My College-Age D is Requesting a Psychiatric Counseling for Hyperactivity/ADHD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here again. Since my posting, my D had a chance to talk to two different psychiatrists. Both of them diagnosed her something along the line of bipolar/Schizophrenia. Apparently, some of the symptoms of ADHD and bipolar overlap. This is not obvious to a layperson, but I am at this point relying on an Ivy-trained psychiatrist who has agreed to continue to see my D with the use of teletherapy when she's away in college.

Thanks to everyone who posed, especially to the Anonymous at 06/28/2018 14:42.

Thanks for the update, OP. Your daughter sought help when she needed it, and you didn't hesitate to get it for her. Kudos all around.

FWIW, I echo what 14:42 said about ADHD. I was a decent-ish high school student but a real star at standardized tests (occasional hyper-focus sometimes being a symptom of ADHD). The test scores got me into a better college than my grades alone would have predicted. As for procrastination and cramming, I was more or less like OP's description of OP's daughter. Then got basically B's my first and second years in college; even worse, I was miserable because I knew I wasn't performing where I felt that I could be. But when I asked for help for what I believed was ADHD/anxiety, the common refrain from my parents was "but you got into [ABC College] and scored [XXXX] on the SAT, you clearly don't need any additional help." But I could still tell that something wasn't right.

I made an appointment on my own with the college's mental health clinic. Got diagnosed with ADHD, prescribed some medication and some counseling about study/learning/life skills and habits. Straight A's the next two years, and more importantly, happiness that I was able to focus and learn better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I also noted above that you said she had not been told her mom's diagnosis. Why not? DD may have a different diagnosis but she and her doctor both should know the family's full mental health history, OP. I'm sure dictors asked DD or you to list family medical history at some point in getting DD diagnosed. Not being able to list her mothers diagnosis is an issue (even if the diagnosis is ADHD and not BPD). Please help DD's doctors by telling her and them. She should know.

Good God, this. Schizophrenia, in particular, is highly heritable. You're not doing her or her treatment team any favors by keeping information off the table.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I also noted above that you said she had not been told her mom's diagnosis. Why not? DD may have a different diagnosis but she and her doctor both should know the family's full mental health history, OP. I'm sure dictors asked DD or you to list family medical history at some point in getting DD diagnosed. Not being able to list her mothers diagnosis is an issue (even if the diagnosis is ADHD and not BPD). Please help DD's doctors by telling her and them. She should know.

Good God, this. Schizophrenia, in particular, is highly heritable. You're not doing her or her treatment team any favors by keeping information off the table.

+1,000
OP, please, please come back and tell us that you've told DD about her mom's mental health history. And told her that her doctors must be told about this. Tell them yourself if that's doable. It DOES matter to how they work with DD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She does not really need a psychiatrist, but that is fine. They will evaluate and prescribe medicine.

She needs a psychologist. The school should have them on staff or should be able to recommend one close to the school. Call the disabilities office.

She needs to learn meditation and mindfulness to help with her racing brain.

Get her a psychologist ASAP now that she is home and by the time she is off to school she should be already learning how to manage her issues.

BTW, she has anxieties, clearly from you post. Those can be managed with meditation too.

Don't go the SSRI route until she has tried to manage her anxieties with a psychologist.

ADHD meds have a short life but might increase her anxieties.

If money is not an issue, lower her course load and allow her to graduate in more time... what is the rush.

Given her mother's mental health issues, a psychiatrist sounds completely reasonable to me.

A psychiatrist is fine but not necessary since her primary care can deal with anxiety and ADHD.

She needs a psychologist. She needs coping strategies.

Also her issues might stem from living with somebody with BPD,that is a tough road.

Cool it with the prescriptive tone, PP. OP is looking for suggestions but there isn't enough info here to know what type of specialist or meds she may need. This is the type of polarized thinking that gets people in trouble.

- Another MD (I assume you're one as well; if not you're more off than I thought)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I also noted above that you said she had not been told her mom's diagnosis. Why not? DD may have a different diagnosis but she and her doctor both should know the family's full mental health history, OP. I'm sure dictors asked DD or you to list family medical history at some point in getting DD diagnosed. Not being able to list her mothers diagnosis is an issue (even if the diagnosis is ADHD and not BPD). Please help DD's doctors by telling her and them. She should know.

Good God, this. Schizophrenia, in particular, is highly heritable. You're not doing her or her treatment team any favors by keeping information off the table.

+1,000
OP, please, please come back and tell us that you've told DD about her mom's mental health history. And told her that her doctors must be told about this. Tell them yourself if that's doable. It DOES matter to how they work with DD.

OP here again. I realized I need to tell my D this information. I am trying to process the new information myself... Meanwhile, my D's psychiatrist is adjusting her meds, allowing her to sleeping better. My D is keeping a journal so her doctor can better evaluate how the meds are working.