Expert: Joyce A. Anthony - 7/8/2010

Question
Hi,
I'm 13 years old and on prozac. I have selective mutism. How can you tell if you are bipolar? I have plenty of mood swings every day - one minute i'm happy, the next i have random outbursts, te next im in tears and then i just block out everyone and lock myself in my room alone - but tht miight be because of hormones and puberty. School doesn't help, either. I hate school, and because of my random mood swings, i've been havng fallouts with most of my friends. ive even started cutting myself. i didnt plan to, i just did one day and its slowly becomng a habit. i hate this, i mean, it's too much for my age!

Answer
Shannon:

The only way to know for sure if you have bipolar is to visit a psychologist and get an evaluation.  From your letter, it is obvious you need to talk with someone who can help you get the right treatment.  I am going to ask you to talk with an adult--parent, teacher or parent of a friend, or any other adult you trust--and get an appointment with a counselor.  You should not be dealing with this alone--that is what adults are for, Hon.  Hurting yourself concerns me a great deal.  Please talk with a trusted adult as soon as possible and tell them the whole truth about what is going on.  You are at a difficult age as it is--you don't need to deal with all this extra stuff on your own.

                                Joyce A. Anthony