The Effects of a Bipolar Child on a Family

The effects of bipolar disorder are challenging for anyone; but it hits people particularly hard when a child is involved. Family structures are affected by the behavior of a child with bipolar disorder, necessitating the need for education, patience and outside intervention.

Significance

• Children with bipolar disorder experience an extreme range of moods, from being manic, and in an almost constant state of excitement, to being depressed and uncommunicative. This can greatly impact other family members who live with these extreme mood changes.

Effects

• According to the National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI), family members often find themselves frustrated or angry with the child, targeting them as manipulative or unwilling to try. Parents, in particular, often struggle with feelings of guilt and helplessness as they feel unable to help their child.

Considerations

• Symptoms exhibited by children with bipolar disorder often cause strain among family members. Parents with children suffering from bipolar disorder should seek family-focused therapy to learn coping mechanisms, ways to help, and strategies to safely and effectively discuss feelings.

Misconceptions

• According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), many parents think they can "save" a person with bipolar disorder or "make them better." However, short of offering support, love and patience, and working closely with the medical professionals, no one person can "save" another from bipolar illness.

Treatment

• Treatment is a multi-level approach, which generally includes some combination of daily medication, individual and group talk therapy and a controlled environment.