.

Answer 9

Find a local support group. There is a wealth of knowledge in other families in your local area that also have children that are Bi-Polar. You're not alone any longer. Good Luck!

Search the website I am listing.

Answer 10

I remember saying the same thing, well... I'm just fine now.

Perhaps you should talk with the therapist also, a confused person cannot help too much.