Early-onset bipolar disorder

If your child or teen has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, there is much for you to learn. Adapting your child's environment will help them to better cope. Many parents do not know that school is an area that needs adjustments for students with "disabilities" so that they have the same educational opportunities as others.

Educating your bipolar child may be challenging at first but there are laws in place to guarantee that children/teens get the help that they need and deserve.


Tips for creating a calmer atmosphere in your child's bedroom  is important if your child has anxiety and bipolar. These tips are for parents of autistic children but they can also benefit the child who has difficulty with being overly stimulated by their surroundings. Creating a space for your child can soothe them and keep them from feeling overly stimulated. These tips can drastically change your home and your child's behavior in it.

Frustrations of Treatment

Finding quality mental health care is not as easy as looking through your insurance company's provider book or even doing on online search. You might think you've found someone that you have a rapport with and as time goes by, you realize that he/she wasn't really listening.

Being the parent of a child who has a mental illness can be even more frustrating. Finding quality care that specializes in children/adolescents and teens takes time and as a parent, time is of the essence. No parent wants to see their child suffer longer than they have to.

Some child psychiatrists are quick to diagnose, usually the diagnosis is ADHD or depression. Most are often very quick to prescribe medication and then others are slow to give a definite diagnosis. It does take time to properly diagnose a mental illness. The criteria is such that the professional needs to observe the child over a period of time and really factor in all aspects such as family history in order to not be quick to judge. Many psychiatrists (other doctors fit into this mold also) seem to resent the patient or parent of a patient who is well-read. A parent needs to walk a fine line between being their child's advocate and respecting who the doctor is. Unfortunately, some doctors take offense to a parent who wants to be hands-on with their child's treatment.

This parent says "Too bad!". This is MY child we are talking about. I want to know about all the side effects of any medication that is prescribed for my child. I understand fully that with some brain disorders that medication is not an option. I have read enough to know that there often can be less medication prescribed when other treatments are used. I firmly believe that there is no "magic" pill that will make all my daughter's symptoms disappear. She needs to learn coping skills also. Relying on medication to "fix" all is a big problem that too many people in the country have. Self-control, responsibility, coping with everyday stress can not be dealt with by popping a pill.

Not to mention the fact that many psychiatric medications that the FDA approves for use on children have not had lengthy enough studies to impress me. How do I know 5 or even 10 years down the road that the medications she is on now will not affect her in some negative way? If I continue to allow psychiatrists to increase her dosages what will work for her when she is 20, 30 or even 40 years old??

If an early-onset bipolar child has sleep issues (which many of them do) what is the matter with experimenting with an all-natural cure before taking another medication that may cause more side effects and mess up the balance she has achieved?

Then there are the doctors who do not want to label your child with anything but are still quick to pull out their prescription pad. Finding the balance between the two feels like an impossibility. Yes, being a parent of a mentally ill child is a challenge but the only option is to keep fighting for your child. The parent who sits back and allows the doctor to prescribe away without questioning is doing their child a disservice. Parents need to be involved in their child's treatment. If you child had any other medical issue you would ask questions. Thanks to the internet, there is plenty of information available. There are excellent organizations like NAMI and Bring Change 2 Mind which are helping to educate and reduce the stigma attached to mental illness. Parents do not need to be misinformed or ignorant about mental illness. Education gives you the power to get the best treatment for your child and that is what a parent does- takes care of them.

Facing Facts

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in four adult Americans suffer from a diagnosable mental illness in a given year. What many people need to realize is that mental illness is treatable. Not getting diagnosed and treated causes more problems. You cannot will it away or ignore it. It will affect your life.

You cannot self-medicate with alcohol because that is just covering up one problem and creating a new one. It does not make you weak to admit that you need help. And, contrary to popular thought, taking an antidepressant alone is not going to "cure" what ails you. There are no magic pills!!

We have become a weak society in that we have a pill for everything. Sometimes we need medications but often, they are used as a crutch. We do not look for other ways to deal with whatever ails us and we think that medication is the answer. With many mental illnesses, medication is necessary but other treatments are supposed to go along with it.

Therapy, both individual, group or specialized, can help to overcome anxiety and depression. It is also essential for the treatment of ADHD, bipolar disorder, eating disorders and many other mental illnesses.

Coming to grips with what you cannot change is difficult. Once you accept that you have been diagnosed you need to learn how to cope with it. Educate yourself and educate others. Don't be afraid. There is support out there. It can be scary at times, frustrating and it is normal to feel all these emotions and more.

We need to take the shame away from mental illness. The stigma attached to mental illness comes from people's ignorance about the different disorders. We tend to fear what we do not understand. I guess it is just human nature.

Laughter is a Necessary Medicine

Finding humor in dealing with mental illness helps to lighten up difficult situations. Mental illness covers a broad ranges of illnesses, with some being more serious than others. Even if you have days where you feel in control of your illness, there are days when everything goes wrong and the way many of us choose to deal with it is to find the humor where we can.



In my world, my family is well-informed about mental illnesses. We have bipolar, depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder in our family. We compare notes about medications and symptoms. We try to be open and honest about our illnesses because education is the only way to reduce the stigma that is still attached to mental illness. We try to use humor to get through the rougher times and although some of us are more sensitive than others, trying to see the humor in the moment of "crisis" can help to make the sufferer see that it isn't the end of the world like they think it is.



For myself, struggling with depression and anxiety is a way of life. I have come to accept that, but without seeing the humor in things it would probably be a lot worse. My husband, who is extremely supportive, helps me to control my anxiety by using sarcasm and humor with me. It works because it stops me in my tracks and makes me reevaluate my reactions to situations. Knowing that he is coming from a loving place and not mocking me I am able to laugh at myself. Having a trusting relationship with someone can really help. Accepting what you cannot change is another key. Mental illness is a challenge and a way to learn more about yourself and grow as a person. It isn't always an easy road but it is never dull.



When I deal with family members who suffer from mental illness, it is a two-way street. There are times when I take on the role of supporter and often I use humor to lighten the mood. Listening and being supportive can be hard but I know that the role will be reversed probably in the near future. We have learned as a family to laugh about what we cannot change and we deal with our illnesses just as anyone else deals with whatever illness they have.

Reducing the stigma of mental illness is done when those who suffer from a mental illness or have loved ones or friends who do talk about it. Too many people are ignorant about what mental illness "looks" like. Little do most people realize but many people get treatment in silence, ashamed of their diagnosis and they walk amongst us. Too many people picture the mentally ill as a crazed lunatic who cannot fit into society. There are many different illnesses and many different degrees in the severity of any individual mental illness. There are many faces of mental illness.

Some mental illnesses can be lifelong struggles and others can be overcome in a year or less. It depends on what the illness is and how severe the symptoms are. A lot depends on the person. You cannot give up or give in. Learning to take life one day at a time and be grateful for your little accomplishments can help you to move on to the next day with hope.



http://www.bringchange2mind.org/index.php/learn-the-facts