AnswerSix

Will treating my child rob him of his gift?

You may be concerned that treating your child will affect his creativity or other gifts. Some may reason that if the great creative minds in history suspected of having bipolar disorder had been treated, perhaps they would not have given the same contributions to the world. This reasoning romanticizes suffering. While great works have come from suffering of all types, no one has ever chosen to be in pain—it was the unfortunate circumstance of their situation.

Good parents would never knowingly allow their child to suffer on the assumption that he will someday make a great contribution to society because of it. Parents should focus on raising happy healthy children who grow to adulthood and have the ability to function within society and enjoy their lives.

As to the many gifted artists, writers, musicians, etc. who have suffered from untreated bipolar disorder, if their moods had been stabilized, perhaps many of them would not have been lost to a premature death, robbing society of any future contributions that could have been made. Additionally, many gifted individuals who did not take their own lives still lost years of time immobilized by depression. Some budding creative geniuses were not even able to bloom before being lost to suicide (check out www.notunnoticed.com). So while the suffering of individuals with bipolar disorder may have given some contributions to society, it has also taken them away—as well as making the sufferers live in misery.

While treatment will surely change your child’s life course, it can also allow him the opportunity to stabilize and grow. You aren’t robbing him of his gift but you are helping him have enough control over his emotions to express his gift. To that end, carefully monitor medication side effects and levels so that your child is not unnecessarily experiencing negative side effects or overmedication that could negatively impact his ability to flourish.

The Childhood Bipolar Disorder

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