Is It Adhd Or Bi-polar Disorder?
|
Bi-Polar Disorder, or Manic Depression, is characterized by mood swings, sometimes extreme, ranging from depressed to normal moods, or from depressed to manic episodes. Manic behaviors are often very similar to "hyperactive" behaviors, including motor restlessness, irritability, temper outbursts, sleeping less, or having higher levels of energy. It is rare. But it does happen.
About three times per year a child is brought to my office for an assessment for ADHD who ends up having "Early Onset Bi-Polar Disorder." These children are typically displaying very extreme behaviors, such as throwing their bicycle -- off of the roof -- at the policemen who have been called, and so on. (When I received that call I wasn't sure what to ask first. "What was he doing on the roof with his bike?" was the best I could think of. "He was going to ride off of the roof, of course." was the answer from the child's mom.)
The behaviors may not be constant or consistently displayed as one might expect from an ADHD child, and may be more extreme than one would expect from ADHD.
The big clue is taking a family history and seeing if either of the parents, their brothers or sisters, or their parents, have/had a bi- polar disorder. If so, then this clue will be very helpful in making a proper diagnosis. I usually refer families to UCLA for a better evaluation, but in your community you may need to rely on an evaluation by a very good psychiatrist (never go to a bad or even average psychiatrist, only good ones!). Ask about experience with bi-polar disorder in children.
Telephone teaching hospitals in your area if there are any, or call your local private psychiatric hospital. Don't ask the switch board operator for a referral, instead ask for the children's unit or the adolescent unit. Once transferred there, ask the unit nurse who they would recommend ("If it were your child, who would you take your child to see?") The nurses know.
Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library's family of seven web sites, including http://www.newideas.net, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.
|
|
|
Bath Time Fun
Bath time can be fun or it can be a real hassle if your child is afraid or don't like it. So we as mothers try to make it a fun time for our little ones! Then the problem will be getting them out!Color ItBubble bath can be irritating to little ones causing urinary track infections, yeast infections as well as skin irritation. A few drops of food coloring are a wonderful solution adding interest ...(related: Parenting)
Encourage Your Children Potential By Your Modeling
All responsible parents would want to support their children, find ways to encourage their potential, help them be more, discover their hidden gifts and help them reach for the stars.There are a lot of things that parents need to do in order to achieve the above things and we all know that the parenting journey will not be a breeze. However whatever is worth doing, it is worth doing well, especially they are for the benefits of our children, isn't it?However, I notice one common thing among many parents, that is:While every parents will do their best possible to encourage and to help their children in reaching their potential, only a handful of parents are working on themselves.If parents wa...(related: Parenting)
Potty Dolls To Accelerate Potty Training Success
Sometime the most effective training tool in rapidly accelerating the rate of your child's training is a potty doll. Thi...(related: Parenting)
The Cost Of Competition On Kids
The subject of competition is one that provokes some pretty strong feelings in the United States. In fact, even hinting that competition might not be such a great thing can cause one to be labeled un-American.The prevailing belief is that competition is good for everyone ? that someone without a strong competitive nature is just a wimp. That being competitive is human nature and to be noncompet...(related: Parenting)
Graduated Driver Licensing (gdl) For Teen Drivers
Drivers 16 years of age have little driving experience, putting them at high risk for traffic accidents. A series of five re...(related: Parenting)
Why A Father Is Not A Dad
It can be said that any man who procreates is afather, whether present in that child's life or not. While this is technically true, it really takes a man tobe a dad!There is nothing more insulting than a cavalier manthinking he has every right in the world to see thechild he helped to create, but was never there for himor her. It is as if he or she is obligated to him likethat of a debt.As a child of a broken home and now as a fathermyself, I know the purest definition of being a dad isthe time spent with your child that will always prevailin the end.Would you remember your father more if he was amillionaire but never there, or a near-penniless manwho spent time with you and showed you the loveyou needed?To me, it's a no brainer!However, many dynamics can and do interfere withbein...(related: Parenting)
The Secret, Unconscious Game Children And Parents Play Where No One Wins!
Did you know there's a game children and parents play all the time and yet, neither of them knows about it? This article discusses this unconscious, no-win game children play with their unknowing parents; how points get scored; why the game isn't a good thing to play, and how parents can stop the game.I wish I could tell you the name of the game. It's a secret and has no name. Parents and children don't even know they're playing the game. The purpose of the game is simple; children play it to get their way. The game itself is based on a point system. Whoever has the most points has the most power and control in the parent-child relationship. The minute a child asks the parent for something and is met with the answer, "no," the game begins!Children score points when they argue with their parents so much, thei...(related: Parenting)
Guerilla Parenting Techniques: What Are They?
When you hear the phrase, 'guerrilla parenting techniques', what images come to mind? I see a big, broad shouldered soldier, dressed in green fatigues, with brown paint on his face. His chest is crisscrossed with ammunition for the guns strapped on his legs. He's quietly hidden under the cover of trees, waiting to snipe away at the enemy with maximum impact.The word 'guerilla', was a term borrowed from Spanish used to describe small combat groups. Guerilla warfare operates with small, mobile and flexible combat groups without a front line. It seems appropriate to use this term when discussing new parenting techniques for parents. I'm go...(related: Parenting)
Raising Boys
The last decade has seen heightened interest in and awareness of the issues surrounding boys in most of the western world. It is common knowledge that boys lead the way in all the wron...(related: Parenting)
Meet The Twixters!
There is a new stage of development for parents to consider.The stages of development are roughly the following: children move from infancy, to early childhood and onwards to middle childhood. These stages take roughly the first ten or so years of life. Our children then move into a long stage known as adolescence (with a number three sub-stages) that is a transition phase into adulthood. That's it, right?No, it seems that we have another phase that links adolescence with adulthood. The twenty-first birthday used to signify a move into adulthood and all its accompanying privileges and responsibilities. Now the years from 18 until 25 and beyo...(related: Parenting)
Real Monsters Under Your Bed
There may really be a real monster under your kidâ??s bed!Seriously, they could actually be there!If you are a parent you have heard about monsters under the bed and in the closet. There was even a movie about Monsters coming into kidâ??s bedrooms through the closet. They were collecting screams, or some such.There are many unknown underlying problems that can keep a chi...(related: Parenting)
The Mystery Of Picky Eaters
If you were to ask 100 parents why they think their children are picky eaters, chances are you would get 90 different answers. Although we know some children are picky eaters for no apparent reason, most are hard to please when it comes to food for two reasons ? they are naturally fussy about tastes and textures or they have a learned behavior about food.If you have a picky eater in your house, you are NOT alone! In fact, this is a very common complaint among parents. In addition to being frustrating, parents also worry that their child is not getting the appropriate nutrients needed for their growing bodies. With picky eaters, you typically see one of two things happening. First, you will find the child who simply has no interest in trying anything unfamiliar and second, you have the child who has no i...(related: Parenting)
Be Serious With Your Child Future
As a parent your biggest responsibility is to prepare your child for the future , physically emotionally and mentally.The first big Intellectual Challenge your child will face is the Entrance Test for KG and later for the First Standard . Every parent will feel anxious.We know that a child is born with a million of brain cells called Neuro...(related: Parenting)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved. | Parenting