Obsessing...does ANYTHING work to stop the madness?
DS is 5 years old, and has a dx of ADHD and mood disorder NOS. He has been pretty stable for the past year on Abilify 5mg and Tenex 2mg daily. Our issues have always revolved around his obsessing over things he wants. He will literally become so upset and anxious that he becomes physically ill and vomits. This is now increasing again, usually at least 2-3 times a day. He wants random odd things, a printer, Mr. Coffee, baby bathtub...etc. Most of these things are harmless and we can accomodate his wants, but as soon as he acquires the desired object, he plays with it for a few minutes and starts asking for something else. He got so much stuff for Christmas, yet after he finished opening his gifts, he looked at my husband and asked again for a Snoopy Snow Cone machine. He hadn't been on that kick for over a month, and he suddenly started up with that again. He also cycles through things. If we tell him no to a Mr. Coffee (what is a 5 yr old going to do with that anyway?), he'll start wanting pantyhose or balloons. Could this be an odd form of OCD? And what, if anything, can be done to help allieviate his symptoms? I feel so bad for him because he spends half his day upset that he can't have "insert random thing'. I'd appreciate any advice...he's driving us all batty.
My dd is 9 and has mood disorder NOS and anxiety. She also has a rare condition called Cyclic Vomiting- she has cycles of vomiting (sometimes for days) associated with a headache usually. They believe stress triggers the vomiting and the plan is that hopefully working with the pdoc will alleviate the symptoms. You may want to see about a g.i. dr. about the vomiting- I had never heard about cyclic vomiting until she had it. She ended up dehydrated in the hospital once. She mostly has anxiety over school, peers, heights, etc. Also, she sees a neurologist as well, as it's strongly associated with migraines. Most patients with cyclic vomiting have a maternal history of migraines.
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Jennifer-30, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Migraines- too many meds to list
Single mom to dd T-9, mood disorder, non-specified, dx'd with PTSD in 2009-Lamactil daily, and ds L-5
black cat, Darth 30+ tropical fish, and a Hamster named Chip
Full-time working single mom
YES!!!!! This has been my dd for years. SAME exact thing. Except a lot of times it is pets. Whether it is a mouse or a $2000 parrot! It doesn't stop. Sometimes I do accomodate by buying and giving in (you'd die if I told you some of our stories!!) I'm embarrassed at the things I've done to just get through the day or make her happy for 5 min. I know it doens't help anything.
Right now we have a CHICKEN!!!!! (we live in town) that sits on our front step and we feed, a small cockatu (sp?), three cats, and a small dog. She is on the internet now (BAD for her) trying to trade the bird for an outside cat. I don't know what to do. :(
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L Anxiety, Lexapro
Mom to:
T (16) Mood disorder (Depression, Anxiety, OCD, BP, SA?), Risperdal 1mg morning/night, Zoloft 100 mg., Abilify 10mg., Trazadone 100 mg.
Also has hypoplastic left heart syndrome (open heart surgery 3X), Lisinopril, Aspirin
10th grade-currently going to school online at home.
J (13)
J and C (10)
other than the obsessing, how are your sons moods? My son obsseses when he's not stable. He gets a major case of the "give me's" and becomes obsessed with needing to buy things especially on the internet. He would surf for hours on end. This summer we knew the loweiring of his Abilify and then Risperdal was not working when he went into a 12 hr. rage(not physical) over getting a cell phone like his sister. Once we put the med back on board, he never mentioned the cell phone again, not even this Christmas! We did crack (not knowing it was mania at the time because of the meds) and gave him half of what he saved up for some motor bike. He actually has somewhat lost interest in it(again when the meds were re-introduced) but it also might be because it's cold out!
