It is very difficult living with Bipolar Disorder; most especially for children who are Bipolar. The "average" child, regardless of age, gender, nationality, religious beliefs, income, etc. has a very hard time with self esteem and accepting their own identity. A Bipolar child lives with all the "normal" things that the average child lives with, plus their lives are filled with chaos, confusion, anger, and resentment that they are "different". It is a very frightening world for them.
If you are a parent, or care taker of a child who is Bipolar, our hearts go out to you and also to the child that is suffering with this sometimes debilitating and socially stigmatizing illness. You have many uphill battles to fight and many crosses to bear: with the school that your child attends, the teachers, the doctors and psychiatrists, your child's friends, and of course the child him/herself. You will find that you have to be your childs advocate; to fight for their rights under state law, and often protecting them from themselves. You will frequently be their only friend.
Most of their well being will be dependent on you. You will have to monitor their medications and behavior, be deligent with taking them to their psychiatrist, psychologist, and general practioner, get help from their school teachers and administrators with assessment and placement in any special services that your child is guaranteed under your state law, and last but not least, you will have to listen to them and make their environment as less stressful as possible.
If you feel that your child is not receiving adequate help from the school that they attend, demand that they get the help that you know that they are entitled to. If you do not think that their psychiatrist or therapist is not doing their job well, then by all means take them to someone else. Even if you have been taking them to the same one for a long time, try someone new. It won't hurt to try.
Most children who are diagnosed Bipolar are known to be rapid cyclers. This means that they cycle four or more times in a years time. More often than not, these kids will cycle several times in a week, if not several times in one day. They are also the hardest to treat. Bipolar children often present themselves to be in a mixed state. This is when they exhibit symptoms of mania and depression at the same time. Your youngster might seem on top off the world one minute and threatening suicide the next. A word of caution: you might get used to threats of suicide and presume that they'll never actually carry through with it because they have gone a long period of time with empty threats; however, every threat of suicide should be taken seriously. Teenage suicide is on the rise and it is questionable as to how many of the kids that do commit suicide were actually undiagnosed Bipolar children or were suffering silently with depression.
The standard mood stabilizer for starting Bipolar kids on is usually either Depakote or Tegretol, which seems to work better with Bipolar children than the other stabilizers for some reason. If these don't work, then they'll probably be put on something else, such as Lithium or even an anti-psychotic (even if they show no psychosis these medicines are often used as a mood stabilizer.) It takes awhile to find the right medicine or a combination of medicines that work best with your child, but do not despair; there are many medicines that your child can try and many pharmaceutical companies are presently in the process of making and studying these new pharmaceuticals.
I'm sure that you have noticed that your child exhibits a "different" personality than his peers. I refer to it as being "eccentric." This is normal for the Bipolar child. In fact, all Bipolars both child and adult alike, are eccentric in varying degrees. They should be given a lot of space when it comes to their dress code, hair styles, etc. because it isn't worth fighting over these things; it only causes the child to rebel and suffer more stress and thus bringing on another cycle. I have learned this from personal experience because I have a teenage son who is Bipolar, and between dealing with him and what I have read, I have found that it is much better to let the "little" things go, to learn to have some give and take on the little things because a small compromise on your part will help avoid any unecessary confrontations. I know this is hard, but it is very important. Maybe allow the baggy pants or the bright lipstick instead of dying their hair blue or piercing their nose.... decide what is really worth fighting about. This dosen't mean to always let your child have his or her way on the things that they think are important to them. They need structure and lots of it. Children who are Bipolar are often "needy" and demand a lot of your attention. This wears on the parent or the caretaker.
Even though it is important to give them the chance to express their personalities and eccentricites, you will also want to keep careful watch over the friends that your child makes. They are very impulsive and don't always know what is good for them so I guess there has to be a middle ground there. A large percentage of Bipolar individuals have used drugs and/or alcohol to self medicate. It isn't surprising that these kids take drugs or drink because they feel like they are wheeling out of control and feel like their lives are too painful.
People with Bipolar are often very talented and gifted people. These talents are expressed through artwork, poetry, writing, the liberal arts, etc. To name just a few famous people in history that were Bipolar or were believed to be Bipolar, or had a mood disorder or depression: Poets: Emily Dickinson, Lord Byron, T.S. Eliot, Victor Hugo, John Keats, and Edgar Allan Poe. Writers: Hans Christian Anderson, Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), Charles Dickens, Ralph Waldo Emerson, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Virginia Woolf. Composers: George Frideric Handel, Modest Mussorgsky, Sergey Rachmaninoff, Robert Schumann, and Peter Tchaikovsky. Nonclassical Composers and Musicians: Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and Bud Powell. Artists: Vincent van Gogh, Michelango, Dante Gabriel Rosetti, and Sir David Wilkie. Most Bipolars are very intelligent. The Bipolar child should be encouraged to express their talents in anything that they show interest in. Encourage your child to be in band, orchestra, drama, outdoor sports, art lessons, or collecting something. Just anything that they can do and be proud of themselves for doing so. Praise them for everything you can think of.
If you have come to this website in hopes of learning more about Bipolar Disorder because your child is Bipolar, then you are already on the right tract and I know that you love your child and want the best for him/her. We are here for you and will always be more than happy to help you in any way that we can. We have a chatroom and a message board. This site was created to educate, forge friendships with fellow Bipolars, provide comfort, and support.
There is one site that is specifically for learning more about adolescent bipolar:
http://www.bpkids.org
Another site deals with all family and friends of the bipolar:
http://www.bpso.org/
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Page last Updated: 09-25-04
Previous: 04-26-03
Note: All information contained within this site is supplied by non-degreed people. The content within this page is based on personal opinion, not a professional one. Any questions about you or your child's health care should be directed at a psychiatrist or therapist for proper accuracy.
