What to do if your child is diagnosed with childhood bipolar disorder.

What are you going to do if your child is diagnosed with childhood bipolar disorder?

Are you ready to find out what to do? First off don't PANIC.
Then please read here a little more about bipolar disorder in children.

• Learn what actually is bipolar disorder.
• What are some of the causes of childhood bipolar disorder?
• Are you sure your child has "bipolar disease" or is he a victim of the bipolar hoax?
• What treatment plans are available for your child with bipolar disorder?

What is childhood bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorder (a "mood disorder") also known as manic depression, is commonly described as a fluctuation of intense mood swings. Periods of an elevated mood often are referred to as mania episodes. Periods of gloominess as a depressive episode. In a typical case, a person with bipolar disorder cycles between these two extremes - experiencing recurrent episodes of both elevated and depressed moods often with symptom free stretches in between.

Mania, is "diagnosed" when an individual has heighten feelings of energy, creativity and euphoria. Children with bipolar disorder in a mania episode usually "talk a mile a minute," sleep very little, and are considered hyperactive with very short attention spans.

Depression is "diagnosed" when the child is listless, careless, disinterested in life, moody, tearful, in other words just plain depressed. Unlike ordinary childhood mood swings, childhood bipolar disorder symptoms are much more intense and are disruptive to everyday functioning: affecting energy levels, activity levels, moods, judgment, school work and social behaviors.

Children with mania are more likely to be irritable and prone to destructive tantrums than to be overly happy or elated. Mixed symptoms also are common in youths with bipolar disorder. Older adolescents who develop the "illness" may have more classic, adult-type episodes and symptoms.

Childhood bipolar disorder in children and adolescents can be hard to tell apart from other problems that may occur in these age groups, according to the Diagnostic Statistics Manual for Psychiatric Disorders. Psychologists have diagnosed other "symptoms" that can be the problem instead of bipolar disorder: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), or other types of mental disorders more common among adults such as major depression or schizophrenia. Drug abuse (prescribed or otherwise) may also lead to such symptoms of childhood bipolar disorder.

Personally, I think many of these "mental disorders" or "mood disorders" can be observed in children, but I am not convinced we are talking about a "bipolar disease," as though it was a physiological disease such as a polio. In believing childhood bipolar is a "disease," we as parents, then no longer take responsibility for the mood disorder, which in my opinion is more a behavioral disorder than a mental health "disease." If we fall into that trap we then believe our only alternative is the child needs a drug prescription to overcome. I say bah humbug.

Causes of Bipolar Disorder
There is varying opinions on the cause or causes of childhood bipolar disorder. It is recommended the reader check out my webpage Cause of Bipolar Disorder for more info than what is offered in summary below.

What treatment plans are available if your child in fact has childhood bipolar disorder?

Cognitive therapy: Cognitive therapy involves meeting with a counselor to resolve some issues and behaviors that may be disrupting the young patient's life. It can be quite lengthy in resolving some issues but often with a good counselor these issues can be resolved quickly (approximately 3-6 months). Cognitive therapy helps depressive patients see the errors in their thinking and recognize the feelings and behavior that result from their distorted view.

Psychotherapy: Similar to cognitive therapy but involves more intense counseling session, for the therapist needs to "dig" into the background of the client. In doing so the client then must face the incident that caused his mind to "go off track."

This can be a very painful emotional experience. It's wise to tread carefully when opening old repulsive emotional wounds. I have the story of a 12 year boy that I helped overcome childhood bipolar disorder, who unknown to the parents suffer traumatic effects at the babysitters. Once those issues were addressed he was fine.

Spiritual therapy: A child taught that there is a living Supreme Being above who created him specifically out of the millions of possibilities of who he could have been gives a child a sense of specialness and respect for himself. When he learns he is created in the very image of God, and not some monkey or fish, who has chosen him specifically for a unique purpose, only he can fulfill in his life time, gives him hope, direction and focus.

It gives him a reason for living: learning, working and obeying. Without hope there is despair. Without direction there is frustration and sense of being lost. Without focus he goes in circles accomplishing nothing and is receptive to poor self discipline, self image and self esteem.

Dr. Charles Allen, wrote a million copy inspirational bestseller in 1953 called, God's Psychiatry. He introduced the world to faith that can work miraculous changes in your life in seven days.

He reminded us we are not only physical beings but spiritual beings as well. He reminded us that the modern word "psychiatry" comes from the two Greek words (psyche) and (iatreia): psycheiatreia. The word "psyche" means the person, and is variously translated as "breath," "soul," "mind," "reason," and the like.

The word "iatreia" means "treatment," "healing," or "restoring." So when you put the two words together we have "the healing or restoring of the mind," or has King David of the Bible said, "the restoring of the soul." I believe healing means bringing the person into a right relationship with the physical, mental and spiritual laws of God. All true scientific research is merely an organized effort to learn the laws of God and how they operate.

Thus we need to know the Word of God (Bible) use it, memorize it, and practice it for healing of the soul that is attached to the body and mind. A sense of stability and soundness of mind can be found in understanding and obeying the 10 commandments for instance. A sense of wholeness and restoration can be found in Psalm 23.

Guilt is a large part of psychiatric "diseases" including childhood bipolar disorder. I've heard as much as 98% of psychiatric mental health problems are due to unrelenting guilt and 40-50% physical problems are related to spiritual unrest. Any one can find forgiveness in Psalm 51.

The power is not in memorizing the words of Scripture but believing and meditating on the thoughts the words convey. When a sense of forgiveness is forthcoming chemical changes take place in our systems, in effect giving us a sound mind, body and soul.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): Electro therapy would be considered to dangerous for me. It basically fries your brains.

