a bipolar daughter and the family who loves her: Thank You Demi and Catherine!

About our Daughter

I am mother to four wonderful daughters, ages 17, 19, 21, and 23, and wife to the greatest husband on earth. God has given us a special child to raise one who was diagnosed with early-onset bipolar disorder at the age of seven, though she showed signs of it from the age of fifteen months. She also has ADHD, Sensory Integration Disorder (sensory seeking), Dyslexia, and Non-Verbal Learning Disorder-NOS, all typical comorbidities for a bipolar child. In spite of the trials, she enjoys lacrosse, running (finished her first marathon in October of 2014!), and reading and writing her own books. I will share with you the many joys and sorrows we have faced and will face in the future with the hope that you may find better understanding about this mental illness caused by both chemical and structural abnormalities in the brain. I desire that you will be encouraged by this blog if you are also dealing with a bipolar child. Thank you for reading and sharing in our journey.

How Did You Know She Was Bipolar So Young?

I wrote a long explanation of how we came to this bipolar diagnosis in a child so young under my post of March 19th of 2009. If your child or a child you know bears similarities, please seek out a good psychiatrist and don't wait for "things to get better." Often they will simply get worse, and the longer a child is unmedicated, the more damage their brain can accrue. Early diagnoses and treatment are key to providing these children with a chance at a successful life later as a teen and an adult.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Thank You Demi and Catherine!

The most recent People magazine, in case you haven't seen it, features interviews with Demi Levato, the singing teen sensation, and Catherine Zeta Jones, actress, divulging their personal struggles with bipolar disorder. Finally! Beautiful, smart, successful women sharing their secret illnesses with the world, to my applause and I am sure yours as well! I bought the magazine, which I never do, so I could share the articles with Caroline and my other girls. Hopefully more public figures will step forward and share their own journeys with bipolar disorder. Thank you!!!

4 comments:

Chynna said...: I thought that was phenomenal too. YAY!!!

Chynna
www.lilywolfwords.ca
www.the-gift-blog.com
www.seethewhiteelephants.com; April 29, 2011 at 4:54 PM
Anonymous said...: I bought this issue for the same reason, I'm so excited to see them share their story!; April 29, 2011 at 8:50 PM
domandkat said...: I saw that and thought of you! Glad to see you saw it too.; April 30, 2011 at 10:55 AM
asplashofsunshine said...: I haven't decided if I'm thrilled about it, or annoyed. I feel like the articles in magazines are good, although the television blurbs make bipolar out to be scary or something to be ashamed of. The tone of voice and the questions frustrate me for some reason. I AM very glad that the word bipolar is being tamed a bit, rather than something horrifying, scary, or negative.; April 30, 2011 at 11:22 AM