Info: Your Questions Answered – Children's Mental Health Resource Center

Your Questions Answered

CMHRC’s archive of questions and answers has been curated especially for our community. These FAQ’s represent commonly asked questions about mood disorders, bipolar disorder, and its newly identified phenotype, dubbed “FOH”.

Topics

(click to jump to the section)

Bipolar Disorder
Daily Life
“Fear of Harm” (AKA Thermoregulatory Sleep Dysregulation Disorder)
Mood Disorders
Parenting
School
Terms & Psychiatric Language

The Primary Question: What does it mean when people say we need to treat mental illness the same way we treat physical illness?

Mood Disorders

DMDD is new diagnosis, right? What is it and what’s it about?

What does it mean when people say we need to treat mental illness the same way we treat physical illness?

I noticed my child experiences dissociation during a mood or Fear of Harm (FOH) crisis. Do other children or adults who live with mood disorders or FOH also dissociate, and if so, why?

Read our white paper, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Co-Occurring Mood Disorders as an Alternative to Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)

Bipolar Disorder

What is Juvenile Bipolar Disorder?

The overlap of mood instability from bipolar and the FOH symptoms is so confusing! How can I tell the difference between bipolar mood instability and the chaotic, anxious, defensive, angry symptoms that are caused by FOH?

My child gets so oppositional and defiant sometimes. His therapist tells me this is a symptom related to his bipolar, but I don’t understand. How is that connected?

In the CMHRC book on Bipolar Disorder it says that lithium levels needed for stabilization range from 1.0-1.2 mmol/L but my child’s psychiatrist says the best range is 0.6-0.8. Which is it?
- Read our white paper, Lithium Protocol for Childhood Bipolar

Fear of Harm

(Thermoregulatory Sleep Dysregulation Disorder)

Read our white paper: A Brief Introduction to The Disorder Known as FOH

What is Fear of Harm, and how did they discover it?

Can you explain FOH’s first symptom, erratic mood states? What does that mean?

Can you explain FOH’s second symptoms, Fear of Harm? Isn’t everyone afraid of being harmed? How is that a symptom?

Can you explain FOH’s third symptom, temperature dysregulation? How can you tell if someone has this?

Can you explain FOH’s fourth symptom, aggression? What makes it different from regular aggression?

Can you explain FOH’s fifth symptom, sleep disruptions? How is that a symptom of mental illness?

Aren’t there other characteristics of FOH that aren’t included in the diagnostic criteria? (Part 1)

Aren’t there other characteristics of FOH that aren’t included in the diagnostic criteria? (Part 2)

The overlap of mood instability from bipolar and the FOH symptoms is so confusing! How can I tell the difference between bipolar mood instability and the chaotic, anxious, defensive, angry symptoms that are caused by FOH?

Why is Temperature So Important in the “FOH” Diagnosis?

Daily Life

How do I know when my child is their “normal” self versus when the behaviors are symptoms of their illness?

Why do some kids still have trouble even after they find medication that works? My daughter is 14 and has been stable for many months and now she is suddenly spiraling now for what seems like no reason.

Why does my child refuse to take a shower or bath, even when others might make fun of them because there is an odor?

My child is turning 16 next year and expects to have a driver’s license and access to a car because his siblings all had their license as soon as they could legally drive. What are some good rules you have regarding your child with mood disorders or bipolar and driving?

Parenting

School

My child’s school told me that because he does well in school and makes good grades, and is on medicine to manage his mood episodes, he doesn’t qualify for a 504 plan or IEP. Do children who are stable and live with a mood disorder qualify for an IEP or 504 plan?

Terms & Psychiatric Language

Can you describe the difference between hypomania and mania?

Now that you explained the difference between hypomania and mania, I’m confused about what a “mixed state” is. Can you explain it?

What is a prodrome? I heard the doctor say my child’s behaviors might be “prodromal” symptoms of bipolar disorder.

Read our white paper, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Co-Occurring Mood Disorders as an Alternative to Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)

Have an Question to Ask?

Have a question about mood disorders, bipolar disorder, and/or Fear of Harm? If so, we’d love to hear from you.

Click the button below to submit a question you have and our staff will review it and if it fits our mission, we’ll write an answer and add it to the archive.

You can also email your suggestion to us at admin@cmhrc.org