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CW: Possible Bipolar

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TheHauntedRaven

CW: Possible Bipolar

What is the youngest a person can be diagnosed with bipolar? Can bipolar be confused with ADHD or other disorders. I have a strong family history of bipolar- my mother, her aunt, a great aunt killed her self, a great great aunt was lock away.

My middle daughter has been, what I thought, going through a normal phase… maybe a little more aggressive. She has left home, for the third time… but the messages she send are full on.

The thing I always thought she reminded me of my sister… but today, I was reading through her messages and it clicked…. She reminds of my mum, when mum had stopped taking her meds. Mums manic episodes would last weeks. The cleaning, the crafts she started, the arguments with my stepdad, the hate you/love you whatever.

I am hoping I am wrong, but I am so scared for her.

Please help so I can help her. Others say she is just spoilt, jealous of her sisters etc. but I don’t agree. She was and still is loving, caring and a beautiful person. But her personality switches so quickly, like my mum…

Am I just reaching for a reason or is it possible for bipolar to manifest in someone so young…

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Marimo-RO

Re: CW: Possible Bipolar

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Hi @TheHauntedRaven,

Thank you for your courage in sharing what has been happening for your family. I have read both your posts and I can see that things are overwhelming for you and your family right now. My deepest condolences for the loss of your mum. It's understandable that you would be worried and scared for your daughter given your own firsthand experience in seeing the impact Bipolar Disorder had on your mum and close relatives. Additionally, it sounds crushing to see your daughter run away for the third time and receive sudden conflicting messages from her.

I can see that you're doing your best to provide your daughters with professional support and I am really glad to hear that your daughter will be seeing a psychiatrist. I understand however, that a 3-week wait for the psychiatrist can make everything more daunting. I'm wondering if you've contacted your family GP about your concerns?

Unfortunately, our community is unable to provide medical advice as per our Community Guidelines.

Being reminded of such a distressing memory of your mum through your daughter's messages can also be re-traumatizing and shocking. Do you have any supports for yourself at the moment? 

If you need more direct support for yourself, Parentline can provide free support over the phone from trained counsellors. We also have a free Parent Coaching service for parents and carers who are supporting their teenagers through a difficult time.

I look forward to your reply and wish you and your family the best moving forward.