So to asnwer your question, in our case it was all about the proper combo of meds (in our case putting him back on) to get the obsessing to stop. Ocassionally he gets something in his head and he looks about 20 min online and then moves on:)
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Wendy
48-adoptive mom
47-DH-adoptive Dad
DS age 14, (adopted 5 yrs ago from eastern europe) ADHD, LD, PTSD, anxiety, mood disorder-NOS, with lots of great qualities:)
Concerta 72 mg, Zoloft 50mg, Abilify 17.5mg, and Risperdal (.25mg a.m and .25mg late afternoon-weaning off slowly the last few months) and Melatonin
DD- age 20
DS- age 14-other son
Both adopted as baby/toddler -both ADD,LD
My younger daughter had obsessions. It was never the "give me" type, although the young adult with schizoaffective I mentor does get that type. In both cases, a feeling of anxiety and need to feel in control of something in their life drives it. They feel it as a life or death NEED. In the older girl, she learned to use suicide threats (which she will carry through as attempts causing parents to scurry, ER visits, it is pretty awful) to get what she "needs." And yes, sometimes it is a pet.
With my younger daughter it was never a THING she wanted, it was things she had to DO. And she woud get frantic if prevented from doing them.
In my younger daughter's case, yes, it did stop with increased health and less stress and independence and control in her life.
Even my older daughter in adulthood, with increased stress and instability used to get obssessive about things - needing to count, check and re-check... stuff like classic OCD except just intermittently.
But the underlying theme in each case was feelings of anxiety and stress.
Ummm... In the meantime while trying to get stability, perhaps consider CBT and DBT?
--Jeanie aka "Naomi"
It's Not Mental-The book
Older dd: formerly(?) teen-onset bipolar (morphed into ultradian cycling): "Recovered" after over 13 years - stable off psych meds almost two years. Now fine on just diet changes and higher thyroid levels (after healing - addressing gut issues/Candidal overgrowth while using EMPowerPlus and other supplements). She added EMpowerPlus back on just because she feels better on it - gets sick less often.
Younger dd: formerly(?) Childhood-onset schizoaffective, TS, OCD, anxiety, PTSD, migraines. After over 15 years, is now "recovered" for almost 5 years after treating endocrine issues, food sensitivities, gut issues, sleep issues, nutritional/mitochondrial needs.
Thanks for the replies so far. The thing is, if he isn't obsessing over any particular thing, he's great. He is pleasant and fun, engaging with others, and a happy child. It's when the obsessing begins that he gets out of control and melts down. He's never really raged, more has melt downs with a lot of crying and hitting the door when we send him to his room. He doesn't hurt anyone or break things.
He seems to obsess more when he's bored, which can happen quite often since he has a very short attention span.It also is worse when he's hungry or tired. I'm wondering if we should try an SSRI to try to control the obsessing. I know if he is truly bipolar they can send him into a manic state, but at this point, he's driving himself and everyone else nuts.
I feel helpless...he knows he doesn't "need" the particular item, but something in his brain tells him to persist until he gets it. He tries to talk himself out of wanting something. Last night, it was the computer printer. He tells himself, "I don't need it. I don't have to have it. I want it. I can't calm down..it's hard to wait" and then the meltdown ensues.
Are we maybe dealing with OCD and not a mood disorder? It's so hard to tell at this age. Any input is welcome. We have an appt with the pdoc next week.
You say it increases when he is bored, hungry, or tired. Those are stressors. Consider DBT-type therapy to help him cope with discomfort. Also, I know my kids felt huge stress with metabolic issues. The older one, in particular, had long-time issues with hypoglycemia.
And a little warning, my younger daughter's OCD got much worse with an SSRI, and a man I know with OCD has his OCD get much worse with his SSRI which helps his depression. He feels caught because it helps the depression so much better, but the OCD is very hard on his wife.
If you really think he has OCD separate from a mood disorder, you might get him checked for PANDAS and PITAND.
