Hi...I'm New Here And I Have A Question - Mental Health Message Board

Mama06 · 01-17-2003, 10:25 PM

Hello everyone. I am the mother of a blended family of six. My middle daughter will be 9 in Feb. She has been in the hospital for 2 1/2 months and has a dx of psychosis NOS, probable schitzophrenia. She had a previous dx of reactive attachment disorder or possibly conduct disorder.

Her birth mom, birth grand mom, and possibly even her birth great grand mom all have schitzophrenia...so the doctors are pretty sure she has inherited this disorder as well.

My question is, am I in the right place to seek advice for a child so young? I am having a difficult time finding others who have dealt with this type of disorder in young children, since it is so rare.

She is home for the first time on a weekend pass, and I may need some advice from those who have 'been there' to help me make this visit as successful as possible.

If this isn't the right place for someone so young...do any of you know of another board that might fit the bill?

Several months back I was regularly posting on a message board for parents of children with conduct disorders, but since this isn't actually her problem...like we once thought it might be...I thought I'd try to find a more specific resource.

Karla · 01-18-2003, 04:26 AM

There is a schizophrenia board here that you may want to post in and you may get better results.

Mama06 · 01-18-2003, 07:29 AM

Thank you.

Mama06 · 01-19-2003, 08:39 PM

I had thought for a long time that schizophrenia was something that could only be diagnosed in late teens and older; however, I've since learned that, although it is very rare, it can also effect children.

Here are a few links to some info about childhood onset schizophrenai that someone passed to me:
[url="http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/schizkids.cfmhttp://www.nih.gov/news/pr/oct97/nimh-14.htm"]http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/schizkids.cfmhttp://www.nih.gov/news/pr/oct97/nimh- 14.htm[/url]
[url="http://www.biomedcentral.com/1523-3812/2/410/abstract"]http://www.biomedcentral.com/1523-3812/2/410/abstract[/url]

Fortunately for us, my daughter's dx is only listed as probable. She has seen many therapist and doctors, and several of them feel that because of the genetic component from her birth mom and her symptoms, schizophrenia is a possibility.

I'm glad that she hasn't been actually 'labeled' with any condition since she is so young and often times the lables 'stick' even if they are later found to be incorrect.

Anyway, I really appreciate your reply. Her phych-doc has also thought that PTSD may be a factor in many of her behaviors as well as a few other things and she is receiving therapy based on that probability as well as others.

[This message has been edited by moderator1 (edited 01-20-2003).]