A Parent ’s BSD Challenge

Raising children is a rewarding journey with a most steep learning curve. Any new parent ’s notion that since they are older than their child means they are wiser soon learns that it is the child who teaches the parent many things. < br / > < br / > Think of the journey of a parent of a child who for no apparent reason engages in aggressive anti social behavior, angry unending tantrums, or a child who is ultra sensitive to all stimuli and overreacts to ordinary things in life, or a child who acts out in school seeking to always be the center of attention. < br / > < br / > < br / > This is the life of a parent whose child has possible BSD disorder. The word possible is included in the sentence because BSD in children and teens is very difficult to diagnose, and before the 1980s was rarely described in children. Symptoms include rage, hyperactivity, sleep disturbances/night terrors, risk taking and giftedness. < br / > < br / > < br / > BSD is manifested differently in children and teens than adults. Diagnosis is based on behavioral observation over a period of time and family history. Very often children suffer several depressive episodes before a manic episode. Depressive symptoms are not typical and include increased appetite and carbohydrate cravings, and extreme fatigue despite excessive sleeping. BSD in children and teens is often accompanied by other behavioral issues, such as behaviors that are like ADHD. The manic phase is often overlooked and attributed to normal d...
Source: Weird Cake: Myopic musings from a bipolar survivor - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: blogs