Strep infections can trigger serious neuropsychiatric problems. Here is a Wall Street Journal article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/ SB10001424052970203518404577094604010074464.html
And a book: Saving Sammy: A Mother's Fight to Cure Her Son's OCD
--Jeanie aka "Naomi"
ItsNotMental
Older dd: formerly(?) teen-onset bipolar (morphed into ultradian cycling): "Recovered" after over 13 years - stable off psych meds almost two years. Now fine on just diet changes and higher thyroid levels (after healing - addressing gut issues/Candidal overgrowth while using EMPowerPlus and other supplements). She added EMpowerPlus back on just because she feels better on it - gets sick less often.
Younger dd: formerly(?) Childhood-onset schizoaffective, TS, OCD, anxiety, PTSD, migraines. After over 15 years, is now "recovered" for almost 5 years after treating endocrine issues, food sensitivities, gut issues, sleep issues, nutritional/mitochondrial needs.
What is DBT and PANDAS
DBT=dialactical (sp?) behavior therapy
PANDAS=pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with strep. Basically it is an autoimmune disorder of the brain caused by infection with the strep bacteria (as in strep throat).
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Brenda,51, TBMF Parent to Parent Volunteer
Mom to A, 17, BP, Tourette's, OCD, ADHD: Eskalith CR, Lamictal, Cytomel, Allegra
E, 15 1/2, BP,AS: Seroquel, Eskalith CR, inositol, Buspar
B, 14 & H, 11
Married 18 years to DH, 50
FROM TBMF: Do not start, stop, or change medications or other treatments for yourself or your child based on what you read on this Website or elsewhere on the Internet. Information presented here should not replace the considered judgement of a doctor who knows you or your child.
When my dd was younger she would cut pictures of things she desperately wanted out of magazines and catalogues and paste them in a notebook. Maybe it was a way she could 'save' it and get it out of her head. Who knows but it might help him. The same way that writing things down reduces anxious thoughts for some people.
Good luck I know how draining the obsessions can be.
--
Karenj
Self: as sane as I can be everyday
A - DD (17yo) well adjusted, high functioning, motivated, successful, waiting patiently to go away to college
M - DD (13yo) Bipolar I (dx 4/2011) ADHD (dx 2nd grade), dumb high IQ, mainstream education with IEP/BIP, Seroquel XR 200mg - morning: Seroquel 50mg evening; Lamictal 150mg - morning
BF - Live in boyfriend of 5 years, supportive and learning more every day
EX - Ex-husband, divorced since 2002, family history of bipolar, unpredictable and sometimes explosive
Karenj - Isn't it wonderful how sometimes our kids find ways on their own to compensate for their biology - cope with their symptoms - change things to be more acceptable.... I am very impressed with what your daughter did! This is a prime example of what I mean by this illness we call "mental" illness is NOT due to lack of mental health. How many adults deal with illnesses and symptoms so well? I know people with no diagnosed "mental" problem still ignoring their diabetes, or not taking care of themselves in a multitude of ways ... myself included!
--"Naomi"
ItsNotMental
OMG. We are going through this right now. (Although you say your son doesn't seem to cycle he just obsesses over wanting things). My daughter (14) is driving us NUTS with "I want" "I want" "I need." That kid has so many bottles of shampoo and conditioner--and she doesn't even bathe nearly enough!
We are really trying to draw a deciding line between wether this is 1) a bipolar spending spree except she does not have the resources to go shopping on her own so she badgers us, or 2) an obsessive compulsive behavior. Because she is so angry, irritable and unstable right now, we are more inclined to go with the first thought, but we really don't know. Sometimes it seems like one sometimes like the other.
I would like to discern for sure because it can affect treatment, of course.
It has gotten so much worse in the last months. We are running into Walmart at the drop of a hat for erasers, pens, more shampoo, etc. Absolutely we cannot enable her but at the same time it is relentless and I don't always know what to do. She is heck-bent on it. She has used her allowance to buy several different dog collars--she keeps replacing them! When we stand our ground, she doesn't seem to learn from it--it is back to the same thing the next day and it can spark hours-long tantrums. It can be anything from a box of paperclips to a 50 gallon hermit crab habitat (we did say absolutely not to that). We also said no to the ipad (she thought it was very unreasonable of us not to just drop $500 on her on a whim).
