Temper Dysregulation Disorder: This proposed new disorder is seen as a brain or biological dysfunction, but not necessarily a lifelong condition. It can only be diagnosed in children over the age of 6, and onset must begin before a child is 10.
The disorder is characterized by severe recurrent temper outbursts in response to common stressors. To have the disorder, the person has to have had these symptoms for at least 12 months, and cannot have been free of symptoms for more than three months at a time.
- temper outbursts involving yelling or physical aggression
- overreacting to common stressors
- temper outbursts occurring on average three or more times a week
- nearly everyday the mood between temper outbursts is persistently negative.
- in the past year the patient has not had a period longer than a day of elevated or euphoric mood.
Bipolar: Patients with bipolar have one or more manic episodes and often also experience major depressive episodes.
Manic episodes are when a person experiences an unusually euphoric or irritable mood that lasts for at least a week. During a manic episode a person may:
- have an inflated self-esteem that can reach delusional proportions
- feel full of energy and be more talkative than usual even while not needing much sleep
- do pleasurable things to excess, often with painful consequences, such as engaging in unrestrained shopping sprees, sexual indiscretions, or foolish business involvements
- it's common during manic episodes for the person to alternate between euphoria and irritability.
Major depressive episodes are described as at least 2 weeks of depressed mood or loss of interest. The patient also shows additional symptoms: trouble sleeping, lack of interest, feeling sad, hopeless or discouraged, decreased energy or sense of worthlessness and guilt, and difficulty concentrating.
This is what researchers are saying about giving children a diagnosis of bipolar....
"Research psychiatrists worried that the children were being given a label that wasn't right for them, and saddled with the sentence of a serious mental illness for the rest of their lives."
I also wonder really whether it makes much of a difference in the treatment of either diagnosis. I'm sure that I would rather not have JC labeled with bipolar for the rest of his life if that is truly not a valid diagnosis for him, however, if not, what treatment are the psychiatrists and doctors going to change for a diagnosis of TDD????
It is a little scary I think, for some of us parents who have had our children labeled with this disorder and have tried so many different meds, therapy, counseling and whatever we can do help our kids. Now to think.... if his diagnosis is changed, will insurance cover his meds that truly are helping, will he still receive the help or will insurances decide it is a lesser diagnosis and these kids don't need all of that??? (Obviously they do....) I am hopeful and will be praying that maybe it will spark new interest in researching new treatments and modifications that will help kids like JC. I am interested in comments on this topic especially. I had just heard about this new diagnosis being added, so I am curious to hear feedback from "normal" (as if there is such a thing...) people as well as parents with kids of special needs, either on the autism spectrum or mental illness spectrum......
The link below is the article where I researched some of the info. above.... as well as others, but this is really helpful. Good to read, so click on it for more information....
On a separate side note.... JC is still on the intuniv. We have been slowly titrating him off of the depakote (I have never been at ease with this med!!!) The intuniv seems to be helping quite a bit in focusing at school, but is definitely making him sleepy even when he takes it during the day. We are hoping he gets used to it day by day and as the depakote is weened, that the full benefits will be seen. The intuniv so far is being given at night and strangely enough, he wakes up refreshed and awake, but mid morning wants to fall asleep and has done so in class a few times. Then around early afternoon, the same sleepiness occurs and he is "OUT", his teachers say. They do not think it is behavior driven, but medication driven. So..... while I so far like the intuniv's workability for school, I don't know if the sleepiness side effect of it will outweigh the benefits and make it not usable for JC, which would be such a bummer! Anyways, just thought I'd update anyone wanting to know about the new med. <3 <>< 
