Bipolar Disorder In Children

Growing up in a family where bipolar disorder is prominent opens your eyes to the world of mental illness. My brother, a few years older than me, suffered from this illness. His severe mood swings told us that something wasn’t right. He would move on from doctor to doctor after being their patient for merely a few weeks. They thought it was just his hormones, being that he was a young boy going through the puberty stage of life. Until his symptoms got worse. Lying left and right, switching moods as if he were an on/off button, suffering endlessly. At age 18, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It was not until a year later that he started taking his medication routinely. With taking the medication, he has been able to keep his mental illness …show more content…
There have been cases in which medicine has caused hallucinations and night terrors that have harmed children long term, but those were special cases. Such children were left unmonitored with their medication, having taken the wrong dosage and/or taking the medication for too long (CBSnews.com). If properly monitored, the children would be safer on the drug then being left untreated. Joyce Harrison, MD, reveals that 14%-20% of children have mental illness. Children with untreated mental illness are more likely to be “expelled from preschool…..become involved in the juvenile justice system, and become chronically ill and unemployed as adults” all of which could have a devastating effect on the child (Harrison). This not only puts their health in danger, but also their chances of success. Robin Weinrich, mother of a child with bipolar disorder, gives her daughter antipsychotics to “deal with violent outbursts associated with bipolar disorder” to the severity in which she could end up in the hospital or “she could be in jail for killing someone ("Children and Antipsychotic Drugs”).” The child's safety is compromised when they can’t control their “violent outbursts” leaving no better option than antipsychotics which will balance their behavior. Many people believe there is more to it, but it is true that bipolar disorder is merely caused by hormonal imbalance. Though …show more content…
If they aren’t, they start carrying bad habits. They will tear up your couch, or chew on your favorite pair of shoes. They may even bite guests, instilling fear in your innocent visitors. Eventually people will be afraid of your home because your dog is out of control. You realized you should’ve trained him. He means well, but he doesn’t understand that what he’s doing is wrong. Choosing not to train the dog was not only detrimental to the animal, but was also detrimental to those surrounding him. Choosing not to medicate a child with bipolar disorder is not only detrimental to the child, but is also detrimental to his/her family, friends, and future. Training the dog would’ve fixed the problem, just as medication would help treat bipolar disorder in children. Whether or not children with bipolar disorder should be medicated is a sensitive topic. Through extensive research, I have found more reasons than not supporting the fact that children with bipolar disorder should be medicated. Like most things in life, there are risks, but the benefits of medication outweigh the risks. The child may experience side effects while taking antipsychotic drugs, but the treatment of the illness, safety of the child, and safety of the people around the child dominate this one negative aspect. If you know of a child struggling with untreated bipolar disorder, inform their parent and/or doctor immediately. It is vital that