I did not show signs of being bipolar until I was an adult, so my comments are based on my own experiences as an adult and my own guesses about what a child could experience. Hope this letter can help parents and children with bipolar disorder be more integrated into their peer groups.
I share about my condition with my friends and many of my new acquaintances fairly openly. When people hear about my experiences they show interest and many understand due to knowing someone with the condition or having it themselves. Plus most people know what it is like to swing from a high to low mood, yet most often not to the same extreme. People without the condition do not have signs of high or low moods for extended, frequent periods of time. Children without the condition may have less understanding as to what mood swings are, but openness with close friends could still help them feel less segregated. With less need to hide who they are.
Once it has been determined that a child is bipolar, treatment of the condition can help the child to continue functioning well enough to participate in regular activities. They can fit in if they have stabilized the condition with counseling and medications. All efforts most be made to lessen the side effects of medications such that tiredness, over-weightness and other common and less-common side effects can be reduced. Often there are choices to be made for medications that have same effect on the condition, with less detrimental side effects. Counseling is vital to try to improve or retain self-esteem which is vital to deal with this condition and life in general.
I strongly recommend that parents know the effects, and possible side-effects of their child's medication. I do not rely on my doctor's to keep me informed, but do my own research. I have been told that I know both my medications and my condition better than my doctor's and therapists and this has proved vital to my achievement of balance.
Parents need to talk to their child and the adults and children they associate with about the condition openly.
My daily awareness of where my mood is at and how well I am taking care of my mental and physical needs is vital for my balance. Through recording this on my checklist over time, I have attained stability which I hope to maintain long-term or for the rest of my life. Attaining stability for a child would truly be the best way for them to integrate. From either mania or depression, integration can be difficult. Solitude can be the best form of treatment when in extreme mood swings.
So I recommend children deal with the extremes with the help of professional and identify what creates stability be it medications, therapy, personal checklists, support or other methods deemed useful. I have much info about these things on my website based on my personal success in dealing with bipolar disorder.
Children may benefit from learning about famous people who have bipolar or historical figures who have dealt with bipolar. Identifying individuals who have not been segregated and who have in fact contributed significantly to society and been leaders in their fields could help their self-esteem. My self-esteem and self-confidence have almost always been high, but this is sadly not the norm for people with mental health issues. Feeling good about who they are and accepting that their condition is a challenge they can grow from, would allow them to face their peers with confidence making integration and acceptance more likely.
Greetings,
Wendy
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