Question for anyone with a bipolar child

[samantha4i4]

My younger sister is bipolar, along with my father, grandfather, and uncle. My mother seems to keep insisting that my oldest daughter is acting EXACTLY like my younger sister did. She is worrying me because I odnt see anything but the terrible twos... my daughter is 23 months, is this way to young to diagnose her with it?

[Naominjw]

Just because 2 children act the same at a certain age is not a huge surprise. They can diverge in behavior later.

On the other hand, it may indicate some neurological sensitivity, allergies, sleep problems, etc which the children do have in common at that age.

My younger daughter had symptoms at a very young age that my mother (with schizophrenia/bipolar) had at an older age. My younger daughter did eventually get diagnosed with schizoaffective, but the outcomes were very different because we now have many tests available and we can look for things.

My daughter in fact is doing so well (and without meds for it) that doctors say it isn't that at all. But remember that diagnosis is only based on symptoms. And what may be causing that irritability, mood problems, etc. cannot be known if we don't look.

So, what would you do with a 23 month old anyway, even if you know she has the potential to have the symptoms set which can be labeled as "bipolar"? Give a healthy diet, low stress, strict sleep hygiene. Light in the daytime, darkness at night. Lots of active play. Plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids. Excellent nutrition. Stability and peace in the home.

In other words - you'd do what you would be doing anyway, only perhaps more purposefully.

And if things escalate, and you are sure it is not food sensitivities, diet, sleep, etc, you get the child blood testing, sleep studies, hormone tests... then you look into counselling to see if there is a parenting or other environmental problem.... and then... well.... let's hope it doesn't go beyond that, and if it does, it does.

You might want to read "The Bipolar Child" By Paolos & Papolos. See http://www.bipolarchild.com . You might also want to look into http://www.itsnotmental.com and http://www.bpkids.org

[samantha4i4]

Just because 2 children act the same at a certain age is not a huge surprise. They can diverge in behavior later.

On the other hand, it may indicate some neurological sensitivity, allergies, sleep problems, etc which the children do have in common at that age.

My younger daughter had symptoms at a very young age that my mother (with schizophrenia/bipolar) had at an older age. My younger daughter did eventually get diagnosed with schizoaffective, but the outcomes were very different because we now have many tests available and we can look for things.

My daughter in fact is doing so well (and without meds for it) that doctors say it isn't that at all. But remember that diagnosis is only based on symptoms. And what may be causing that irritability, mood problems, etc. cannot be known if we don't look.

So, what would you do with a 23 month old anyway, even if you know she has the potential to have the symptoms set which can be labeled as "bipolar"? Give a healthy diet, low stress, strict sleep hygiene. Light in the daytime, darkness at night. Lots of active play. Plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids. Excellent nutrition. Stability and peace in the home.

In other words - you'd do what you would be doing anyway, only perhaps more purposefully.

And if things escalate, and you are sure it is not food sensitivities, diet, sleep, etc, you get the child blood testing, sleep studies, hormone tests... then you look into counselling to see if there is a parenting or other environmental problem.... and then... well.... let's hope it doesn't go beyond that, and if it does, it does.

You might want to read "The Bipolar Child" By Paolos & Papolos. See http://www.bipolarchild.com . You might also want to look into http://www.itsnotmental.com and http://www.bpkids.org

Thanks :rolleyes:
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