My Nine Year Old Hears Voices

Dear Amal,

I”m worried about my nine year old daughter. She recently told me that she hears voices that tell her to do things. Sometimes, they tell her to do serious things like harm herself.

She was always a bit different, but I’m really noticing these changes, especially after she hit early puberty. It’s also a time where we moved from one suburb to another.

I was concerned that she may be possessed by a jinn. But a doctor has diagnosed her with bipolar disorder and has given her medication. The medication has made her act out even worse.

What should I do?

Sad Mom.

Dear Sad Mom,

I’m very sorry to hear about what you are going through. I’m not a psychiatrist so I can’t diagnose. But if a doctor has diagnosed your daughter with bipolar, there’s not much else you can do, except to monitor it, be there to listen to your daughter, and try to get multiple opinions from doctors and psychiatrists.

Here are a few things to consider:

• Dual diagnosis. Someone can actually have more than one type of mental illness. Hearing voices is a more serious issue and while it isn’t always present in bipolar disorder, there are many other mental illnesses where hallucinations are part of the diagnostic criteria.
• Wrong diagnosis. Kids can often be misdiagnosed as bipolar. There are many symptoms that overlap between various mental illnesses. Both bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder share common traits. I once met a young boy at age fourteen. He was diagnosed with bipolar at that time. He’s now an adult and has been diagnosed fully with schizophrenia. Kids and youth aren’t always easy to diagnose, because they aren’t fully able to express themselves.
• Wrong medicine. It takes a while to find the right medicine. In many cases, antidepressants may aggravate the symptoms of bipolar, making the patient feel way more suicidal or depressed. Some medicines can even cause hallucinations. These warnings are on the label and while they don’t happen to everyone, there is still a risk. If your daughter is showing signs of this, you must tell her doctor right away.

Right now, you need to listen to your daughter. If she tells you that a particular medicine doesn’t make her feel good, then you need to raise that issue with her doctor. Don’t force her to take it, unless you’ve consulted with her doctor about how your daughter is feeling.

By listening to your daughter, you will not only help her with what she is going through, but you will also be able to tell a doctor about her behavior so that she can get an accurate diagnosis.

Your daughter is likely feeling sudden mood swings that come and go, without explanation. Don’t take it personally. It’s not about you, it’s about what she is feeling inside. Also, monitor her mood swings and write down things that trigger her moods to change.

Finally, it’s wise for you to join support groups for parents of bipolar children. There, you will meet other parents who are struggling with what you are. You can join these groups online, if you want to remain anonymous.

Love,

Amal