please someone answer this for me are early onset bipolar and ADHD actually childhood conditions?

Question

ok my son is 6yrs old he was diagnosed with early onset bipolar last year. the thing is when i post a question mentioning this i get so many replies that a child CAN NOT be bipolar that it is due to bad parenting and i need to quit "doping" my kid up. This goes for ADHD mommies too ive seen so many replies to questions saying that ADHD is just a cop out for bad parenting. well if this is true then how come when my son is the the correct combo of antipsychotics and mood stabilizers he is a perfectly normal happy alert focused child and with out them he is extremely violent, has severe mood swings, ect. (too many symptoms with BPkids to name)? and thats the case with ADHD kids why do meds such as aderall that would make a normal person bounce off the walls calm them down?(now i do agree that alot of ADHD kids are over medicated they walk around like little zombies but there is no doubt in my mind that they need these meds maybe just a lower dose)

ok jaime did not answer my Question i want input on the issue i mentioned not advice on my child it has been confirmed by 3 specialists that my son is bipolar if he wasnt the ummm bipolar meds wouldnt work on him now would they?

PS any BPkids mommies out there feel free to contact me via Yahoo messenger or email its all in my profile I stay in close contact with Demitri and Janice Papalos and if you have a bpkid you know these doctors are simply the best.

see now that i have actually brought up the issue the people out there that so graciously give their negative input in my other questions and ADHD mommy's questions have suddenly become very quiet.

to make things more clear my son is not ADHD is is bp, bp kids cannot take ADHD meds he is on abilify and clonidine

Answer 1

your Dr.s are right
they have been diagnosing bipolar disorder in children for at least 10 years
when i was a psych major in the 80s they always said you wouldn't see symptoms till late teens early 20's
that has changed people, they do continue to research after you leave college. You might try to get current before you beat this woman up in your state of antique knowlege.

God bless you my dear you have a hard road ahead. I suggest that in addition to medication you get him in team sports. The life skills will help long into adulthood and the self esteem will
help at those times when things get bad.

Answer 2

Early onset does INDEED occur with some kids---honey it's not 'bad parenting' or a 'cop out'. I've managed to pass down my ADD to ALL THREE of my kids to varying degrees. My little girl has is the worst, my middle has it the least. My little one is on meds, my middle does just fine without--he just needs some redirection sometimes.
ADD is passed from mother to child. More prevelant in boys than girls for some reason. It IS a chemical imbalance in the brain that causes these symptoms.
DO NOT allow some person on here or anywhere to make you feel that you're a 'bad parent'! You are doing the best thing you can by getting your child into a specialist and making the proper diagnosis.

I personally don't know much about early onset bipolar. I have my best friend who's son was diagnosed in his early teens. Other than that, don't know much about it.

Answer 3

Actually I have 2 sons with bipolar (the first diagnosed at age 14 the other at age 12). The one diagnosed at age 12 was also diagnosed as ADHD when he was 4. Bipolar runs in our family - I (their mother) and my father's sister both have it. ADHD also runs in the family - my father and my sister have it. These are very real diseases and not just cop outs for bad parenting. Anyone who knows (like you and I) knows that our children are thoroughly tested, and that the medications make a strong positive effect in the mood stability and functioning level of the children. These kids still get into trouble - I work closely with both kids' schools (I'm there once a week and on the phone more often if need be), they fight like normal kids, and they are not zombies - far from it! Comments like that come from uneducated, unknowing people trying to score a quick two points.
Just remember to stay on top of your son's medications as they will need to change as he ages. Good luck to you!

Answer 4

I would take your son to a specialist dealing in brain functions. My son is ADHD he has been on Concerta since he was 6yrs old . Aderall made my son very angry all the time. If I were you ask the Doctor to switch your son to concerta. As for the Bi-polar I know that it is more likely to appear in teens and adults and is also due to sometimes having ADHD and not ever being medicated for it. Another thing that helped my son was couseling .Find a child couselor or psycologist that will give you feed back on how to help you and him deal with the problems that go with having ADHD. If your son is a walking zombie it is mainly the Aderall and he is deffinately being over medicated!! Find a good pediatric doctor that will refer you to see a specialist not a psyciatric doctor!

Answer 5

Usually the doctor will not diagnose a child that young with bipolar. This will go on his permanent medical record, which could affect his ability to get certain jobs when he grows up.

If the meds are working, however, I would not worry too much about what other people say. My son had similar circumstances and out grew it when he became older. He was on meds for about 6 years, however, and they did help.

Answer 6

As the parent of an ADD child, I too deal with negativity in regard to medication for my child, including from my husband's family. I can honestly say it was the best decision we have ever made on behalf of our son, and he is experiencing no issues aside from needing a 15-20 minute nap on the first day of the week he takes his meds. For the first time in his school life, he is confident in and working to his ability level. After working in the public school system for many years, I believe ADD, ADHD, and mental illness in children is very real, and is often misdiagnosed or ignored because there are so many people who ignorantly believe children cannot be affected by these issues. I have seen many instances where medication have complete changes in moods, behaviors, abilities... the works. As a society, we need to rid ourselves of the stigma attached to allowing children to be medicated, and listen to our children, our physicians, and ourselves. As a parent, you know what is right for your child; trust your instincts. Best of luck.

Answer 7

as a mom with a bipolar/add kiddo i know how frustrating it can be. I knew long ago that she was "different", but suffered through(all of us for that matter) until she was 11 before she was diagnosed and medicated. we did use herbal things like hops catnip and valerian to calm and focus her for awhile when she was young.
it can be a trial and error finding the right dose, one that doesn't zombie them and allow their unique creativity to shine through yet enabling them to focus.
as a nurse having worked psych for a long time i didn't use to belive it was possible, now i know better, and i know that bad parenting isn't often the cause(though sometimes i wonder about some)
there is a book i found fascinating and in some ways related to my daughter, its called indigo children. thogh i don't believe in a lot of what they say in it there were some things that did help us out. best of look to all of you and don't give up, the battle is well worth it in the end

Answer 8

this could be a Schizoaffective sickness with manic-depressive and obsessive-compulsive valuable aspects. You indexed multiple behaviors that could desire to get carry of multiple DSM-IV diagnostic codes. Are you seeking to diagnose precise? do no longer forget baby Abuse (sufferer as a baby) with PTSD symtpomatology. If this have been multi function individual, i could say this individual ought to have one symptom at a time addressed. yet just to enable you to comprehend, I doubt you will get any "professional" to respond to your question right here. in ordinary terms some people who've worked contained in the sector consistently.

Answer 9

take him for a second and even third opinion