[pink&grey]

Hi all, I'm new to this forum but have spent some time over on the bipolar forum for myself. I thought I'd come over here with this question.

My son is 11 and was diagnosed with ADHD at 8. He really does have it and he's also a very intense kiddo. He's had terrible temper problem since he was just a baby and I've had to take him out of public school. All that said, he's also a charmer and most people love him.

The other day he told me he has been hearing voices. We've talked about it twice and he describes it as a ghost that is haunting him. He says he knows they are not other people talking, but it's more like a repetition of negative comments he hears from other people. He says it's a cloud outside of his head, coming inward. That it doesn't start in his brain but comes in from a cloud hovering around him. Most concerning is that he says he feels it is Satan. Now, we don't go to church and if I ever talk about spirituality it is to pray and about God and love and peace. I don't even talk about Satan.

He also said it's been going on for a long time but didn't want to tell me. He feels like it will never go away.

I don't know what is going on, what to think or what to do. Anyone have advice?

For the record, I'm Bipolar II and my ex-husband is definitely some kind of un-diagnosed cray cray Very emotional, former alcoholic, gothic artist by trade.

Thanks so much for any help

P&G
PS Cross posted to BP forum.

[SilverNeurotic]

I would have him reevaluated by a Pdoc. It sounds like if this isn't taken care of, it can turn into a major issue.

I was diagnosed with ADHD at a young age too. My teachers noticed as soon as I started school (when I was five) and a child psychologist diagnosed me and prescribed Ritalin. My mom never gave me the Prescriptions. I wish she had.

By the age of ten, and having unmedicated ADHD, I began experiencing Night Terrors. These were exceptionally different from dreams. Much worse than nightmares. With Night Terrors, one skips the first stages of REM sleep too quickly, usually as quickly as one falls asleep. The way I experienced it were horrible nightmares, molevalent in nature, but unlike a nightmare, one knows they are asleep, but has trouble making themselves wake up. As soon as one wakes up though, it gets even worse. I would open my eyes and instantly be paralyzed. I would see my room, but also see visual hallucinations of dark cloudy figures that I felt were undoubtably evil. It feels like they are preventing me from moving, and auditory hallucinations were also produced as they would say horrible things before disappearing at the same instant I regained my ability to move and fully wake up.

Unlike you, my mom very much went into detail about hell, satan, demons- more than what is healthy for a ten year old to have to be exposed to at that age. It scared the **** outta me.

Perhaps your child has heard stories of satan from peers, television, looked it up online, or perhaps read it in a book. I believe these Night Terrors are probably incited by great fear(s), be it satan or anything a child would decide to fear as much or more so. I believe since the concept of satan indicates he can conflict humans with horrifing acts, and that he can sneak up on you where ever you are, it can be quite easy to fear what can follow anyone, anywhere. Having abstract and varying qualities adds the fear of how unkown his capacity can be for children to fathom.

I agree, take him to a psychiatrist to prescribe something. I am currently waiting to see a psychatrist myself because I have not had any meds for mental health by the age of 25 and am having difficulty managing an everyday lifestyle.

I suggest you and those close to him also encourage him to develop confidence even more so than you and others are probably presently doing for him to overcome his fear. Anger, believe it or not, is a way many children (I in my childhood being no exception) deal with fear. It's destructive. It can set the grounds for antisocial behavior, which can further handicap your child to becoming a better individual in the long run. I am a testament to that. Also ask if there are any bullies or intimidators in his life that instill fear in him.

[serloco]

I was also diagnosed as A.D.H.D. as a teen. I started hearing voices much later on and can relate with your son's descriptions. There are medications to make these voices go away.