Bipolar Disorder Plagues A Child's Life

Haley Abaspour Is Only 11 But Has All The Worries That Come Along With Mental Illness

(CBS)  Looking at Haley Abaspour, you might see a regular 11-year-old girl. But she'll be the first to tell you she's different.

She says she doesn't feel like she is capable of having fun and many things that other kids don't worry about cause her stress.

Living with Haley is far from normal. At first, Haley's mother Christine Abaspour thought she was gifted.

"She always had worries, about everybody," Christine told Saturday Early Show co-anchor Tracy Smith.

But it soon became apparent that something much deeper was going on.

"Even when you talked to her she would look over your shoulder, into space," her father Bejan Abaspour said. "And there was no one there, you know? It wasn't a one-on-one conversation. She would look away … Always looking, staring at something, over your shoulder."

At age 6, Haley was diagnosed with a laundry list of psychiatric disorders: obsessive compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome and above all, bipolar disorder. It manifests itself in sudden mood swings, with depression and anxiety — something the family calls "episodes."

"I always have to be doing something," Haley said. If she's not doing something, she said she gets "really frustrated and (has) the episode."

Haley's family is well aware of the signs that an episode is on its way.

"You can see the expression on her face and you know it's coming," Bejan said.

"She just sort of takes on a whole new demeanor and she just gets angry and gets a frown," Christine said.

"Then she loses total control and she's on the floor," her father said.

"They don't know what to do for me," Haley said. "And it's kind of hard 'cause I always ask them for help and they can't really do anything for me."

"She's reaching out for help but yet I can't," Christine said. "All I want to do is take her and hold her but I can't do that because that doesn't soothe her."

Thanks to early diagnosis, they've learned how to handle it. They wait it out and eventually, the clouds in Haley's head part. But over the years the episodes have taken their toll on the whole family, including Haley's 13-year-old sister, Megan.

"It's hard to live a normal life and then come home and this is going on," Megan said. "It's hard to kind of have my own life at the same time, but I try the best I can."

Experts are trying to understand it too. Research on children as young as Haley is still in its infancy, but it is estimated that 1 percent of adolescents are bipolar.

Dr. Janet Wozniak says more kids are getting tagged as being bipolar but it still is a tricky diagnosis.

"There's a reluctance to consider that a severe illness such as this could start in childhood," she said. "While a certain degree of mood instability in childhood is normal because it's part of how we develop as humans, the mood instability that we see in bipolar disorder is of an extreme sort."

Haley gets weekly therapy and is also on a cocktail of anti-psychotic medications that's constantly tweaked as her symptoms change.

Dr Joseph Jackson, Haley's psychiatrist at Cambridge Health Alliance says the treatment has paid off.

"Medication has actually helped quite a bit. It has really reduced some of her symptoms," he said.

The medication is vital, but risky. Most of the drugs prescribed to children are only FDA approved for adults, and the dosage requires constant monitoring. Some of Haley's symptoms have disappeared, but there isn't a miracle pill.

The Abaspours were initially apprehensive about these very strong, potentially dangerous drugs. Bejan said they weaned her off of everything and she was fine for a couple days, but on the third day all of her symptoms were back and even worse. For now, the medication is the only thing that gives them hope that she'll be able to lead a normal life.

"With a cold you take cold syrup or what have you but with this she's gonna have to take medications for the rest of her life," Bejan said. "And it doesn't help as much. It doesn't cure it."

"We're kinda searching for the thing but there might not be the thing that would help me," Haley said.

Getting Haley diagnosed so early may help her in the long run but it doesn't make the future easy. Haley will need to be cared for her entire life. Haley's parents hope that new medications and advances in research will make it possible for her to live on her own, because trying to tweak the medication and see if anything can decrease the number of "episodes" she has is a day-to-day process.

"She in fact asked me one time, she said 'Dad, when I get older, uh, can I come back home?' " Bejan said. "And I said 'Yes!' And she said, she said 'Will you be there for me?' and I said 'Yes I will.' "

For more information on bipolar children, visit BPKids.org and also check the Mass General Hospital site for Dr. Wozniak's bio.

[Liz_Kelly]

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[Liz_Kelly]

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[snome_13]

I'm skeptical about the use of psychiatric meds especially antipsychotics in children. I really don't know anything about Halley's episodes, I just saw that one scene where she appeared restless on the couch. Antipsychotic drugs cause that type of restlessness. There's a particular form of EPS called akathesia that makes a person constantly restless. Psychiatric disorders including ADHD do not cause that type of restlessness.

Psychiatric medications alter or disrupt the way the brain normally works. Someone shouldn't abruptly withdraw from psychiatric medication. Psychiatric medications should be withdrawn from slowly, whatever systems affected by them should be given time to adjust. There's a rebound effect with psychiatric medication. Most psychiatrists for whatever reason never blame the drug, they blame an underlying illness. If Halley's symptoms returned worse than ever it is probably due to that rebound effect.