Drug therapy: There are a list of drugs now available to supposedly help individuals overcome bipolar disorder symptoms. They include, Abilify, Lithium, Tegretol, Klonopine, Valporic Acid, Ritalin. There is a host of others but these are the most common. If you care to read about their supposed benefits and their many apparent side effects please go to my web page: Medications.

Magnetic therapy: Science today is realizing we are magnetic creatures created from the "Source of light" and the "Living Water" that is a living magnetic energy field. Magnetic therapy is still an untested field but is showing some promise. You can read an article about Magnetic Treatment Centers that are cropping up in the April 2008 issue of the Baltimore Sun. The article contains research statistics from Harvard, Yale, and Columbia University.

Natural therapy: The truth of the matter is one does not need to go to a Magnetic Treatment Center to get well. They can live it, everyday of their life, in their own WELLNESS HOME. A WELLNESS HOME consists of five basic building blocks:

1. Pure water (pi) live drinking water - Could it be that our drinking water is driving us crazy? You can find out more about this on my Drinking Pure Water page.

2. "forest air"- live with active negative ions necessary for recharging your very breath of life. You can learn of the importance of pure live air and how it may well be one of the causes of "chemical imbalance" in the brain resulting in what is typically called bipolar disorder (or when diagnosed in children childhood bipolar disorder) or other mood disorders such as ADD, ADHD, and SAD. See my page Pure Air

3. proper rest and relaxation on the proper mattress, pillow and comforter. Quality sleep or lack of proper sleep disruption causes much disturbance in our delicate systems. Lack of sleep affects many of the body's natural and necessary processes, from mental clarity and mood to physical energy and immune function. Disturbed sleep causes disturbed minds.

I use the Nikken Kenko Sleep System. It's magnetic technology is incorporated in their Sleep System product and is designed to replicate the earth's natural magnetic field. Maybe that's why so many families enjoy camping. As hard as the ground is many campers have slept on the earth's floor and wake up feeling quite refresh but maybe never really understanding why. Well now you don't have to go camping you can get that same great feeling in your own home and in your own bedroom with a good quality sleep system. You can get more details by contacting me.

4. proper nutrition - this is self explanatory except to add this little tidbit about my long ago years. When I was a young mother I believed Chef Bordardee's canned ravioli served with canned string beans and a slice of buttered bread was a balanced meal. If you think this, you may want to read more on foods instrumental in the "bipolar cure."

5. appropriate amount of exercise and outdoor recreation - to finalize your wellness home and family balance. Research tells us regular physical activity supports virtually every system in your body, from the bones and muscles to our cardiovascular system. It pumps blood and oxygen to your brain reducing mental stress, anxiety and mood disorders (including childhood bipolar disorder).

Don't be fooled by the simplicity of these recommendations that may help your child overcome bipolar disorder and many other types of mood disorders. They have proven effective time and time again throughout the generations and yes even in today's world.

You may contact me personally for personal testimonies of parents whose children over came bipolar disorder, autism, ADHD symptoms using these simple natural methods. I can't legally claim any "cures" for childhood bipolar disorder, ADHD or autism but these happy parents are glad to share their testimonies. The FDA can't deny personal testimonies of greater health, greater balance of mind, body and spirit as a result of following Nature's Plan.

The truth is, those that disobey the Universal laws of Health always pay a price - deterioration of the mind, body or spirit. So get informed = get healthy + stay informed = stay healthy. Get in tune and get in balance with Nature's Laws of Health.

Conclusion:
Now you know what childhood bipolar disorder is - a set of behaviors that are observed which psychiatrists compare to a list of "symptoms" recorded in their handy DSM book. If untreated it can can cause considerable havoc in your child's life as well as your own. But you need to know that bipolar disorder has NO proven scientific physical tests to determine childhood bipolar disorder.

Please remember, getting rid (the politically correct term is - relief) of your child's bipolar disorder symptoms can be done naturally and without drugs.

You now know that there are not any one particular cause for childhood bipolar disorder symptoms and may be a combination of various hypothetical causes.

You're now aware of the different types of therapies at your disposal: psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, ECT, Drug therapy, and Natural therapy.

You also know your body is a magnetic energy force that needs to be in tune with the earth's magnetic force in order to find balance in your mind, body and soul. May it be so, on this day, as you begin your child's journey toward WELLNESS, when you begin a NEW START toward your WELLNESS HOME that your decision will make a profound difference for him and the rest of the family.

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Below are a few good books that may help you with your bipolar child. Just click on the book for more information.

You may want to also visit my astore for more than a 100 book titles on bipolar disorder.

Bon Voyage,

Dr. Cares™

Catherine Sinclair, PhD., uses the trade name Dr. Cares™. She is a licensed pastoral counselor. The information contained in this website is not to be taken as a substitute for professional advice from your qualified medical "practitioner."

The author of this website is not an M.D. and therefore must post this required FDA disclaimer. None of the statements, self testing, nor recommended alternatives to overcoming bipolar symptoms have been evaluated by the FDA. Therefore, the tested and proven experiences, testimonies, supplements and alternative and natural therapies are for informational purposes only and does not purport to prescribe, diagnose or cure any mental or physical condition.

Though as a licensed counselor she does advise her clients to be informed and involved in the recovery of their physical, spiritual and mental health. The above information has transformed many lives and the same can happen for you, but you alone are responsible for the decisions you make concerning all aspects of your health.

Return from Childhood Bipolar to No More Bipolar Disorder