Hi Emma,
My daughter is 18 years old now and doing amazingly well AS LONG AS SHE TAKES HER LITHIUM. She started exhibiting signs of BIPOLAR with titanic size fits when she was 13 months old. It took several years to diagnose her 12 to 17 years ago. During the interim period we sought the advice and counseled with many different health providers: pediatrician, allergist, psychiatrist, family practioner, psychologist, a doctor of acupuncture, a chiropracter trained in kiniseology. We tried everything. One of our biggest problems with Vicky was that she hated to go anywhere. She too tried to jump out of the moving car and would attack me or whoever was in the front seat. Part of it was that she simply preferred to stay home. We figured out later that it was a combiniation of the anxiety that she experienced about leaving the house and the fact that she would get car sick., and extreme sensitivity to smells and fumes. Riding in the car exposed her to all of these issues: agoraphobia (not wanting to be in a closed space or a crowd) motion sickness and the ill affects of exhaust fumes and "car smells." We had the help of a behaviorist who came into the home to help us set up things to make life easier for her, and subsequently for the rest of us. One of the things he rcommended regarding car trips was preparing her for the trip - even if it was a quick trip to the store - giving her a predictable routine to prepare for the trip. One of her greatest problems, still, is dealing with unplanned experiences. She still gets extremely anxious. So, preparing her for car rided helped to a degree. Having a harness for her also helped. He gave us many other helpful suggestions as well. We highly recommend getting a behavioral specialist to help you work out these types of issues. Vicky tried to jump off of a 4 story balcony when she was 7 (fight or flight - she didn't realize she'd be killed doing so) she tried to jump out of a moving car - on the interstate - several times that year, she hit the window in her bedroom during another fit at the house and had to have stitches for the cut on her wrist.... After those episodes, and after having tried different medications to try to stabilize her moods and behavior we finally tried a course of lithium. It was amazingly successful for her then, and continues to be. The problem we're still dealing with is one that's very common to bipolar sufferers. She hates taking the medicine. Probably because it "drags her down" and she actually enjoys the high that she's on when she doesn't take it. What happens though, when she doesn't, is that she engages in very seriuosly risk taking behavior: running up charges on credit cards, unprotected sex, etc. We are still working with her to keep her on her medicine. She's an adult and we've explained that she's at a point where she has to take responsibility for taking her medicine or suffering the consequences for not taking it: she could end up in jail, homeless, in an institution, or seriously ill with a sexually transmitted disease. One book we would highly recommend that we believe, in conjunction with other angelic happenings, saved Vicky's life. It is by Doris Rapp, MD, Pediatric Allergist "IS THIS YOUR CHILD."
Best wishes to you and your family as you learn to live with this diagnosis for your daughter. I know it's not the life you thought it would be to raise your daughter with this illness. However, by continuing your quest to seek information and answers - you'll be blessed.