[hunter10039]

WHAT IN THE HECK IS WRONG WITH HER DOCTORS? ??????

she's having atypical epileptic brain episodes ...when she starts looking "over your shoulder" when you are trying to talk to her.

SOMETIMES THEY START AS A PRODROMAL .....OF PETIT-MAL....WHERE THE PERSON SEEMS TO BE ABSENT FOR A FEW MOMENTS......a person does NOT have to have a convulsion to have epilepsy.

there are also PARTIAL seizures...where a person seems or appears to be normal but does abnormal things.

GIVE THIS POOR CHILD THE ANTI-CONVULSANT anti-epileptic MEDS SHE NEEDS....IN ADDITION TO THE PSYCHIATRIC MEDs, AND YOU'LL SEE A WORLD OF IMPROVEMENT.

[deardollie13]

I must say that I am very outraged about some of the comments left on here. I'm Bi-Polar and have been for about 4 years now. I'm 18 and some of you really have no concept of how difficult it is to struggle with the manic episodes and depression. I've had many people tell me that people who are diagnosed with Bi-Polar, OCD, Schizophrenia are just all bad people just because we were born "abnormal" so to call. The people in my town were angry when I wrote in a letter to the editor concerning Discrimination Towards Mental Illness. People don't want to accept that in reality these things do occur. Beyond anyones control. To live and breathe being Bi-Polar isn't the easiest in some towns. It's people that don't understand the whole meaning of any mental illness that say stupid and ignorant things like "they're all just bad people" and "don't know what they're talking about", that make people that are Bi-Polar or anyone with a mental illness seem like the bad person. When in reality we're the ones trying to lead a normal, everyday life. But it's people like that that upset and show the ignorance of this American society. It's hard for people to live with a family member or friend that is diagnosed with a mental illness and I'm just very angered at the ignorance of some of you.

[rae64-2009]

I am 42 and have been struggling with BD since first diagnosed at age 27. By the way, I'm not a bi-polar person, it does not DEFINE me or any one else with the disorder.

BD does manifest in everyone in different ways. Certainly there are behaviors that are accepted as those which enable DR. to Dx the disorder. Unlike Lorhop, I have never been violent during a manic episode.

For me, I went 7 years between my first and second manic episodes shortly after marriage.

Like many who have BD, it was very difficult for me to accept that I truly had the disorder. For me, it took 6 hospitalization in the last 8 years and now I finally believe it.

I think it would help to lessen the stigma of BD, if, as dhawthorne suggests, more stories are presented of folks who have experienced success.

I think that meds along with behavioral modification is the way to get a handle on BD. If a person is willing to look at his/her own behavior and see that he/she is heading in a swing of either kind and seeks help; that's behavioral modification as a success. Then because we are all individual, meds probably need to be "tweaked," to find the successful med/med combo. Many different med changes have taken place during my struggle with BD. I think it's real important to have a good DR., and support system - loved ones who have done their research -to whom the person with BD is willing to listen.

It's not an easy life; but whoever said life was easy was way off base!!



.

[itwasntme000]

HEY NOW THE EARTH IS BI-POLAR TOO.

[mcpepper2]

Everyone diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder may have aquired theses disorders from tick borne illnesses, such as Lyme disease or Babesiosis. Both can cause every mental disorder known. Most people with these disease do not recall a tick bite. Both of these diseases can be transmitted to the fetus, hence the so called
passing down of mental illness. Do the research... Google, PubMed, Medscape, Coumbia-Lyme, etc.
Successful resolution of most mental illnesses with long term treatment of Lyme, etc. is common.
There are many psychiatrists and psychologists around the country who are aware of the brain infection caused by Lyme, etc . You can find doctors who will test and treat you adequately at the Lyme Disease Association or Lymenet websites.

[eggy1620]

Early diagnoses of mental illnesses are the best way to combat the %u201Cpandemic%u201D as some have called it. One or both of Haley%u2019s parents are probably symptomatic too. If they had been diagnosed prior to her birth, they could have chosen not to pass the condition on and Haley would not be living through the h e l l that is her life. The best time to get a diagnosis of a severe health problem is before child bearing age so that you can excersise your responsibility to not pass it on to children.

[downtowner97]

Hi, I just escaped a relationship with a bipolar person. She took a handful of psych meds, told me I am crazy, and dumped me. Bipolar people should all go live on an island someplace where they can't bother the rest of us. There used to be a time when you could call a crazy person a crazy person. Unfortunately, now they have medications that enable them to pretend to be sane for hours at a time so they can get jobs and make friends and rent houses and buy cars. Then the mayhem ensues.

Sorry if I sound bitter, but I really want nothing of a bipolar person ever again.

[cactusrun]

Hello, Lamitical worked well for my adopted sister until she thought she didn't need it. However I knew she did. She did well in school while taking the medication, however when she was 17 1/2 she made the decision not to take the medication. She is now failing 11th grade because she thought she didn't need the medication.