She got a gift card for Michael's for Christmas, and it wasn't enough to call the store on Christmas and see what time they opened the next day so that she could be there immediately to shop--when the answering machine didn't provide that information, we loaded up into the car and drove by the store!
She gets so insistent in stores that people have started staring. She has really blocked me in the aisle and grabbed my shirt, etc. I finally told her the other day that I will not cave in to avoid a scene, and that if she gets physical with me and someone calls the police then so be it.
We are doing a several month experiment right now. She has never not been on an SSRI since she started having mental health problems a few years ago. We are committed this time to getting her off of them and seeing where she's at in six months. I guess this will help us sort out whether this is a bipolar spree or an OCD obsession. She is definitely bipolar but not clear to what extent an anxiety disorder coexists with this...--
Jennie (37) depression treated effectively with lexapro
Husband (58)
daughter Alison (14)
Bipolar I with episodes of psychosis; Oppositional Defiant Disorder
lithium, depakote, zyprexa, zoloft
Much of T's obsessing revolves around food. She can be eating lunch and asking about what is for dinner. They put her on Prozac and it helped greatly with her appetite and obsessing, but then it tripped off this whole bp ordeal so she was taken off it. I have thought about asking her pdoc if a low dose can be added back in when she is stable- even 10 mg helped her obsessing a little.
She counts and touches everything- it drove my son crazy because she kept touching his Christmas ornaments on the tree, but she was counting them. I would tell her to stop, but it was like she was in a daze and didn't even hear me.
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Jennifer-30, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Migraines- too many meds to list
Single mom to dd T-9, mood disorder, non-specified, dx'd with PTSD in 2009-Lamactil daily, and ds L-5
black cat, Darth 30+ tropical fish, and a Hamster named Chip
Full-time working single mom
Pear7000,
I had to laugh when I read your post. I KNOW it is NOT funny!! But it is my life!! My dd is 16 and we've been doing this for several years. It absolutely does get better, but like already mentioned...when her mood is off it gets bad, or when bored.
I have bought some of the most USELESS junk just to get out of the store and made the most RIDICULOUS trips to stores to check signs, etc. We could open up our own pet supply store with the dog collars and leashes we have. LOL
I live in town and have a freaking CHICKEN roaming my yard...need I say more? :)
Some days I'll do just about anything for a few minutes of her keeping busy and letting me do things for the other kids or myself. Yesterday we went for wet cat food as she is trying to trap an animal. (A few weeks ago she had an opossum in the garage...however, I got to relax for a couple of hours!)
Her psych report says she scored very high on the OCD scale. Just wanted to let you know that you aren't alone!! It's even more embarrassing in a store when they are teenagers. People expect to see a 2 yr. old acting like that...but not a teenager.
--
L Anxiety, Lexapro
Mom to:
T (16) Mood disorder (Depression, Anxiety, OCD, BP, SA?), Risperdal 1mg morning/night, Zoloft 100 mg., Abilify 10mg., Trazadone 100 mg.
Also has hypoplastic left heart syndrome (open heart surgery 3X), Lisinopril, Aspirin
10th grade-currently going to school online at home.
J (13)
J and C (10)
Oh, it has to be a little bit funny :) We laugh or else we cry, right? It is one of the more irritating things she is doing right now, but compared to the rages etc. it is much less harmful, so if I am going to keep a sense of humor about any of it, it is her little shopping quirks right now. Although I'm not blind to the seriousness of it either...how is she going to live and feed herself as an adult if she spends her paycheck in 20 minutes?
We are trying a larger than normal allowance so that she can practice budgeting and when the money is gone, it is gone. I recognize a component of it is behavioral, but it really is not the materialistic "brattiness" that people think of with this generation. It's not greed per se. It is like an internal drive that send her over the edge.
