Dr Oz: Juvenile Bipolar Disorder + Diagnosing Mental Illness in Kids

Dr Oz: Diagnosing Mental Illness

Dr Oz spent some time speaking about Mental Illness, saying that we should not wait until the next tragedy to talk about this uncomfortable topic. His guest was the woman behind the viral blog post “I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother,” which was first published after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December 2012. Why is the picture of mental illness in children so challenging?

Liza Long recalled observing differences about her child from a young age, including Night Terrors and tantrums that lasted for hours. By Kindergarten, his school developed a plan for the safety of other students in the event that her son had an outburst. By second grade, medication only made him gain weight, and his behavior escalated.

By age nine or 10, he pulled out a knife. Liza explained the horror of seeing him put a knife at his throat and hers. She recalled that it took three police officers to subdue him at age 11 when he needed to be taken into custody for his own safety. Shortly before the Newtown tragedy, she had to place him in an acute psychiatric hospital.

Dr Oz: Mother’s Mission & Mental Illness

Liza Long read the words she shared online when she learned of the tragedy, saying that parents of children with mental illness need help and resources. She joined Dr Oz onstage and explained that no parent imagines their child could be capable of something violent and horrific.

“I didn’t know how to get help for my son, and there’s nothing more frustrating in the whole world,” Long explained. After she published it anonymously, a friend from the Blue Review encouraged her to put her name on it.

How did her son feel about the circumstances? She refers to him by a pseudonym, and mother and son agree that it has been an interesting journey, and that the son she refers to as Michael is not a bad kid.

Dr Oz: Psychiatric Care for Children

“He deserves the same happy, productive life that all children deserve,” Liza said. Doctor Oz said he could identify with her as a father. He asked her what it is like to be afraid of your own offspring. She recalled bruises and close calls; she was shocked at the overwhelming response from others who have family members living with mental illness.

Liza told Dr Oz that Michael is the second of four children, and diagnosis can be complicated. “I just noticed things were different,” she recalled, adding that her pediatrician would dismiss her concerns as a phase.

She had to call the police on her son for the first time when he was in third grade, for pulling a knife on a babysitter. Early on, experts questioned whether he was on the Autism spectrum, had ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Intermittent Explosive Disorder, or other diagnoses that were not quite right. Liza was also frustrated with all the experimentation with medications.

Dr Oz: Juvenile Bipolar Disorder

After sharing her story, Liza Long got an interesting response. One reader contacted her to say that Michael may have Juvenile Bipolar Disorder. During his next hospital visit, he was diagnosed as Bipolar I and was prescribed Lithium.

This was a turning point for the family, because Michael has gone over a year and a half without making threats of harm to himself or others. “It’s help and hope,” she said. Doctor Oz was surprised it would have taken so long to make what seems like a common diagnosis.

Liza said that Bipolar Disorder still seems to have a stigma, and sometimes experts are reluctant to diagnose this in children. But she feels that all mental illness should be considered equally, and patients should not face discrimination.

Dr Oz: How Is Michael Doing Today?

Michael is doing a variety of therapies, and he is enrolled in a mainstream high school. At age 14, he has even written a book. Dr Oz said that more than half of adolescents with psychiatric disorders do not receive any treatment.

A combination of treatment and medication could help children who are suffering, and Dr Oz hoped that this would help get through to other parents who need a lifeline. Liza Long said it has been a dramatic change, and she encouraged other parents to speak up and ask for help for their children.

Liza advocated for better training and earlier intervention, as well as resources and solutions for parents. “We have a long way to go to make sure that people have access to care,” she said. You can read more about Liza’s story in her book, The Price of Silence: A Mom’s Perspective On Mental Illness.