Bi poler or seeking attention?

[Jaxmama25]

So i have a 6 y/o going on 7 that has been diagnosed with ADHD only child right now but about to be a big brother he is starting to act up in school and at home his doctor said he has bipoler but i feel like he is just acting up because there is a big part of his life changing because he just started act up badly after we told him. What are other thoughts?

[Hidden]

First of all HUG. What kind of doctor diagnosed him? My daughter has ADHD and bipolar - diagnosed by a pediatric psychiatrist. She takes medication for both and she has had extensive neurological testing. She is now treated by a pediatric psychiatric nurse practitioner, two therapists and has great support at school. I strongly urge you to have him evaluated by a pediatric psychiatrist if he has not already seen one, it was a lifesaver for me!

[Jaxmama25 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you he has not seen a psychologist yet he was diagnosed by his doctor so i will be setting up a psychologist appointment soon i just wanted other options

[Hidden]

It may be the only way ur child knows how to deal with n or process the info.Maybe a therapist can help n get to the root of the sudden behavior n help ur child process the info ????

[Elijah1]

It is not usual for a 6 yo to have bipolar disorder unless there is a strong family history. Too often, temper tantrums and easy upsets due to the behavioral impulsivity of ADHD get misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder. I agree that evaluation by a specialist would be helpful.

[WendyKirkpatrick]

I am the parent of a 31 year old with ADHD. I had a lot of problems with certain therapists, especially the school psychologists - -though some were extremely helpful and did a lot of good. I would get a second opinion on the bi-polar diagnosis. Many doctors and schools seem to be more in the business of drugging children than helping them. I ever was able to find a book that dealt with how the child feels about their condition. Your child KNOWS there is something wrong and is acting out. That is certain. Try to find a book that explains how the child feels and sees the world, and move from there. Try to gain your child's confidence to have someone to confide in. I wrote, illustrated and self-published a book on Amazon.com (book section) called "I have A.D.D. and I'm Proud to be Me." You might want to take a look at it. I made the book to help other people understand how the child feels and WHY they are acting out. It's a place to start and if you select a therapist, watch out for the ones that want to throw prescriptions at you. Maybe a group therapy situation with other children with this condition could be of enormous help. At this age, nothing hurts worse than social rejection, then they come home and take it out on you. And on top of it, there will be another baby in the house. If the baby is perfectly normal, well, do I have to outline how your child will feel about the baby? Your love for your child will be questioned and doubted if FEELINGS are not dealt with. Best of luck to you and your family. Wendy Kirkpatrick

[WendyKirkpatrick]

I used the word "ever" instead of never. Sorry.

[kvolm2016]

Just wanted to add my agreement with others to the importance of having qualified specialists when seeking a diagnosis. So many behaviors show up on multiple spectrums making it so difficult to pinpoint a specific conclusion/diagnosis.

The timing is curious with the behavior following the announcement of a new sibling arriving. Have you had further conversations with your son to ask about his feelings about this?