Bipolar Disorder or Severe Sensory Processing Disorder?
Hello,
Earlier this year my 4 year old son was diagnosed with moderate Sensory Processing Disorder and severe ADHD. Unfortunately, none of our previous attempts to "control" his ADHD have worked. The OT for his sensory issues is also getting no where since his ADHD and mood swings have gotten worse. Due to his complete inability to sleep and his mood swings we were finally referred to a pediatric psychiatrist.
This week my son was diagnosed, by that psychiatrist (who specializes in children with Bipolar Disorder), as being bipolar. She agreed that he also has severe ADHD and sensory issues. The problem comes in that my son's primary care physician, whom we have seen very regularly for the past few months, is adamant that Jack is not bipolar. He is convinced that my son simply has severe sensory processing issues and ADHD.
Has anyone else experienced this debate? If so, what did you end up finding out and what did you do to help your child? This diagnosis came out of the blue for my family and we are now more confused than ever with the contradicting diagnoses. Thank you very much!
I don't know... depending on the assessment that the Pdoc did, I would lean toward his diagnoses. A general pediatrician, while trained in other realms of the medical field chose his focus to be pediatrics. There are different sub-focus position that a pediatric doc can specialize in, Endocronology, Gastroentology, Psychiatry, etc... And there are even specilities within those group that doctors can specialize on - Like your psychiatrist... He specializes in children with Bi-polar.
If you are uncomfotable with the results of your Pdoc, I would find another doc that specialized in the field of BP and get a second opinion.
Honestly, if you look at most family doctors, general practioners, they almost always refer you to someone else for about anything above a basic cold. At least everyone I seem to deal with does.
Good luck!
--
Mom to 2 awesome kids
12 yr old boy
11 yr old boy - ADHD, MD (leaning toward BP), ODD, ED, Learning disabled, sensory issues, speech delays.
Hello,
Thanks God, my GP can handle some more about the basic cold !!
Otherwise, I just imagine the mess !!
But on the other hand, she deals a lot with children (she wished to be a pediatrician, but she became a GP. And honestly, she does well with dealing with all ages, from baby to very elderly people :D ), and her techniques to deal with her patients in crisis help everyone, as children, as adults.
I just agree that finding a good GP is hard, same for pediatrician.
--
25 yo, ADHD, sensory issues, Maths LD and prelingual Single Sided Deafness.
Preparing myself to go back to university to study Law (hope to become a lawyer).
Interests : languages (I speak French as mother tongue, Italian, English and Modern Greek), medicine, law, computer.
I do understand the dilemma between how much is sensory issues vs "something else." I wanted, though, to say something about the lack of sleep and the mood swings. Sleep is vital for stability (and health in general), and I understand that psychiatrists always view the mood disorder ie the psychiatric problems to be the cause of the sleep problems, but the sleep problems can also be the cause of the mood swings. We know young woman with a sleep problem (can't sleep) that whenever it gets out of hand, she acts just like a person with rapid-cycling bipolar. She gets super irritable, snappy, teary, then switches into giddy and giggly. It all clears up with some sleep. Some of my own younger daughter's sleep problems also looked like mental illness, but it wasn't. Sometimes it's the sleep problems that are the cause of some of the exhibited behavioral "mental" problems. A psychiatric nurse said that they get people in the psych hopsital that aren't even diagnosed with bipolar or schizophrenia or any mental illness but they've gone "crazy" from lack of sleep and they now can't get to sleep! They are given a shot to go to sleep and they wake up fine. Weird! I didn't know that until just this past week.
--"Naomi"
Older dd: formerly(?) teen-onset bipolar: After over 13 years - stable off psych meds over a year. Now fine on just diet changes and higher thyroid levels after healing - addressing gut issues/Candidal overgrowth while using EMPowerPlus and other supplements.
Younger dd: formerly(?) Childhood-onset schizoaffective, TS, OCD, anxiety, PTSD, with disabling migraines since infancy. After over 15 years, is "recovered" for 4 years after treating endocrine issues, food sensitivities, gut issues, sleep issues, nutritional/mitochondrial needs.