I just got this test from my DD from school. I am not sure what to make of it.

"I keep hallucinating. I couple of nights ago I saw a one-eyed cat, and I keep hearing things and I feel things touch me, I can't think straight I can't form a sentence very well. I'm having trouble sleeping"

As most of you know, I have bipolar disorder. DD is a bit of a hypochondriac at times but one of her fears is having an MI. My gut says make her a pdoc appt, but I don't wanna start some big labeling process if it's just drama.

I know some people here deal with stuff like this, so I thought I'd get some input.

Hi Luri...

Mr. W and I have a bit of a drama queen [understatement] in our dd11, so I understand your fears -- So would a pdoc though, I would ask for a phone call consult between you and the doctor before your daughter's appt. I do think making an appt is best -- if she's serious, then it's obvious why this would be best, but even if this is only "drama" I think a pdoc wouldn't be bad to consult anyway...

As a child of someone who had Bipolar Disorder, I understand your DD's fears. Offspring of people who have Bipolar Disorder have a 25% chance of having the illness as well. That has never been far from my mind or the mind of my younger brother...I jokingly tell him that he's the bigger risk because he is "Mr. Over-Achiever" -- Clearly there are benefits to being a lazy slug like me!

Back to seriousness -- I understand your fears of a false diagnosis and the subsequent labeling, but I think my fears would lean more towards a lack of a diagnosis if there is indeed a problem. Truth you can deal with - If the truth is that your DD ends up having an MI, then that is what it is. She will live a far happier and more productive life by knowing the truth sooner rather than later...

{{{{{Luri}}}}}

Mrs. W

Do you have a good therapist as well as a pdoc though? And when I say "good" here is what I mean: I hope you take this in the manner that it is intended [respectfully] and with the knowledge that my dad remained unmedicated for most of his life. I found that it was important that any therapist that we dealt with had knowledge outside of "book learning" when it came to Bipolar Disorder. My dad was VERY cunning and could fool even the most highly educated mental health professionals EXCEPT for the ones who had lived it -- meaning they had a family member who had Bipolar Disorder.

I think your DD could benefit from a few sessions with that kind of therapist if you can find one. I called therapists and asked for that kind of experience, and it was hugely beneficial.

Mrs. W

Thank you Mrs. W. I have an appt Friday, and I am going to talk to him about DD.

When I was younger I kept screaming at my parents that I saw a ghost and that it was scaring me.. I saw the walls moving in and felt it touching me... This was when I was about that age but I am a normal human being now. As a nurse who is specialized in psychiatry behaviors, I would be vary of any kind of psychotrophics or depression meds for a child your age.. It really can mess them up. They might develop Ticks. They might get suicidal. The body is still growing and maturing. However, a good psychiatrist who specializes in actual childlike behaviors will know this (hopefully!)

Unfortunately, sometimes kids want more attention so they act out or they are bullied or feel unwelcome in a school environment. They might think their rooms are creepy or scary due to low light levels.

I would rule out all environmental and social factors before taking medicine!

When I read that sentence again I am reminded of a child who said very similar things "I'm hallucinating, I don't know if its real or not" very similar to Schizophrenia.. Bipolar, from what I've experienced dealing with at work, don't hallucinate. They get violent sometimes when they are in a depressed state or total speech agnosia and when they are excited to the max they want everything done in one hour (extreme bipolar).

I'll be talking to the doctor today. I really don't want to go down the med route at 15.....I mean, 15.

Then again, I can understand why she is afraid of this.....most of the time I don't want to be like me either. Just being honest.

I gotta stop picking to that whacking stick.....it will ALWAYS whack....ALWAYS.

How did things turn out for you with the doctor?

If this were my child, (keep in mind, we have a confirmed bipolar in the home in my husband - so I have had to do this with my son) I'd be doing some self-care education.

Triad of health - physical, mental and spiritual includes:

Nutrition

Exercise

Sleep

Bipolars and all other mental illnesses are subject to chemicals which will throw a balance "off". Ephredras used in decongestants and energy supplements, caffeine, and sugar are all things which effect the chemical makeup of the brain. There's also evidence of a relationship between bipolar and diabetes - families having a history of one, tend to also have the other as well. Sleep deprivation is what sent my husband over the edge into irrational land.

So teach your daughter self-care. I taught my son the rules of a balanced diet shortly after he could count on his fingers - five fingers - five types of nourishment - Veggie, grain, protein, fruit and water. I also taught him to find his words rather than just "emote" his feelings.

Most of us have bizarre dreams; but your daughter may not know that. Teach her how to journal her dreams. [edit to add: her dreams right now may be giving voice to her fear of mental illness, rather than an expression of a mental illness; teach her how fears can create realities that did not have to be so. Teach her to focus on health and she will find herself being healthy, rather than manifesting her fears.]

Learn for yourself how the subconscious mind works to solve problems; a really good book that I read with my son was "Think and Grow Rich" so that he felt a sense of control over his mind.

Exercise is critical for a bipolar. When my husband got sick, his breath smelled of solvents used to wash up equipment. He didn't get any exercise. Exercise cleans the body at the cellular level; when they receive oxygen, water, and antioxidant-rich nutrients, they are able to expel toxins. If the body gets overrun with toxins the brain is not able to function as healthy as it could. So the habit of running fast enough to cover a mile in 8 minutes - or walking faster than 15 minutes per mile will help her find a healthy balance.

I believe that mental illness is genetic; but I also believe there is a way to develop a healthy mind anyway; just like I might be genetically predisposed for diabetes or arthritis. We take preventative measures for those, why not mental health as well?

Thank you, KA. You echo some of what the doc said. Sleep is something we are going to work on for sure. I go to bed most of the time between 9:30 and 10:00, and DD is usually still reading or watching TV or something. DH is a night owl, so I am not sure when she actually gets down to sleeping. I told her I'd stay up till 10:00 and we could go to bed at the same time. We are also going to cut out caffeine together - this kills me cause I love mt coke zero, but if it will help her, it will be worth it. They walk the track and do aerobic type exercise every day in PE, so that's good. But her lunch eating habits are terrible - she says she isn't very hungry, but we need to find a way for her to do better. The private school doesn't have a cafeteria - they bring in food from area places, like pizza or chicken fingers, etc. We'll need to get some things she can bring that are healthy because she confessed that right now she is eating crackers or cheese nips - ack!

The doc also told me to be aware of how I expressed my own feelings about my illness and how comfortable I was with it because that will color her fears. I admit I sometimes am still really....mad that I have this. I feel like it invalidates about half of what I think and feel a lot of the time.

I'd like for her to talk to a "normal" person who has odd dreams and stuff....me telling her about my dreams doesn't help....because I'm bipolar She doesn't want to talk to DH because he laughs at her. I know he doesn't mean to hurt her feelings; he just isn't sure what to make of it. I made the mistake of showing him the text, and he's been teasing her about one-eyed cats all week. He's trying to lighten her fears, but it makes her cry.

Thank you all of you for the insights. I really think she is just going through a phase of stress. And I have been slightly hypomanic/mixed, so she has probably seen that. But overall I feel better than I have in awhile: goodbye lithium, hello lamictal, and the thyroid is getting better.