I am looking for someone who can help me with my 7 yr old who is ADHD, severe depression with rage. I am trying so hard to find out what to do. He was in the hospital for 13 days trying to figure out what is wrong. I don't know if the Doctors have a clue anymore. He is now on Ablilfy, Risperdal, Seroquel, Cojenten, and Focalin. I don't feel he should be on all these meds, but they are seeming to work. He will rage and rage then with in a few minutes of coming down he is so apologetic and cries tells everyone he is sorry. Since being put on all those meds he will rage, but he comes out a lot faster. Does anyone have any advice for help for me. I am so worried about him and I am stressed to the max. Everyday I wait for the school to call me and tell me he was punching the teacher, principal or another student. I hate the fact that I can't help him. I feel bad for the school, the other students, and for him. Most of the time he is the most loveable person. Any advice would be welcomed.

It's hard to watch someone you care about struggle from day to day. You are doing a great job, keep it up!

Have to doctors found what it is that is causing his mood instability?

In passing I'm wondering if he is diagnosed with bipolar disorder? or perhaps temporal lobe epilepsy ?


Me :D

"Temporal lobe epilepsy"?

OK, that's a new one for me.

It's a form of epilepsy that can cause mood instability in some people.

ME :D

I had a 72 hour EEG with my son and there was no seizure activity. I thought he was having seizures with rage but it wasn't there. I don't know what else to do. Most of the time he is so lovable then he is pscyo. It is so weird. I know some of the triggers but then again I am sure there are others. I started him in a special Tae Kwon Do class that is for kids with these difficulties so I am hoping he will learn some sort of control.

Here's my generic answer: Assuming there's a family history

Read up on Pediatric Bipolar Disorder

There's an empirically supported "one way comorbidity" between PBD & ADHD that's been well documented for several years now.

Specifically: over 90+% (more like 94-97% ) of children / adolescents w/PBD also have ADHD,while the reverse isn't true (hardly anyone with ADHD has comorbid PBD).

There's no test for any of this, so these are the only research supported symptoms that actually work in correlating with "real world" diagnoses of PBD (w/ADHD) vs ADHD alone.

The 5 symptoms are : 1) elation ( elevated & exspansive moods of varying lenghts) Harvard researcher Joe Biederman,MD, refers to these as "affective storms."

(These are usually followed by symptoms of depression: 1)crying; 2)depressed/sad/irritable; 3) tired/fatigued)

(The lenght of the mood swings and whether or not there's depression afterwards determines the type of Bipolar)

2) a decreased need for sleep ( these kids can get by with only a few hours of sleep and wake up rested and energized)

3) grandiose ( translated as :I'm the world's greatest expert on everything;even if I have no clue. For younger kids it would be "bossy" behavior )

4)flight of ideas ( racing thoughts) and

5) hypersexual behavior ( meaning excessive self stimulation : rubbing themselves/ furniture or masturbation, etc.)

The latter doesn't happen all that often and it can make parents think omg there's been abuse, etc.,but it's really excessive pleasure seeking

Good luck

tc
mctavish23
(Robert)


P.S.

There's a couple of anecdotal extra's to look for but aren't research derived,i.e., there not separated from random chance /aren't statistically significant : 1) (super) destructive behavior & 2) fire setting.

(They don't mean anything in and of themselves)

Some of the symptoms you discribed are my son. He will rage for awhile then he crashes and is so tired. He is bossy, fake cries, agitated alot. I just dont know what to do anymore. I am about to throw in the towel. He needs major intensive help. I can't afford for one and for two, with all the hours I work I am only home on the weekends.