Bipolar Disorder --- Childhood onset
A 12-year-old boy with signs of Bipolar Disorder has been on Concerta,
Risperdal, and Zoloft for the last three years. He has trichotillomania
(involuntary hair-pulling) since beginning the Concerta. He is very anxious.
He is verbally inappropriate with peers. He exhibits manic sleep behavior,
in
that he sleeps very few hours.
At session 24, his mom has halved the Concerta dose; he is now off the
Risperdal, and the Zoloft dose is being weaned down. He now sleeps. He
is a
happier boy, is getting better grades, and for the first time in years
has
eyelashes. His parents are ecstatic. The mother fired the psychiatrist
last
week because she (the doc) insists the kid 'needs' the drugs and two
counseling sessions per week, which he has had for four years. But the
mom
observes that he has not improved at all. In fact, things had gotten much
worse. "Neurofeedback is the only thing he's done which has produced
positive
results," according to the mother.