Interestingly, she is very animal oriented as well, like your teenager. We move from one species to another. It took me a while to catch on to this, and I like animals very much as well, so it is not all her doing. However, we have really had to put our foots down. We have four cats, two tanks of fish, two betta fish bowls, four parakeets and seven hermit crabs. We are fostering a dog. Enough animals for any household! We recently declined two lizards and a parrot--the inn is full.
Anyhow, I support her interest in animals but what concerns me in terms of her shopping is that the living things supply an endless list of "needs." It also concerns me when her interests change so sharply. This is true for anything. Her strength based therapist that comes to the house said she does not bring a particular game, etc., like she does for other clients, because Alison has a strong interest in something one week--hermit crabs, crocheting, learning to play the ocharina, writing a reference paper on mollusks (for pete's sake :))--and then by the next week that interest is forgotten.
Very interestingly, like your daughter she is fascinated with CHICKENS! She has wanted chickens for years. In her early bipolar days when she was about ten, she badgered me for hours--in a french accent--for a pet chicken named Chinklemoose! When she was a bit more stable last year, I had actually entertained the thought and gathered books on the topic (we live in the country, so it is not undoable for us), but I told her she would have to work with her dad to build the coop, etc. Of course, that did not happen. And then the all consuming infatuation with hermit crabs made its appearance for a while...
She also loves the fish in our pond, and swims with them in the summer. She has trained them to eat out of her hands! And to follow her when she swims, and to let her occasionally and quickly pet them.
She is interested right now in bird watching...the lion's share of allowance is gone on bird seed and several bird feeders...we'll see where this leads!
Some of this post just sounds like a normal teenager intersted in animals, learning about things. And some of it is. And a lot of it is very admirable. But it is just the knee-jerk moving from one interest to another and the absolute melt downs and temper tantrums over buying stuff that is concerning, along with the frequent inability to occupy herself. And the shopping is just off the hook and clearly pathological.
I am interested to see if you've had this experience as well: She is alternately very kind and caring and well-intended with the animals, and then gets quite rough when her mood switches. It is not abusive but it is way too rough and not appropriate either. We had hoped to keep the dog, but she is way too rough with her in the evenings when she is most manic, and it is confusing the dog, which snarled at her the other evening. I am afraid if we keep the dog, one or both of them are going to be injured one day... The cats run off so is not as much of an issue...
Thank you for sharing your story--I am glad to hear it gets better as the meds are better. This happened so gradually with the shopping that for a while I didn't realize it was part of her illness, until it snowballed and now it is unmistakable...sorry for the long post!
Jennie (37) depression treated effectively with lexapro
Husband (58)
daughter Alison (14)
Bipolar I with episodes of psychosis; Oppositional Defiant Disorder
lithium, depakote, zyprexa, zoloft
Sorry. Sorry. For my dd its socks. The child simply cannot have enough socks. No matter how many are clean and in the drawer she needs more. There are many things 'wrong' with the ones she has but she will not throw them out. They squiggle down, they have holes, there is only one, no matter - all still in the drawer. If we are someplace that sells socks we cannot leave without some. I cannot tell you how many times I have walked around the outside aisles of Target so as to avoid the socks. If she sees them, she needs them. And not just one pair. A bunch of 3 packs. She is getting better at 'choose 2' rules. But still. WHO NEEDS THAT MANY SOCKS! At least its not diamond bracelets. :)
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Karenj
Self: as sane as I can be everyday
A - DD (17yo) well adjusted, high functioning, motivated, successful, waiting patiently to go away to college
M - DD (13yo) Bipolar I (dx 4/2011) ADHD (dx 2nd grade), dumb high IQ, mainstream education with IEP/BIP, Seroquel XR 200mg - morning: Seroquel 50mg evening; Lamictal 150mg - morning
BF - Live in boyfriend of 5 years, supportive and learning more every day
EX - Ex-husband, divorced since 2002, family history of bipolar, unpredictable and sometimes explosive
ROFLMAO.... Oh Karenj... I am sorry for laughing, but thank you.... I am actually laughing at myself.... I have no fashion sense, and do not dress up unless I absolutely must. I have no handbags or fancy shoes... but lol... you know the cliche about women and a closet full of shoes...?? ... I am that way about SOCKS! I like my socks to be thick. I like them to have certain colors depending on what I am wearing. I don't want to throw out old ones if I do not have another of the same color. I often sew and re-sew old socks. But yeah - I don't want to wear some because I don't like the feel of them. Or what about the one I have with wolves I was given as a gift? I can't get another one like that, and it makes me happy to see it. You know that "awful" Christmas gift - getting SOCKS??? I LOVE getting that gift! I was born with a problem with my walking and had to wear special orthotics until Jr. High School. I still cannot wear regular shoes without hurting my feet. Ahhh... but I can wear any socks I love....
