The Bipolar Child

Recently, Discovery Fitness and Health had been airing documentaries about people with Bipolar disorder. One of the documentaries followed a few families in which children were diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. Some of their outbursts were caught on film. One child was very scared and confused by how he was feeling. He kept asking his mom to help him because he did not know what was going on. He was not sure why he was feeling this way. Another family consisted of four children with Bipolar disorder. The children were quite knowledgeable about their diagnosis, however, they were still scrutinized while at school.
While I did not have Bipolar disorder as a child, I still had plenty of other problems. I had depression and, sometimes, anger issues. I was left out quite a bit, because I was the "weird" kid. I remember being on a play scape during recess, wanting to play with the other kids. There were two people with my first name. When I asked if I could play with them, they said, "We like the other Shauna better." They laughed and whispered. I walked away, crying. This triggered severe depression in me, and I remember going home and having an outburst, just like the children in the documentary. For a child with Bipolar, the mind can be a really scary place. The child has no idea what is going on, because the disorder takes over.
For a child with Bipolar disorder, the main thing the child will need is his or her's family. A loving and supportive family can do wonders for a child, with or without Bipolar disorder. Medication and therapy are tied for most important. Medication and therapy will help lesson the mood swings, and also help them to not last as long. With these things in mind, a child can flourish in school and social situations.

(photo courtesy of:  http://blogs.psychcentral.com/bipolar/files/2011/07/bipolar_girl_crpd.jpg)