[muhaha]

http://www.newsweek.com/id/137517/page/1

Article is 6 pages long and there's a video at the top as well of the family and son discussing his bipolar disorder. The article is good as it examines both sides of the bipolar in children debate

[earle58]

what a bittersweet article.
max has so much insight into himself.
and i applaud the parents for not medicating him to the extent of blunting all emotions.

i pray for a wondrous outcome w/this family.
i am so ready to buy one of max's great works of art.

leslie

[gentle]

Muhaha,

Thank you for posting that article. It was an emotional rollercoaster to read it. And, well worth it.

Bipolar, autism, adhd, anxiety, depression, and a host of other emotional illnesses that occur in early childhood need to be discussed and brought to the forefront of social awareness. As a mother with an autistic child, I can say that I have had many days which were not as explosive as those of a parent whose child has bipolar. It was one thing for my child not to talk, to scream, to kick, to hit and to bite; however, it is a whole different ball game when a child can talk but still does the same.

Giving and teaching language to a frustrated autistic child early in life helps to ease the cycle and eventually stop it. However bipolar children are already verbal. Their emotions move much faster than their ability to process the moment much less articulate what is happening or has just happened. The rapidity of that cycle gives such explosiveness to moment by moment life that it is exhausting for both family members and the child.

I am very grateful that the Blakes were willing to allow their story to be videoed and shared with many other families. The Blakes were very gracious to share and educate others from their personal place of pain.

[bollweevil]

Theirs is a hellish situation. Why does God do this?

[country mom]

O my, what a story. What a gracious thing for this family to share their struggles. Our knowledge about the human brain is truly very limited, isn't it. My thought is what is going to happen when this boy gets to be a teenager and his violent outbursts are more difficult to manage due to his physical size? How could he safely be kept at home?

[earle58]

Originally Posted by country mom

O my, what a story. What a gracious thing for this family to share their struggles. Our knowledge about the human brain is truly very limited, isn't it. My thought is what is going to happen when this boy gets to be a teenager and his violent outbursts are more difficult to manage due to his physical size? How could he safely be kept at home?

my sister has a special needs child (he is prone to aggression) who is now an adolescent.
they (sister/spouse/md) have been trying to adjust his meds and finding that near perfect balance.
no easy feat, for sure.

leslie