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What else can be done?

Medication can go a long way to stabilize moods and is the cornerstone of treatment for bipolar disorder. However, helping your child with bipolar disorder create a happy, successful life involves much more than medication. Stability is a delicate balance that can change with stress in the environment, growth spurts and progression of the illness. In order to effectively treat childhood bipolar disorder and maintain a measure of wellness, there must be a multi-faceted approach. This approach will be specific to each child’s needs but should include the following interventions:

Therapeutic Intervention – While therapy alone has not been found to effectively treat bipolar disorder, it is an important part of an overall treatment plan. Therapy along with medication will give your child a better chance of reaching stability and staying stable longer. It may reduce the need for additional medication and can increase your child’s functionality.

Family Intervention – You may have to learn to parent your child with bipolar disorder in a completely different way than you had been prior to diagnosis, or differently than you parent your other children. Medication will not change that your child may still have some unique needs that must be addressed through a modified parenting style. (See Chapter 12: Intense Parenting) As this illness is genetic, make sure that each family member has an evaluation and treatment if necessary. This will help the whole family move forward to achieve wellness.

School Intervention – Interventions in the school environment should support your child’s treatment. This intervention should include education on bipolar disorder and its treatment for all who work with your child. Being aware of symptoms and how these interact with your child’s learning can enable educators to create a more welcoming and less stressful learning environment.

The Childhood Bipolar Disorder

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