Ask the Therapist
13 Year Old with Bipolar
My 13 year old son has been diagnosed with BPII, Severe separation anxiety, ADHD. He is currently taking....
AM- Celexa- 30mg
Clonazepam .5mg
PM- Clonazepam .5mg
Clonidine HCL .2mg
Lithium ER 675mg
Lamictal 200mg
Trazodone 100mg
This is my question... We have been fighting the separation anxiety since birth. He has never been able to sleep by himself, he missed alot of school in the second grade. In the sixth grade it was so bad that he was home tutored by the district. I would take him to school while he begged for me to keep him home. He would cry, shake and throw up. Once at the school the principal would meet me at the car and pry him away from me while he cried then I would go on to work. he would cry all day and spend most of his time with the nurse in complete fear and panic. They would eventually call me to pick him up. He went to seventh grade for 3 weeks. After they couldn't help him and I couldn't get him into school it was decided that I should homeschool him, which I am doing now.
As for sleeping he now sleeps in the same room as his 11 yr old sister. He slept in my room off and on for 12 years years. I can not get him to sleep by him self. I have tried. making him, letting him cry it out, sitting with him, everything. Nothing works.
I really want to send him to regular school next year as I am not the best homeschool teacher and I would love to move him out of his sisters room. What can I do about this anxiety. We see a psychologist once a week (for the last 5 years) and it is not getting any better. We have tried image therapy to reduce his fear (cognitive
behavioral therapy), relaxation techniques, positive self-talk therapy even yoga. I can not stand to see him suffer but I do not know what else to do. Everyone wants me to
separate from him more so that he will learn to live without me. I have tried this. My ex has kept him (he cries or asks for me), my mom and sister have taken him to school (same thing only he clings to them) he can't even do fun things like ride his 4wheeler unless he is with someone he completely feels comfortable with. He is ok mostly with his dad (my ex), his sister and my mom but he is most comfortable with me. If he is with one of us he can do almost anything but with other family or strangers he struggles even if the activity is something he really enjoys.
Most doctors say he is being manipulative and he uses this anxiety to get what he wants, i.e... stay home from
school. i believe this to a degree but why would he do this on purpose when it it
involves 4 wheeling or other cool activity. And why would it upset him so much when his anxiety prevents him from doing the things he enjoys? After his anxiety ruins a
"fun" thing he is very upset, down on himself and apologetic for being afraid.
That's a lot of drugs. And it suggests to me that someone is overlooking the disorder for the sake of the symptom. There is a symptomatic coincidence between both PPD (Pervasive Development Disorder, aka Autism) and childhood onset Schizophrenia. With such profound symptoms and such early onset, as a diagnostician, I would be inclined to look at that.
