Comments on: Bipolar Disorder Overdiagnosed in Children? http://www.finkshrink.com/blog/children/bipolar-disorder-overdiagnosed-in-children.html Information and support Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:07:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Drugs don’t diagnose people; People diagnose people | The Learning Project Blog http://www.finkshrink.com/blog/children/bipolar-disorder-overdiagnosed-in-children.html/comment-page-1#comment-2390 Drugs don’t diagnose people; People diagnose people | The Learning Project Blog Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:00:19 +0000 http://finkshrink.com/blog/?p=26#comment-2390 [...] children early on, with appropriate interventions. However, it is highly unlikely that the nearly 40x increase in the past 10-15 years in childhood bipolar disorder is due to our suddenly becoming more [...] [...] children early on, with appropriate interventions. However, it is highly unlikely that the nearly 40x increase in the past 10-15 years in childhood bipolar disorder is due to our suddenly becoming more [...]

]]> By: Candida Fink MD http://www.finkshrink.com/blog/children/bipolar-disorder-overdiagnosed-in-children.html/comment-page-1#comment-2131 Candida Fink MD Tue, 18 Jan 2011 23:15:01 +0000 http://finkshrink.com/blog/?p=26#comment-2131 Hi Cindy - I wonder if you are working with a therapist as well as a psychiatrist - these challenges in children need a comprehensive treatment approach that includes therapy with the child and family - in addition to medications. And if the medications are not making a difference by your observation I strongly recommend that you have a talk with the doctor who is prescribing to consider all the options - and possibly consider a second opinion or consultation to get some other ideas about medications and the overall treatment approach to children with these types of symptoms. Your school or pediatrician are good places to start to find out about possible therapists who could work with you and your family. And the school setting is also important in helping your children so communicating with them about the difficulties is also very important. Suspension is rarely useful in children whose behavioral problems are related to psychiatric illness - so it will be valuable to work with the school to consider alternative approaches to your daughter's behavioral symptoms. Good luck to you and your family. Hi Cindy – I wonder if you are working with a therapist as well as a psychiatrist – these challenges in children need a comprehensive treatment approach that includes therapy with the child and family – in addition to medications.

And if the medications are not making a difference by your observation I strongly recommend that you have a talk with the doctor who is prescribing to consider all the options – and possibly consider a second opinion or consultation to get some other ideas about medications and the overall treatment approach to children with these types of symptoms.

Your school or pediatrician are good places to start to find out about possible therapists who could work with you and your family. And the school setting is also important in helping your children so communicating with them about the difficulties is also very important. Suspension is rarely useful in children whose behavioral problems are related to psychiatric illness – so it will be valuable to work with the school to consider alternative approaches to your daughter’s behavioral symptoms.

Good luck to you and your family.

]]> By: Cindy http://www.finkshrink.com/blog/children/bipolar-disorder-overdiagnosed-in-children.html/comment-page-1#comment-2122 Cindy Fri, 14 Jan 2011 21:42:44 +0000 http://finkshrink.com/blog/?p=26#comment-2122 I have a daughter who is 11yrs.old,she will be 12 in aug,she is (ADDD,Bipolar,optional definite disorser symdrome,definite disorder symdrome) too and she takes depakote for bipolar but she still has really bad outbrusts. I was wondering if someone could help me with some suggestions cause depakote is not working for her.I also have a son who is 10yrs.old,he is (ADHD,Bipolar,Optional definite disorder symdrome,definit disorder symdrome too).But my son takes lithium for his bipolar. My chidren are a challenge and my daughter is now being suspended from school now cause of her behavior. I want to help her, dont want to see her get in too much trouble or hurt anyone else. PLease email me need some advice. I have a daughter who is 11yrs.old,she will be 12 in aug,she is (ADDD,Bipolar,optional definite disorser symdrome,definite disorder symdrome) too and she takes depakote for bipolar but she still has really bad outbrusts. I was wondering if someone could help me with some suggestions cause depakote is not working for her.I also have a son who is 10yrs.old,he is (ADHD,Bipolar,Optional definite disorder symdrome,definit disorder symdrome too).But my son takes lithium for his bipolar. My chidren are a challenge and my daughter is now being suspended from school now cause of her behavior. I want to help her, dont want to see her get in too much trouble or hurt anyone else. PLease email me need some advice.

