Emily

Things with Emily have gotten increasingly out of control lately. She has been flying off the handle with every little thing...and has been taking her anger out on inanimate objects like the entertainment center, which now has a broken door thanks to her kicking it in a fit of rage the other day.

I am not sure what is going on to be honest but I think it's a combination of the following things: ADHD, Inflexibility, Expolsiveness, perhaps her seizure medication, and Tuberous Sclerosis.

I decided over the weekend that helping her is beyond the scope of what I can do from home. So, as a stepping stone toward getting her the help she (we) need, I called the school counselor. I wanted to find out what the process was of getting her evaulated through school (if, after talking to her teacher, she feels that some of these same concerns are an issue at school as well). I also wanted to look to him as a resource for services outside of the school itself that I may be able to tap in to to get her the help she needs.

Um, being honest here, and through my research and well, personal experience, I am beginning to think that she may be bi-polar. She has many of the symptoms...including the following:

Rages and Explosive Temper Tantrums
Oppositional Behavior
Distractability
Impulsivity
Aggresive Behavior
Low Self Esteem
Obssesional Behavior
Bossiness
Lying
Manpulative Behavior
Poor Short Term Memory
Destruction of Property
Strong And Frequent Cravings for Carbs and Sweets

I don't know what else to do with her. This is causing a strain on the whole family, and if I'm being honest here, her sister Katherine is going to hate her if she doesn't stop torturing/tormenting her.

The next step will be contacting her teacher, discussing my concerns, seeing if she has any of the same ones and going from there. If it is determined that her emotional state is affecting her academics (which, based on the work she brings home and the report card, it doesn't seem to be) then the school will do a full evaluation (ranging from academic to emotional testing) and get her the services she needs. If not, then I will be in touch with the school counselor who will provide me with a list of outside resources available for children that need help.

You know, I just think that there is a greatness in Emily, something below the surface thatis being pushed down by this thing that she is going through. I don't know how to explain it really. It's almost like something we catch a glimpse of once in a while...like this potential that goes above and beyond that of the average 9 year old would normally exihibit. I can't put it in to words. If you're family though, then you know exactly what I mean.