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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Minnie-Haha on December 23, 2003, at 18:15:55
Have spent the last 18 months obsessing over what's "wrong" with my 9-year-old son. My anxiety level rose to the point of losing sleep and getting depressed. The upshot is, after all this time, we've gone from thinking he might have Asperger's Syndrome, to getting an ADHD Primarily Inattentive DX (which everyone who knows him disagrees with, including us), to coming around to learning that a lot of his "problems" (social and motor skills deficits, sensory issues, emotional sensitivity) can be explained by his giftedness (WISC-III of 143).
This has lead me to question my own DX of BP2. I have read a lot about giftedness and wonder: Could this be me, too? Anybody out there read about the "overexcitabilities" of the gifted, or about Dabrowski's theory of "positive disintegration"? I've actually thought about shelling out dinero for an IQ test.
My BP2 DX just doesn't "feel" right to me, but my pdoc doesn't seem interested in considering other possibilities, and frankly -- if it IS right -- I'm afraid to treat it any differently. Sometimes I get bummed just thinking I'll spend the rest of my life operating under, getting therpay for, a label that is incorrect.
Posted by Dinah on December 23, 2003, at 18:43:43
In reply to Giftedness, Bipolar Disorder, ADHD, and Asperger's, posted by Minnie-Haha on December 23, 2003, at 18:15:55
I didn't think an IQ of 143 would be high enough to cause problems? My son's is right around there, and the psychologist told us it fell right in the ideal range. He has the intellectual capacity that won't stop him from doing whatever he might like to do, without having such a high IQ that he will have trouble relating to anyone.
My own IQ is a few points lower, my husband's a few points higher, and my husband is much better adjusted in almost every way than I am.
My son *is* rather emotionally sensitive, and we've made sure he's in an environment that minimizes the problems he'll have with that while maximizing stability, etc. On the other hand, my even more intelligent husband has the emotional sensitivity of a rhino. But oddly, he is really high in social skills. I guess some emotional insensitivity helps in social situations.
Posted by Minnie-Haha on December 23, 2003, at 19:57:24
In reply to Re: Giftedness, Bipolar Disorder, ADHD, and Asperger's » Minnie-Haha, posted by Dinah on December 23, 2003, at 18:43:43
According to what I've read (and I'm sure there are differing opinions on this), the highly gifted score 140+ on the WISC (like my son) or 148+ on the Stanford-Binet. Profoundly gifted score 160-170+. Giftedness doesn't guarantee problems, it just seems to cause problems for some because of "asynchronous development." I'm not sure what happens on top of that if you grow up "unidentified" (without gifted support) and in a dysfunctional family (like I did).
Posted by Minnie-Haha on December 23, 2003, at 20:11:45
In reply to Re: Giftedness, Bipolar Disorder, ADHD, and Asperger's » Minnie-Haha, posted by Dinah on December 23, 2003, at 18:43:43
> My son *is* rather emotionally sensitive, and we've made sure he's in an environment that minimizes the problems he'll have with that while maximizing stability, etc.
If I might ask: How old is your son? What kind of environment have you made sure he's in? What do you do to maximize stability?
Posted by octopusprime on December 23, 2003, at 20:27:02
In reply to Re: Giftedness, Bipolar Disorder, ADHD, and Asperger's, posted by Minnie-Haha on December 23, 2003, at 19:57:24
Minnie-Haha:
While giftedness usually comes with its own set of problems, stunted motor skills development is generally not one of them - I would look into this more carefully if I was you.
One can be simultaneously gifted and diagnosed with mental illness. I was identified as gifted as a child, and accomodated in the classroom. As an adult I required psychiatric treatment for depression. The two conditions are not exclusive.
My mother said I was a difficult child to raise, and I believe her, so I can empathize with your struggle a bit. I did have problems adjusting socially as a kid, but it was pretty run-of-the-mill stuff. I had an "Ugly Duckling" syndrome as a child, followed by teenage rebellion.
A follow-up to your first post: for whom are you seeking the IQ test? I'm not sure that quantifying brightness benefits adults much. Adults must make their own intellectual accommodations.
Personally, I find that I have to engage in creative pursuits to keep myself from going bananas, and I'm considering returning to school just for the mental gymnastics. You don't have to be "identified" to take advantage of these opportunities. It's not like you can put it on your resume.
Sorry if I can't help you specifically with your queries, but I've been there. "Touched with Fire" is an interesting book on the subject.
Posted by Dinah on December 23, 2003, at 21:09:01
In reply to Re: Giftedness, Bipolar Disorder, ADHD, and Asperger's » Dinah, posted by Minnie-Haha on December 23, 2003, at 20:11:45
Mainly we chose a school that has the same philosophy that we have, and that his Montessori preschool had. It allows for a lot of individuality. So he's had a lot of consistency in his life. They also have a no teasing rule, and emphasize inclusiveness. He's a bit younger than your son, but so far we're pretty happy. And so is he. Hopefully he'll be there for his entire school career, until college.
We also emphasize consistency a lot at home, in a relaxed sort of way. There are lots of daily rituals, which seem to give him the structure that makes him feel secure.
I really try to send him the message that it's ok not to be perfect. I try to share stories of my childhood misdeeds. But he still expects a bit too much from himself. I can't say that he's a problem child *at all*. He tries really hard to be good. Too good, really.
Posted by Minnie-Haha on December 24, 2003, at 17:18:07
In reply to Re: Giftedness, Bipolar Disorder, ADHD, and Asperger's » Minnie-Haha, posted by Dinah on December 23, 2003, at 21:09:01
> I really try to send him the message that it's ok not to be perfect. I try to share stories of my childhood misdeeds. But he still expects a bit too much from himself. I can't say that he's a problem child *at all*. He tries really hard to be good. Too good, really.
Sounds a lot like my boy. He's reading Shiloh right now and he's supposed to write about a time that he had a tough (ethical) decision to make. This is hard for him because he never thinks to do the wrong thing. He is, as you say, "too good, really."
Thanks for sharing.
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