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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Mara on June 22, 2005, at 21:00:35
Hello,
I have just been reading a few of your posts in a search of the net to find out information for my daughter. We are in the process of trying to determine if she has an early stage of some sort of bipolar disorder--maybe cyclothymia, or some other mood disorder. She has also suffered a series of tragedies (suicides of 2 friends) in recent months. I am mortified and every day seems to bring more questions. I do not believe that she is bipolar, and am trying to determine if I am just in denial. Am I supporting her or hurting her by feeling that I am "believing in her" by rejecting the bipolar diagnosis? Is she just experiencing confusion and grief in response to these tragedies? I am lost and looking for a place to vent.
My daughter is 16. She was hospitalized for a week a few months ago and ended up on Depakote (which we chose to try at the time). I hate the medication and think it hurts her more than it helps, and we are cutting the dose. Her psychiatrist's recommendation makes me feel a bit like a neglectful parent. Naturally he is ethically bound to give me a worst case scenario, but all I can do is hope he's wrong and hope I know her better.
I am not looking for answers as you don't know my daughter, but just hoping for any information I can get from some of you who have been there. Thanks for listening.
Do any of you know of any non-pharmaceutical means of supporting someone with a mood disorder?
Tami
Posted by Sonya on June 22, 2005, at 21:00:35
In reply to My daughter, posted by Mara on June 21, 2005, at 10:53:09
I'm diagnosed Bipolar II and currently taking depakote to stabilize my mood. It works but makes me lethargic, so at my next pdoc appointment will ask to go off of it. I've been researching Omega-3 fatty acids. It has been found to stabilize mood in patients with bipolar disorder. Look at this site:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10232294&dopt=Abstract
I understand the whole denial thing. I'm still in denial about my own diagnosis. Good luck with your daughter.
Posted by Jazzed on June 22, 2005, at 21:00:35
In reply to My daughter, posted by Mara on June 21, 2005, at 10:53:09
Hi Tami,
This same sort of thing happened to me as a teen. I think you should have faith in your daughter, and trust your instincts. Plus, what you might not know is that if a doc specializes in bi-polar, you might be more likely to get that diagnosis. They have to have a diagnosis to treat her, for ins. purposes.
If I were you, I'd give my daughter the benefit of the doubt, and get a 2nd opinion. She might need therapy, she might need meds, maybe a combo of both. She sure has been through a lot, my thought are with you.
Anyway, my parents did NOT give me the benefit of the doubt, they blindly trusted the doc, and I ended up WAY worse than when I started with him. I would hate to see that happen to your daughter.
Jazzy
Posted by Phillipa on June 22, 2005, at 21:00:35
In reply to Re: My daughter » Mara, posted by Jazzed on June 21, 2005, at 14:38:38
I'd say get a second opinion too. They tried to medicate my grandson saying he was depressed. He was bumping into things. Then they found out he needed glasses. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by annierose on June 22, 2005, at 22:20:17
In reply to Re: My daughter, posted by Phillipa on June 21, 2005, at 18:33:50
A second opinion is never a bad thing. And medication isn't necessarily a bad thing either. And talking therapy is usually a very good thing. Your daughter has had a lot to deal with lately. Tragic loss. I would keep my daughter talking to somebody if she wasn't opening up to me.
My daughter does take medication for mild depression. It has changed her life in a positive way. Her relationships with peers have blossomed, her mood at home is much much improved ... all in all ... I am so glad I reached out for help.
If you get a second opinion, and they both are on the same page, try to be open minded about the medication. If she had cancer, would you cut down her dosage of medicine? What are your fears? Does she feel better?
Posted by justyourlaugh on June 23, 2005, at 22:15:23
In reply to Re: My daughter, posted by annierose on June 22, 2005, at 22:20:17
mara..in my teen years all was brushed under the carpet..i wish i had someone to talk to..without feeling dirty..
you are a good mommy.
Posted by stresser on June 24, 2005, at 22:01:29
In reply to Re: My daughter, posted by justyourlaugh on June 23, 2005, at 22:15:23
Mara,
We just found out that our daughter (17yr) is Bipolar II, last Dec. It took us about two years to get that diagnosis, and I was relieved to finally get it. She was depressed, anxious, intollerable, and had mood swings like a light switch was being turned on and off. I never knew who was going to walk through my door when she came home from school. When she started school as a freshman, she made straight A's. By the end of her freshman year, she was getting C's, and we knew something was wrong. Her current psychologist at that time told me she WAS NOT Bipolar, and we continued to stay with him. Things didn't get better, and we couldn't live with the stress, and constant disruption. Her depression grew more intense, and she kept saying she just wanted to die. I knew there was something wrong, and this wasn't normal. I spent hours on the internet, looking up information on Bipolar, and medicaitons. It was killing both of us, so we searched for another doctor. With luck, we found a psychologist and a psychiatrist that work along together to treat her. She took an MMPI test, and much to the psychologist's suprise, she is Bipolar II. The psychiatrist told me he thought she was, at her first visit. I was amazed at the things he told me about her! The things he found out about her from the test told him things that he would know if he had lived with her for 17 years! She is now on four medications, and doing much better. It is long journey, but one I wish we hadn't waited so long in changing doctors. Her grades improved to A's within two weeks of adding one medication, and we are slowely getting the others leveled out. I don't want this to be overwhelming, just informative. Get information! You need a correct diagnosis so that you can get correct treatment, whatever it is. She needs to be on the right medication, or therapy so she can get on with her life. College is around the corner, and you want to have these things ironed out before she moved on. (to whatever she does after high school) If you need to talk more, Please Babble me! I will send you my e-mail! -L
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