Well, all I can suggest about the socks is to get her at a time when she is happy and not in a "I need" mood and say that it is time to throw away all socks not used in the last 6 months, so she can get a new pair the next time she sees one she likes. I DO throw some out... :-( I have some now that are an awesome purple that are just too threadbare. Ha ha ha....!!
--"Naomi"
This thread/discussion is just so interesting to see what all the kids focus on. As a parent I get so focused on mood in terms of rages, etc., that I didn't for a while realize how out of whack her shopping behavior was. It is just really eye opening to see that this "aquiring things" affects a lot of the kids. Socks are such a sweet thing to want, but I can bet not at the volume for which you are getting requests! :)
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Jennie (37) depression treated effectively with lexapro
Husband (58)
daughter Alison (14)
Bipolar I with episodes of psychosis; Oppositional Defiant Disorder
lithium, depakote, zyprexa, zoloft
We have had good luck with Inositol and Buspar for OCD sx. Inositol helped a lot, but when the OCD got worse again, we added Buspar and it has been great. No SE's, just relief.
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Brenda,51, TBMF Parent to Parent Volunteer
Mom to A, 17, BP, Tourette's, OCD, ADHD: Eskalith CR, Lamictal, Cytomel, Allegra
E, 15 1/2, BP,AS: Seroquel, Eskalith CR, inositol, Buspar
B, 14 & H, 11
Married 18 years to DH, 50
FROM TBMF: Do not start, stop, or change medications or other treatments for yourself or your child based on what you read on this Website or elsewhere on the Internet. Information presented here should not replace the considered judgement of a doctor who knows you or your child.
What is it about chickens for kids? T asked for them! I think they are ugly!!
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Jennifer-30, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Migraines- too many meds to list
Single mom to dd T-9, mood disorder, non-specified, dx'd with PTSD in 2009-Lamactil daily, and ds L-5
black cat, Darth 30+ tropical fish, and a Hamster named Chip
Full-time working single mom
Some of them have really pretty feathers, though!
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Brenda,51, TBMF Parent to Parent Volunteer
Mom to A, 17, BP, Tourette's, OCD, ADHD: Eskalith CR, Lamictal, Cytomel, Allegra
E, 15 1/2, BP,AS: Seroquel, Eskalith CR, inositol, Buspar
B, 14 & H, 11
Married 18 years to DH, 50
FROM TBMF: Do not start, stop, or change medications or other treatments for yourself or your child based on what you read on this Website or elsewhere on the Internet. Information presented here should not replace the considered judgement of a doctor who knows you or your child.
Well mine was in the garage last night and the only way to get it out was to PICK IT UP! Have you seen their giant feet? EWWWW!!! All I could think of was the crazy things we do for our kids.
DH is now wanting to build it a nesting box. He gets SO mad at all of our new "pets"...but now he wants to build a nesting box?? Maybe the man needs meds too. LOL
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L Anxiety, Lexapro
Mom to:
T (16) Mood disorder (Depression, Anxiety, OCD, BP, SA, ADD?), Risperdal 1mg morning/night, Zoloft 150 mg., Abilify 5mg., Trazadone 100 mg.