]]> By: Childhood Bipolar Disorder Overdiagnosed? | NIMH Bipolar Study | Bipolar Beat http://www.finkshrink.com/blog/children/bipolar-disorder-overdiagnosed-in-children.html/comment-page-1#comment-2093 Childhood Bipolar Disorder Overdiagnosed? | NIMH Bipolar Study | Bipolar Beat Thu, 02 Dec 2010 10:46:33 +0000 http://finkshrink.com/blog/?p=26#comment-2093 [...] wrote about my concerns surrounding this issue in 2007 in a post on my Bipolar Blog entitled “Bipolar Disorder Overdiagnosed in Children?” Back then, Benedict Carey of The New York Times wrote a piece calling attention to the [...] [...] wrote about my concerns surrounding this issue in 2007 in a post on my Bipolar Blog entitled “Bipolar Disorder Overdiagnosed in Children?” Back then, Benedict Carey of The New York Times wrote a piece calling attention to the [...]

]]> By: ALISA DRINKARD http://www.finkshrink.com/blog/children/bipolar-disorder-overdiagnosed-in-children.html/comment-page-1#comment-1994 ALISA DRINKARD Sat, 19 Jun 2010 01:26:02 +0000 http://finkshrink.com/blog/?p=26#comment-1994 I was diagnosed bipolar when I stopped drinking in 1992, which I did to self medicate and mask my symptoms of bipolar mania and depression. I have read everything I can find on the subject and been with and without medication, and have inquired of my psychiatrist the answers to many questions about the subject of bipolar. I am bipolar 2 and now my children are seeing my psychiatrist also. my 15 year old son behaves exactly as the article was describing, explosive, tantrums, emotional, angry, hyperactive, depressed, severe mood swings. He has adhd and now "non-specified mood disorder". The child is so obviously bipolar! I wish so much that my mother had done something to help me when I was a child! I told my mother that I was "sad" when I was 10 or 11 and was SO sad for months. She told me to "pick myself up by the bootstraps." I appreciate the opinion that it is not good to jump to conclusions about diagnoses, especially with children, but like I said, I would have given anything if my mother would have taken me to a psychiatrist when I was a child. It would have saved me years of self medicating with alcohol and years of misery. I have now been sober for years, on medication and fairly stable. I hope my son will have a better life because he has been taken to the psychiatrist and diagnosed. Because he is only 15 the Dr. does not want to actually diagnose him bipolar, but we know he is; he is taking depakote, and seems to be better, however we have a long road a head of us to get him stabalized I have a feeling. I know there is much that needs to be disclosed by him in counseling. He did have certain symptoms as a baby, severe separation anxiety, I could not leave him even to the bathroom, he would become hysterical. He cried all the time, did not sleep through the night until he was about 2 yrs old. I knew something was not right. As he grew older, he had a terrible time in school, but the child is brilliant! Very artistic, creative and extremely smart. Just lazy and moody. So, like I said, I know we have a long road ahead of us, but hopefully we are on the right path as he begins high school. Thank you for your article and opinions. Sincerely, Alisa Drinkard I was diagnosed bipolar when I stopped drinking in 1992, which I did to self medicate and mask my symptoms of bipolar mania and depression. I have read everything I can find on the subject and been with and without medication, and have inquired of my psychiatrist the answers to many questions about the subject of bipolar. I am bipolar 2 and now my children are seeing my psychiatrist also. my 15 year old son behaves exactly as the article was describing, explosive, tantrums, emotional, angry, hyperactive, depressed, severe mood swings. He has adhd and now “non-specified mood disorder”. The child is so obviously bipolar! I wish so much that my mother had done something to help me when I was a child! I told my mother that I was “sad” when I was 10 or 11 and was SO sad for months. She told me to “pick myself up by the bootstraps.” I appreciate the opinion that it is not good to jump to conclusions about diagnoses, especially with children, but like I said, I would have given anything if my mother would have taken me to a psychiatrist when I was a child. It would have saved me years of self medicating with alcohol and years of misery. I have now been sober for years, on medication and fairly stable. I hope my son will have a better life because he has been taken to the psychiatrist and diagnosed. Because he is only 15 the Dr. does not want to actually diagnose him bipolar, but we know he is; he is taking depakote, and seems to be better, however we have a long road a head of us to get him stabalized I have a feeling. I know there is much that needs to be disclosed by him in counseling. He did have certain symptoms as a baby, severe separation anxiety, I could not leave him even to the bathroom, he would become hysterical. He cried all the time, did not sleep through the night until he was about 2 yrs old. I knew something was not right. As he grew older, he had a terrible time in school, but the child is brilliant! Very artistic, creative and extremely smart. Just lazy and moody. So, like I said, I know we have a long road ahead of us, but hopefully we are on the right path as he begins high school. Thank you for your article and opinions. Sincerely, Alisa Drinkard

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