It just makes sense. It can happen, it has happened, to me. As a child, I was bright, compassionate, a good sister...then I turned 12. Puberty was devasting. Unfortunatly, my mother (I was adopted) never had PMS, or the symptoms that accompany it. She had no Idea that could be the cause of my mood swings, sometimes strange violet outbursts towards myself physically and others verbally. So she sent me to a Psychiatrist. The medications they put me on were meant for very ill adults, not puberty-stricken 12 year old girls. The medication did some damage, so please use caution. ANY Psychiatrist will see her behavior as treatable through harsh drugs. But a good Gynocologist may see her behavior as a symptom of hormone imbalance, quite natural but very hard to live with untreated. Please give the visit to the GYNO a chance, tell them everything, and remember, I was there. I am now in a (sigh) thirty-something Mom to a beautiful 1 year old son, happily married, great career, very secure - but the memories of the hell I went through as a child because of misdiagnoses, the hell of abusive treatment centers and being a guinea pig for psychiatrist's whims of medicine - those memories will be with me forever. Maybe I went through it first to be able to help you find the right help for your daughter. Maybe I'm completely off the mark, but as a parent, I understand your desperation, and I know it's worth a try. Good Luck, I truly feel for your situation. Both your children are lucky to have good people like you as parents. She'll be alright. You'll find the right way.
- Tricia
