Q: How do you distinguish between ADHD and Bi-polar in a 9 year old child?
Hi, Tracy. I'm sorry your son is going through all this. I do think it wouldn't hurt to get another opinion. Is your son's doctor a specialist? If not, for sure I would get the opinion of one. The thing that bothers me, though, is hearing how his father keeps him in his room for days at a time as punishment. That could be causing behavior problems right there, as it seems rather extreme to me. He may not have the best control over his behavior and that isn't his fault. If you don't feel comfortable with what's being done for him, by all means, seek a second opinion. Has he been evaluated by a psychologist?
I have a 32-year-old son who is developmentally disabled and autistic and he does have attention problems, for which he takes Concerta. He's also on an antidepressant and Abilify. Without them, he can become very irritable and angry and even suicidal. He's never been diagnosed with bipolar, although I think at some point one doctor might have suspected it and put him on Lithium, from which he suffered bad side effects. Anyway, it may not be the same kind of thing, but whether or not he's bipolar, whatever he's taking isn't working. Unfortunately, it can sometimes take a lot of trial and error to get it right. Follow your instincts - I've always found you're better off for it. At least you can get all the bases covered and feel like you've done everything you could.
I hope you'll let us know what happens with him; sharing our stories can really help others, even if we don't know it. I wish you all the best.
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