OCD,Bipolar II, ADHD, and Asperger's.

[NinjaChick]

Hey,
I have all above mentioned problems. Recently they have all gotten worse. I don't know what to do about this because my mom won't believe that they have gotten worse. I am not on any meds and every time that I go to the doctors my mom refuses to leave the office and the doctor doesn't ask her to. I want to talk to the doctor about this but am scared at what my moms reaction will be if I ask for her to leave the office. In my head the whole thing goes terribly and ends in me getting either an overprotective mom which I don't want because then I wouldn't be able to do anything or a mom who will just ignore the problem and tell me oh well sucks for you. Any advice on what I can do?

[Meowwings]

I'm really glad you want the help and are recognizing the signs. Thats already a big step onto the right path. In all hnesty I say that you should have your mother there to hear out what you feel so you can get fully tested. This way you will have the evidence and you can prevent yourself from hurting someone else because your brain couldn't balance out the chemicals.

An over protective mother isn't always a bad idea, but if she see's the changes you've made and the muture adult like actions you've taken then your relationship may look up

[NinjaChick]

She won't see the changes unless I sit and tell her every minute that I've changed something. I've been trying to get meds for years and the one thing her and my dad agree on is that this is all apart of the Asperger's. The only way that I would get help would be to have her out of the office. When I say overprotective mother I mean that she wouldn't even let me go to school without saying something about staying away from people or something which I finally got her to stop doing about a month ago. I really don't know how to get help without having her turn it around and say that everything is just apart of
Asperger's.

[Thirteen]

Have you been diagnosed with all these things, or are you just speculating?

The things you've mentioned have some overlapping symptoms (like ADHD and Bipolar having a couple things, as well as ADHD and Aspegers, and Aspergers and OCD can have similar features). Also, ADHD is usually diagnosed in someone when they're younger (i.e. between 5-8, most of the time, maybe 10 tops), and Bipolar Disorder isn't diagnosed in anybody under 18 unless they're showing extreme symptoms.

If you're just assuming you have all these things, telling people you DO have them is wrong. But also, if you suspect there is something wrong, your mom will have to know either way. You're 14 years old, there is no way you can get your mom to leave the appointment, legally. So, either you'll have to talk about it in front of her and hope for the best, or wait until you're older.

When you do see your doctor, DON'T list Disorders to your doctor, but symptoms, or else they will assume you've diagnosed yourself online, and they won't really be able to help you out as accurately.

[NinjaChick]

I have been diagnosed with all of these things. Bipolar was the most recent diagnosis (happened in 8th grade) and Asperger's was the first diagnosis. I was found later to have all 4 conditions. I have talked to her about this before and she says that I don't need meds and I can just learn to deal. But recently everything has gotten worse and she still refuses to try meds. I don't know how to tell her I need meds because in the past when I was first diagnosed with ADHD meds never worked. Now she refuses to even try them. I don't know how to tell her that I need them because when I try to tell important things like that I stumble over words stutter just plain can't talk and then after awhile I just say aw screw it and give up.

[LeapOfFayth]

Were you diagnosed by a psychiatrist? It almost sounds like you were diagnosed by a GP who's trying to pretend they know what they're doing but they don't....

[Thirteen]

Originally Posted by James Wilson

Were you diagnosed by a psychiatrist? It almost sounds like you were diagnosed by a GP who's trying to pretend they know what they're doing but they don't....

Agreed. If your doctor really diagnosed you with ADHD, Bipolar, and OCD together, they'd definitely HAVE to medicate for you to be able to function, really. All 3 of these disorders take their own toll, and need to be treated (especially Bipolar Disorder).

If your doctor is genuinely knowledgeable of what you've been "diagnosed" with, you would've been treated properly.

[NinjaChick]

I don't remember who I was diagnosed by. Everything but Bipolar I was diagnosed with when I was young so I have no recollection. Bipolar was more recent but I still don't remember who diagnosed me.

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

I'm having a very hard time believing the OP as well. It is unusual to have the disorders you're claiming but not impossible because there are many accounts of children who do. The main issue I have is the fact you're not on medications because you wouldn't be able to properly function all the time. With hypomania, school truancy and anti-social behaviours often co-occur, so I have a hard time believing that your parents would bare witness to your symptoms, social functioning and academics worsening and do nothing about it.

If you're diagnosed with bipolar I or II that early, then the symptoms must be very severe. I'm not surprised if you have been in quite a lot of trouble at school and possibly voluntarily or involuntarily admitted to a psychiatric hospital. If you haven't been admitted yet, unless you receive medications, you would be. I'm not understanding why such a protective mother would refuse to have you on medications, it makes absolutely no sense to me. If your father agrees with you, can he not go with you instead of your mother?

If by chance you actually have not been diagnosed with all these but simply list them to a doctor, then they may be hesitant to prescribe medications to you. To know if they truly have diagnosed you and not suggested you have traits of these disorders, ask them for a multi-axial diagnosis to be presented to you. All doctors must document at least axes I and II, whereas III, IV and V are optional (but almost always filled in).

