Has my teenage daughter got bipolar disorder?

[tictac99]

Does anyone out there have any experience of bipolar disorder?
I am a single mother. Over the past two years, my 15 year-old daughter has become more and more abusive towards me, her friends and her teachers at school. At home her abuse is coupled with wanton destruction of anything that isn't firmly attached to a wall, or to the floor. Mirrors, chairs and vases have all been successfully targeted by her.
These bouts of anger follow a pendulum pattern (which aren't noticeably linked to the time of the month) and tend to erupt when she can't have her way i.e. money for shopping, body piercings, hair colouring and access to alcohol (the latter of which I have successfully kept her away from. As suddenly as the violence starts, it subsides and she is almost a little girl again.
She is getting counselling for her behaviour via her school and she is also seeing a social worker. Unfortunately, her behaviour is deteriorating on a daily basis.
This is not just a teenage girl working off her hormones. She is rude to everyone - including the friends that she still has left. I understand that bipolar disorder is not covered by NHS treatment and that any private treatment will be very expensive. In common with many other families, my finances are stretched with day to day expenses and I just can't afford private help.
Not only is my daughter's behaviour ruining my life, it is having a profound effect on her nine-year-old brother, who, on hearing a violent episode from my daughter, will busy himself hiding knives and other sharp objects.
Has anyone out there got any experience of this condition, or perhaps can help me in any way? I have been advised to call the police the next time that she kicks off. Is that going to be a good idea?

My mother has bipolar disorder and I don't recognise any of her behaviour in your dd. that's not to say she hasn't-I am no psychiatrist-and it sounds as I'd she needs some help. Worth googling bipolar - my mother is textbook and so my description wouldn't add anything! Good luck-it all sounds very difficult for you and your family.

Oh, and my mother's treatment over many years, as an inpatient and outpatient has always been Nhs.

Has anyone working with your DD in a professional capacity suggested Asperger's/ASD as a possible reason for her behaviour? One of my sons has it, and some of the behaviours sound similar - I think I read the girls with the condition are often missed, and given mental health/behaviour issues diagnosis instead. A relative of my DH is bipolar, and his issues don't really sound like what your DD is experiencing.

My sister has bipolar disorder and it's different to what you describe. She is treated by the NHS.

That sounds nothing like Bipolar Disorder.

Emerging Personality Disorder perhaps?

It doesn't sound like bipolar. However, even if it was, it would definitely be treated via the nhs as would any other mental health issue. You need to speak to your GP. Your daughter can then be referred to the people who can help her.

You need to get an emergency referral to the Mental Health Crisis team & get an assessment to your nearest Adolescent Psyche Unit.

No-one here can diagnose for you-you CCAN get support & treatment on the NHS but you will need to jump up & down to push for it.

Good luck & big hugs to you both it's a horrible time.

That's not Bipolar - that's my eldest daughter down to a T and it is down to not being able to get her own way, thinking the world owes her a living and thinking she should be given things and give nothing back in return. It's not a disorder, it's just really out of order, abusive behaviour.

firstly bipolar disorder is treated on the NHS the hardest part is actually getting your daughter to admit she has a problem and get her to your GP as soon as possible to find out if she actually has the condition and can get the right treatment for her i have added a link for NHS which may be of some help, i really hope your daughter can get the help she obviously needs, it can be very difficult being the person that has to deal with it especially a mum, even if its not bipolar she does need some sort of help before she hurts herself or others keep us updated as to how you get on but as i said she really needs to see her GP, good luck www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Bipolar-disorder/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Bipolar disorder is characterised by periods of depression which are alternated with periods of mania. In a manic period, people may even by psychotic (hearing/seeing things), but generally they have incredible amounts of energy (including not needing sleep), talk lots and incoherently, or be incredibly agitated. They may engage in risky behaviour as they think they're invulnerable, such as shopping sprees without money to cover it, lots of sexual activity etc. Aggression such as you describe may happen but is not characteristic of bipolar.

We had a referral to our mental health team and they said the same as what i thought, no disorder just plain bad behaviour. We got her a support worker through a community group who organised counselling for her, but none of it did any good.

Why the need to slap a disorder though, is it so that you can excuse her bad behaviour? Make no excuses for it and don't put up with it.

I would agree with what other posters have said. My mum has a dx of bipolar (and has always received treatment on th NHS) and as hugeheadofhair says, the change is from hypo to hyper mania, each period tending to last a few weeks.... Not saying you shouldn't chat with GP, OP; sounds like it would be worthwhile to find out what's happening

Sorry, but me too. It sounds very difficult both for you and your daughter, but I have experience of bipolar disorder in my family and it's not like this. And as everyone else says, all mental illnesses are treated on the NHS.

My personal experience was that it was hard to get the illness diagnosed, even though my relative was displaying classic mania symptoms (the GP kept saying it wasn't, until it got so bad we ended up with a section). You have to be your daughter's advocate to ensure she gets the help she needs. If you think she is ill, keep taking her to the GP and stick to your guns. In my case, once we'd got the illness recognised the treatment and ongoing support over many years has been generally good, and sometimes great.

Want to echo what the others are saying that her behaviour sounds atypical (although none of us can say for sure, obviously). But it's clear that she needs some sort of assessment just in case it is something that needs treatment rather than just - as michglas puts it - merely bad behaviour.

No expert here but she sounds like the child of an acquaintance who has Oppositional Defiance Disorder.

chip is that like haemadmentia ?

Actually, Bossy, no it isn't! I was told by an Ed Psych that we were lucky ds1 has ADD rather than ODD.

I have Bipolar affective disorder, as do half my family. We are all very different in our behaviour, abilities, effect the disorder has on every day life etc. Nothing in your op points to bipolar imo. People with bipolar are not just destructive and then almost normal for a bit then destructive again.

I think you need to get her properly assessed. She doesnt have to agree either, if you think she is a threat you can have her sectioned (I know how scary that sounds to most people but it can be a positive thing in getting someone out of a dangerous situation and getting them fast tracked for diagnosis and help)

BTW we are treated on the NHS under vary guises, from medication to therapy, inpaitent stays, out of hours teams, crisis numbers, the list goes on...

I have bi polar disorder. She doesn't sound bi polar at all. I also get care on the NHS.Oi

chip oh sorry thought it was one of those medical sounding labels that actually meant they just thought the patient stroppy!

What was she like as a child? Is this a sudden change of personality in the last 2 years, or an escalation of pre-existing tendencies? Are you sure she doesn't have access to drink or drugs when you are not there to keep an eye on her???? Any event or series of unpleasant events which may have happened to her and which she is angry but secretive about???