How to Help a Child With Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that affects between 1 and 3 percent of children of the general population, according to Dr. Mani Pavuluri, director of the Pediatric Mood Disorders Program at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Symptoms of bipolar disorder include stark changes from ecstatic happiness to deep depression as well as irritability, inexplicable rage and frequent mood swings. Several steps can be taken to cope with the disorder and help your child.

Things You'll Need

• Informative literature
• Medication

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Instructions

• 1

  Educate yourself and your child on the disorder. The more you know about it, the better you will be able to help your child manage her medication and spot signs of a bipolar episode. See a doctor or psychiatrist to get your child formally diagnosed. Ask the doctor or psychiatrist for informative literature on the disorder and things you can do to be a better parent to a bipolar child.

• 2

  Keep a strict schedule for your child's medication. If your child is properly diagnosed, he most likely will be given a prescription to help balance his moods. Make sure your child takes his medication at the same time every day as prescribed to help his symptoms subside.

• 3

  Maintain a consistent sleep schedule for your child. Sleep deprivation and erratic sleep cycles are known to throw emotions out of balance and make the symptoms of bipolar disorder worse. Try to get your child to go to bed at the same time each night and wake up around the same time each morning. Make sure that she is getting at least eight hours of sleep.

• 4

  Regulate the use of stimulants such as caffeine and sugar. Too much of either caffeine or sugar can affect your child's mood and energy levels and even spark a manic episode. Be careful when giving your child any additional medications for a cold or allergies. Read the box of each medication before giving it to your child to see if it can safely interact with the bipolar medication.

• 5

  Have your child attend regular therapy sessions with a licensed therapist. Find a physician or therapist that specializes in bipolar disorder or mood disorders in general and have your child see him on a regular basis. The physician or therapist can help your child learn to further cope with her disorder.

• 6

  Have patience and understanding with the child. Remind yourself that your child is not acting this way out of his own free will but rather as a consequence of the bipolar disorder. Avoid getting angry or upset with your child if he is having a bipolar episode and never blame him for having the disorder. Such hurtful comments can negatively affect your child's moods and temperament and prevent him from trusting you.

• 7

  Be there for your child emotionally. Having bipolar disorder can be a life-changing, even traumatic thing for a child or teen. Support your child be being a shoulder to cry on, by giving advice and calming pep talks and by being there to listen to your child's fears and worries.