[NinjaChick]

I have been in some trouble. My dad wants me to get meds but because I have divorced parents my dad doesn't have the right legally to get me meds. which bothers me immmensely. The last time that my dad took me to a doctor was for a knee injury and he got in trouble even though he saved me from having to have major surgery because something didn't heal right. My mom is a huge if you just pray and rest everything will be fine believer which is why I don't have meds. Because of trouble I've been in at school I have lunch detention every day for the rest of the year. But still no meds are being allowed.

[LeapOfFayth]

If you ask for medication for these conditions and nothing is given to you I'm pretty sure your doctor would be in a large amount of trouble. The main form of therapy for bipolar is medication, without medication there really isn't much help to be had, every other form of therapy for bipolar works exponentially better depending on how well adjusted your medication combination is.
If not your parents then who is your legal guardian? At your age, with those disorders I would be hardpressed to believe that you have no guardian and are able to live at all. Heck, I'm kind of surprised you can live at all with no medication with those disorders.

[Anonymous.]

You know what, I don't know what to say about this. I don't think it's possible. I have a degree in Psychology specifically to help in these types of cases. I plan to have a career where I help people with disabilities.


I'm gonna say this, because I have a hard time believing most of this, you are gonna have to talk to both your parents about this, see what you really have. If they just say that it's Asperger's, then it's probably just that. I have a friend with Asperger's that thought they had more stuff wrong with them. After some research, I told him to just talk to his Psychiatrist and it ended up he had nothing else.

And about you talking to your Psychiatrist, you can always ask if it's possible for your mom to leave the room. But I think that by law, the parents are supposed to be there until you're 16 or 18, depending on where you live.

I think, a parent knows more than a 14 year old. But it's okay to be concerned about something. That is why you go to talk to your parents and have them take you to the Psychiatrist if necessary, but your parents would know that.

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

Originally Posted by NinjaChick

I have been in some trouble. My dad wants me to get meds but because I have divorced parents my dad doesn't have the right legally to get me meds. which bothers me immmensely. The last time that my dad took me to a doctor was for a knee injury and he got in trouble even though he saved me from having to have major surgery because something didn't heal right. My mom is a huge if you just pray and rest everything will be fine believer which is why I don't have meds. Because of trouble I've been in at school I have lunch detention every day for the rest of the year. But still no meds are being allowed.

I'm curious, what trouble have you been in and what did you do at school to get lunch detentions for every day for the rest of the year?

I'm in agreement with others, I cant understand how you can function properly to the point where you're living at home with one parent who refuses to give you medications.

[NinjaChick]

I got in trouble in my classes enough that the teachers agreed that I needed detention for the rest of the year. I am having more and more problems functioning daily because of this. I can't go more than a day without constantly going between mania and depression and having major anxiety. yet my mom still refuses to medicate me. I don't know how to tell adults that will help this because last time I tried to I was written off as a compulsive liar because my mom said that I was on meds. So now nobody will believe me that knows the last time I tried to ask for help getting my mom to put me on meds.

[Thirteen]

... Mania and Depression don't change over a day's course. Mania and Depression are in longer periods than that. But, to give you the benefit of the doubt, care to describe your "Mania"?

In fact, according to the diagnostic criteria for determining Mania, the episode has to last AT LEAST 3 days before being considered Mania.

So, in reality, it's a GOOD thing your mother isn't medicating you for something you probably don't actually have.

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

Originally Posted by NinjaChick

I got in trouble in my classes enough that the teachers agreed that I needed detention for the rest of the year.

You said that already but what I'm asking is what did you do?

Originally Posted by NinjaChick

I am having more and more problems functioning daily because of this. I can't go more than a day without constantly going between mania and depression and having major anxiety. yet my mom still refuses to medicate me. I don't know how to tell adults that will help this because last time I tried to I was written off as a compulsive liar because my mom said that I was on meds. So now nobody will believe me that knows the last time I tried to ask for help getting my mom to put me on meds.

I think I've given you the benefit of the doubt already but I can no longer do so because when questioned, you're not giving answers that are in line with the diagnostic criteria and roughly expected behaviours. Bipolar II does not display mania, rather it displays hypomania. If you're going back and forth between mania/hypomania and depression multiple times per day, you would be admitted to a psychiatric hospital. As of now, the only thing I'm going to believe is that you have Asperger's. You mentioned "major anxiety", I'm not sure what that exactly means but your mother seems to be in the right of not providing you with medications because as I said, I'm not convinced you have what you say you have, excluding Asperger's.

Originally Posted by Thirteen

In fact, according to the diagnostic criteria for determining Mania, the episode has to last AT LEAST 3 days before being considered Mania.

I'm not sure where you're reading this but according to the DSM-IV-TR, mania must last at least 7 days and hypomania must last at least 4 days.

[Anonymous.]

Originally Posted by The Man And XX Master

I'm not sure where you're reading this but according to the DSM-IV-TR, mania must last at least 7 days and hypomania must last at least 4 days.

He's right about this, I studied the same DSM volume. ^^


And I'm still having trouble believing everything myself. Tell us specifically what you have done wrong and maybe we can help you that way. We don't want the general term because we know the general term. Tell us exactly what you're doing wrong and we can help you that way.

[Thirteen]

Nick and Chloe, I found it on this one website, I can't find it in my bookmarks now. It was like, an online mania assessment from a hospital or something. I completely forgot . But yeah, either way, it's agreed that Mania doesn't fluctuate on an hourly basis.