Also has hypoplastic left heart syndrome (open heart surgery 3X), Lisinopril, Aspirin
10th grade-currently going to school online at home.
J (13)
J and C (10)
Yeah, sometimes I think I need meds too, especially when it comes to animals, and I feed off of the kids wants too. My daughter wanted a hamster years ago, and I read they can be nippy--- so I got two guinea pigs, then read they need lots of room...so looooong story short I ended up building these two rodents a 6 1/2 foot by 2/12 foot two-story habitat that took up almost a whole wall of my living room! Yeah, totally normal :p Then, there were the 3 guppys I got her in the 5 gallon tank...yup, we now have a 55 gallon tank complete with live plants (South American themed, of course). Not to mention the time I hand raised a week and a half old kitten...be right back, I'm calling the pdoc.....
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Jennifer-30, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Migraines- too many meds to list
Single mom to dd T-9, mood disorder, non-specified, dx'd with PTSD in 2009-Lamactil daily, and ds L-5
black cat, Darth 30+ tropical fish, and a Hamster named Chip
Full-time working single mom
Well, now I have an idea where the birdwatching is taking us, as the interest du jour...not enough to have one or two types of suet cakes, we clearly need about FIVE to accommodate the different types of birds and their various suet needs. OK, pretty cheap (cheep) not a big deal. And she has been so reasonable and "normal" over the last several days and I am hoping it is not just a glitch but her new meds working. But tonight rapid talking, jittery, have to have a NEW CAMERA to take suitable pictures before they migrate which they are likely to do OVERNIGHT!!! Weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth...Not enough that she has three other cameras, they just cannot take the type of picture suitable for BIRDWATCHING and capturing the tufted titmouse, and the bluejay pics are all blurry.
AAAARGH. Had I been home I would have just said NO!!!!!! But husband was home, and the most I could do at this point was redirect it to sitting down and encouraging her to identfiy things she can sell, etc., to come up with the $$. So I guess we handled it alright, but not the way I would have preferred to. I think it's insane to have something new like that this close to Christmas. I will feel embarrassed when this comes up with her therapist...
The above just sounds like brattyness, but it is more than that. It is just nuts. Moving from one thing to the next thing to the next. Agitated. High speed. I told my husband that next time this happens there needs to be a NO, and if it leads to a hospitalization then it leads to a hospitalization. She cannot get through life spending all her, or our, money like this...
Maybe we can combine the birdwatching and the interest in chickens and have chicken watching...I'm sure that will be next! Very interesting to hear how many kids like chickens.
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Jennie (37) depression treated effectively with lexapro
Husband (58)
daughter Alison (14)
Bipolar I with episodes of psychosis; Oppositional Defiant Disorder
lithium, depakote, zyprexa, zoloft
Caleb, my son, has had MAJOR OCD since he was about 3 years old. We went through the whole "I will die (or kill myself) if you don't buy me X." For a while, it was toys, mostly Legos. You should see the lego displays in his room. It could be in a lego catalog. We have a lego store at our local mall and the employees know me by name. Pretty sad, huh? I even brought cupcakes to the one young kid that works there on his birthday. Long story, but that is how much we used to go there. He is now SO MUCH BETTER on 100 mg of Zoloft. No more obsessing over things he wants. Occasionally I'll see him counting or repeating sentences but nothing like before. We were also afraid of the Zoloft but it did not send him into mania. In fact, he's the best he's ever been on just the Zoloft alone. His pdoc says yes he does have a mood disorder and OCD, but it does not mean he can't be on an SSRI.
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Chrissy--33, on Cymbalta 60 mg for anxiety/depression
Aaron--ex-DH, 39
Caleb--DS, 9 (SMD, OCD) on Zoloft 100 mg
"Instead of waiting for the storm to end, I learned how to dance in the rain."
