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What Should You Do When You Find out Your Child is Bipolar?

One of the hardest jobs in life is parenting. But what do you do when your child is diagnosed with bipolar disorder? The first thing you should do is continue to love your child and do not treat them differently than you would a child without a mood disorder. Then, take the time to learn as much as you can about the illness. By having knowledge of how bipolar is affecting your child, you will better understand how to cope with the illness and parent your child in the best way possible.

You will also need to find a support system, especially if you are a single mother. I struggled for years taking care of my child alone. His father was deceased, and I had little or no family to help me out. Either they had other things to do or they weren't reliable.

The first step I took was to place my son in therapy. I didn't have lot of money at the time, so I took my time on finding the right therapist and interviewed several before I made the appointment. Thankfully he was a community therapist, so I could mail in whatever payment I could afford. I also did a background check to make sure he didn't have any complaints against him.

Second, I implemented a schedule for my son and my self. This way, with all the appointments we could schedule free time to be ourselves, which is very important. If your child can not be left alone, then you will need to set up services that can give you a break. One thing you will need to remember in order to be a good parent is that you, too, need some down time and adult activity to reenergize and relax so that when you return to your child you can truly enjoy him.

The third focus should be school and social situations with his peers. If your child is having problems with school, whether it is academic, social, or related to avoidance of school altogether, you will need to implement an individual education plan to accommodate your child's needs. (Most schools will drag their feet on this and you will have to know your rights and what your child is entitled to. A good web site I have found helpful is www.wrightslaw.com)

I cannot stress enough the importance of educating yourself on bipolar disorder. Sometimes children do not understand what is going on with themselves and will ask you questions. It is okay to not have all the answers, but it does reassure your child if you can explain what causes their irrational behavior. Sometimes it can throw you for a loop, but you need to know that bipolar will never go away, and the sooner you learn more about it and get some structure into their lives, the better life will be for them as they get older.

If you are not the type that likes traditional support groups, develop your own group of people you can relate to and vent to that can be a "supporter network." It does help alleviate the day-to-day pressure.

Next, if your child is placed on mood stabilizers make sure you ask as many questions as possible so that you understand the risks and possible side effects associated with the medications. You should also watch what your child eats, because some children will change their eating habits at the beginning of a cycle of either manic or depressive behavior. For instance, some will load up on carbs and junk food. My son would load up on sugar he ate straight from the bag with a spoon, or he would drink chocolate syrup right from the bottle. It is best to keep a daily food and mood chart so that when you go see your child's doctor or therapist you can present them with some concrete information. You can also adjust your own purchasing habits to limit the amount of these types of food you have on hand.

There are always new ways to help your child who has bipolar, but the ones I've mentioned above are an excellent way to start. If you follow these steps as your starting point, you will be on your way to a good, solid start to providing a stable, loving environment for your child with bipolar disorder.

About The Author

Stacey Adams supports her mother and child, both of whom have bipolar disorder. Stacey is a contributing writer for www.BipolarCentral.com.

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I am the ultimate perfectionist.  Yes, me.  I even got a fortune cookie one time that said, "You have a yearning for perfection," do you believe that?"  Even Confucius knows it!

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It's ok to make mistakes.  That's what I've been learning.  If you don't learn that, you'll be bound up in fear (another thing that's bad for our bipolar disorder). 

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