[CactusK]

Hello. My 9yo DD was hospitalized for 8 days in November with depression. She seems a little happier since coming home but it's the same old story. Something happens that sets her off, she has a fit (screams, hits/kicks you, kicks holes in the wall). Sometimes she picks up her backpack and leaves the house. Sometimes she runs in the kitchen and starts looking for knives.

After a 1st semester at a local charter school, we switched her back today to our local PS where she has been from K-4. And now- she's refusing to go to school tommorrow. I had a feeling the new school was not the problem. Any advice or resources appreciated. The MD thinks she may be bipolar but says he needs to get to know her better first, and to stay on the Prozac as it's not making her worse.

I'm wondering if I'm going to survive this. She's always telling us how much she hates us and doesn't want to live here anymore- although now she wants to be homeschooled because she says she hates being in a room with a lot of people and feels squeezed. (We've never heard her say this before)

[AbsurdBlackBear]

Did she prefer the charter school she was going to? I didn't really like school because I was bullied a lot so I switched schools when I was in 4th grade which helped for a couple years but eventually the bullying returned. Also I've done online classes and home school from 8th-12th grade because of the bullying. I don't know if this is a problem for her but it is maybe something to look into.

[Fuzzybear]

[Altered Moment]

I am sorry. That is very very tough. A good friend of mine has a daughter who is bi polar and it has been very hard for her. We talk about it a lot. I would suggest a psychiatrist instead of an MD. Very hard to make medication decisions in someone that young. Her brain is still developing on the one hand but something is very wrong on the other.

My daughter suffered from depression most of her teens and acted out. With her it started in 6th grade. She never got the physical with her anger but very disrespectful with her mother. Got into the party scene. I pulled her out of public high school and got her in online school. This was good and bad. It got her out of an environment that was not good for her but in a way made the depression worse because she didn't have to get up and go somewhere. And it takes self motivation to do online school and you don't have that when depressed. She is 21 now and at 18 to 19 she totally came out of it and is doing great now. I can't believe the difference. She is still predisposed though and has to really watch how she deals with stress. She was on meds very briefly at 16 but didn't want to take them so we didn't make her.

So hard for parents to know what to do. She probably can't help it but you can't tolerate abusive behavior and have to do something. I can only advise getting her all the help you possibly can. Home school, charter, public, online....it is so hard to know what is the best. That is why I think a psychiatrist and psychologist that specialize in children and teens is the best.

[vital]

Originally Posted by CactusK

Hello. My 9yo DD was hospitalized for 8 days in November with depression. She seems a little happier since coming home but it's the same old story. Something happens that sets her off, she has a fit (screams, hits/kicks you, kicks holes in the wall). Sometimes she picks up her backpack and leaves the house. Sometimes she runs in the kitchen and starts looking for knives.

After a 1st semester at a local charter school, we switched her back today to our local PS where she has been from K-4. And now- she's refusing to go to school tommorrow. I had a feeling the new school was not the problem. Any advice or resources appreciated. The MD thinks she may be bipolar but says he needs to get to know her better first, and to stay on the Prozac as it's not making her worse.

I'm wondering if I'm going to survive this. She's always telling us how much she hates us and doesn't want to live here anymore- although now she wants to be homeschooled because she says she hates being in a room with a lot of people and feels squeezed. (We've never heard her say this before)

Dear CactusK,

There are a surprisingly large number of purely medical/nutritional problems (including, for instance, gut problems) that can cause depression and drastic behavior problems in children too. Have a look at this

about 20:00 in, Dr. Hyman describes a case of a 6 year old girl that might ring a bell. She was violent, getting kicked out of class 10 times a day, etc. It turns out, she had toxic bugs in her gut, and by treating that, she was completely transformed within a couple of weeks.

- vital

[gayleggg]

I can't imagine how hard this must be on you and the rest of the family. I really don't know what to say but just wanted you to know that I care and I'm glad you came to PC and are posting. The support we get here is really very helpful.