For my dd its anything online. It could be a cell phone, clothes or even a subscription to Netflix(thats the newest 1) She doesnt even watch movies because she cant sit through a whole one.... Lol, but she just has to have that subscription. It drives me crazy!!!!
I didnt even put a thought into OCD because I thought it was rituals and counting things. I never realized that even though it isnt those things she is still obsessing. My kids are allowed computer times at half hour increments for a total of a hour and a half each and she will spend all 3 of her turns searching for cell phones and how she can afford it and how much she'll have to spend on minutes and how much ringtones are going to be. Sometimes she is acting as if she already has whatever item it is that she is obsessing over at the moment. I've always found it odd but but never put it together with anxiety/ocd. This website has helped educate me so much!!!!
She gets extremely upset, irrational,angry, and mean if she does not get these things. So, she has already had 2 cell phones(both of which she lost) and continues to wonder why we will not buy her another one.... She is very good at trying to "sell" me the item.... and will come up with every reason why she needs it and will have an answer for every reason I say she doesnt need it. Now with the Netflix its a little different because of the fact that she knows that I know she wont sit through a movie.So she is giving me every reason why my 2 boys need it( they sit through movies) She's even trying to convince them that they need it...... They have told her they dont want a subscription to netflix( they are 5&7) but she insists that they do...... When does it end???????
After reading this post entirely I couldnt help but wonder what would a person with no knowledge of bipolar or any other type of mental illness would think... Just got me laughing.
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Teresa,31
dd,H,11, BP, GAD
Abilify 15mg split a.m/p.m, Lamictal 150mg split a.m/p.m, Tenex 1mg split a.m/p.m
Just gotta say...this thread saved me today!
We are going through this right now with my 7yo BP and ADHD son. It makes me crazy! I don't know how many times I've had the exact same conversation with my son about <insert random want/need> over the last few weeks.
I have no advice to offer and I haven't done enough analysis of our situation to figure out what's triggering it, but it is just so wonderful to know that I'm not alone out there. And I got a smile out of the chickens :-)
I just read this thread and had to respond. I thought I was the only one living in a zoo. Same story-- I caved on numerous pets to buy a little peace (and yes, I'm an animal lover, too, so it didn't always seem unreasonable, but really now... :) ) What really got to me in these posts was the chickens. We have 7 now, and a rooster (that was supposed to be a hen) in foster care on a farm because our town doesn't allow them! DD likes to hold and pet them once in a while. But like all the others, they don't get much attention from her after the first few days. Just for the record (I may as well come clean) we also have two dogs, five cats, a bearded dragon, a blue-tongue skink, four rats, a horse, two fish tanks, three betta bowls, two leaopard geckos, and three snakes. Oh, and two bunnies and two guinea pigs at grandma's (she sometimes can't take it anymore and caves, too). Yes, I guess it's time to increase my meds too...
Anne, 53
R, dd, age 10: high-functioning autism, ADHD, bipolar; 20 mg Abilify, 300 mg Lamictal, 600 mg Seroquel,
5 mg Melatonin
DH, 59, possible BP
My son is the same way, at Christmas we bought the boys an xbox 360 along with several games and accessories. The system came with a xbox live subscription for so many days. He has been demanding that we buy the year long one and we flat out refused, explaining to him that he had enough games and his time is limited to a half and hour per day and there is no need for it. He will not give up on it, but we will not give in so of course this turns into an everyday battle.
He has also had his share of pets too. The most recent demand is for a snake...no way! I can respect his reptile and amphibian obsession and I have given in on the fish, frogs, hamsters, hermit crabs, and pretty much any other creepy slimy thing he feels the need to have, but I draw the line at snakes and rats, I am scared to death of both of them.
Right now he is obsessing over keeping his new shoes clean, its weird because he destroys all of his clothes and doesn't care what they look like, but he got his new shoes dirty and he hates it.
Gotta love the little quirks they have sometimes