LINDA
GEORGIANNE, AS YOU KNOW TEENS BEHAVIOR ARE UNPREDICTABLE BUT BIPOLAR DISORDER DOES RUN IN FAMILIES AND YOU SAID YOUR HUSBAND HAS THE ILLNESS. I AM NOT AN EXPERT BY ANY MEANS BUT I HAVE WORKED IN THE FIELD OF MENTAL HEALTH FOR FOURTEEN YEARS. BY BEST ADVICE TO YOU WOULD BE TO FIND A PSYCHIATRIST THAT BOTH YOU AND YOUR DAUGHTER TRUST. YOU ASKED IF IT WAS UNCOMMONE TO TAKE AN ANTIDEPRESSANT AND A MOOD STABILIZER. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON AT ALL. AS YOU PROBABLY ALREADY HAVE FOUND OUT WITH BI POLAR ILLNESS A PERSON FLUCUATES BETWEEN DEPRESSION AND HIGHS. YOUR DAUGHTER IS PROBABLY MORE ON THE DEPRESSED END OF THE SPECTRUM AND THAT IS WHY SHE HAS BEEN PUT ON AN ANITDEPRESSANT. THE MOOD STABILIZER IS TO HELP KEEP HER MOOD AT AN EVEN KEEL SO SHE DOESN'T HAVE TOO HIGH OF HIGHS OR GO TO LOW WITH HER DEPRESSION. I HAVE MANY CONSUMERS ON BOTH. THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL. BUT AGAIN THIS IS A QUESTION THAT YOU AND YOUR DAUGHTER SHOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH ASKING HER DOCTOR. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THAT KIND OF RELEATIONSHIP WITH THE PHYSICIAN THAN IT IS PROBABLY TIME TO FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR. GOOD LUCK.