[cherryfries]

I am getting tired of people putting the responsibility of a bipolar person onto someone else. It is the responsibility of the bipolar person to make sure they take the medication themselves. They know what happens if they stop the medication so it is entirely up to them whether they decide to keep taking the drugs or not. A bipolar person is a thinking person and suffers the consequences of not taking the drugs. I am bipolar and have struggled through my own issues with my medications. At the end of the day, it is up to myself to make sure I take my drugs because no one is going to force them down my throat. You either accept your bipolar and try to help yourself or you try to deny you have an issue and suffer.

[mizpah63]

Bipolar disorder can be treated; whereas, moderate to extreme, chronic stupidity can not. You might imagine that the pharmaceutical companies would be developing 'stupid pills' since there is a major market for the product. However, even if the pills were developed they would never be purchased by the people who desperately need them.

[windwalker42]

Just because one cannot see the tumor or see the stump of the missing limb does not mean a person cannot be ill or debilitated. Until someone you have to deal with the demons in their head and the voices that talk to them from deep in the abyss, one does not really understand Bipolar Disorder.

Folks like dorothydenim need to learn the world does not center on them.

[lorhop32]

Response to Dorothy: I don't believe you are bipolar. No on who is bipolar would say something so retarded as a person might want a manic episode. Let me see, when I nearly rip someone's head off or assault someone, you think I actually crave it. Huh?
As far medication being a crutch, do you say the same for insulin? high blood pressure medicine? cholesterol lowering medicine? etc...

Please don't address me in the future because you are a clear representation of the ignorance in society when it comes to treating mental illness. Your ideas and ideas of others like you are the reason people don't seek treatment and often times won't even admit to themselves. Your opinions are harmful and detrimental to my health and others like me. There is no cure for bipolar disorder and being treated and monitored with medication is not a perfect science, but sweety you don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

[dorothyblu2]

Lorhop,lots of bi-polar people who take medication for it,are not helped by the medication at all.In my expereinece,plenty of times, bi-polar meds do not help,and do not stop the person from becoming manic,if they want to be manic.They KEEP becoming manic.Plus,often,they cannot hold down a job,cause the medicine does not help them manage the stress;all they have to do,is,get a job,and they wind up in the hospital again,even if they are on medication.

Bi-polar medication is NOT a cure.It is a "crutch"that often does not work,whereas behavior-modification gets to the root of the bi-polarity,and really can stop it,or manage it much much better.I have KNOWN bi-polars,and I know what I saw.

PLUS: many bi-polars do not STAY on medication.They stop taking it,and just become manic, all over again.I have seen this again and again,one more bi-polar who refuses to stay on meds,and goes "over the rainbow" again.Going off bi-polar medication is so common,it is more common for them to get off it,than ever STAY permanently on it.

There's even a joke for it:
"How do you know so-and-so has gone off their bi-polar medication again?"
Answer:"There are more finger-prints on the ceiling today,than there were yesterday."

[dorothyblu2]

Medication is not going to "cure"Haley,and bi-polar kids.How do I know?My best friend & roommate for years,was seriously bi-polar,had been since he was 15,and medicine did not cure,or help him.He got manic anyhow.However,living with us,he got so much better,he stopped becoming manic.(mostly.)

What helped,when the medicine did not?Behavior-modification,by a very good therapist he had,in conjunction with his roommates(us)giving him support to stop from doing "pre-manic"behavior,so he became fully manic.He got so much better,he could live so much more normally;he did not become manic every year and a half,like he had,ever since 15.The bi-polar meds did not make any difference at all.

The behavior-modification therapy did the trick.--plus support from his friends.He lived independently,worked,had fun with us.Haley is getting shafted,by taking all that vile medicine,when what she needs is good behavior=modification therapy,and support.Believe me,I have SEEN it.

[old brown]

I to am bi-polar and it isn't any fun.I hope people will not hold her illness against her.Look to the Lord for help Haley.

[mennowoman]

At first it just sounds like she having temper tanrams, with all the falling on the floor and out of control anger when she doesn't have something to occupy her mind.

But I guess bipolar manifests itself differently in children.

I have bipolar relatives and it's certainly no picnic to live with. I pray that the family, especially the sister, will be able to overcome all the heartbreak they will have in their lives. I know that bipolar has shaped my life in very painful ways, and distancing myself from the ones who behave badly only seems to make them worse.

I really pray that Megan finds a way to live a normal life despite her sister's illness.

[hermit22]

CALL ME ANNA by Patty Duke is an encouraging, real life bi-polar book. (played Helen Keller)

NAMI.org

Thank you to CBS for working with this subject!

EVERYBODY needs their head examined sometime or other. the less likely they think they need it examined the more likely they need it examined. if someone thinks their perfect, we know he's nuts!

mental illness is when someone's OWN MIND lies to them. without help, its like being expected to hit the bulls eye with out-of-focus eyesight.