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6 Things Every Parent of Children With Bipolar Disorder Should Hear

2/18/2017

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In a typical world, it’s difficult enough for parents to agree on how to raise their children. Add to this the diagnosis of bipolar disorder in one of their children and the stakes change overnight. Here are six things to keep in mind when parenting:

 

 

#1 On different pages

Aside from simply disagreeing on how to raise a child with bipolar disorder, there could be other challenging scenarios: one parent learns about the disorder and tries to parent accordingly, while the other parent may deny there is even a problem, or he or she “checks out” mentally and offers little support, overwhelming the other parent. Or, both parents could be too stressed, emotional and overwhelmed to properly deal with the situation.

 

 

#2 The importance of teamwork

The child with bipolar will likely be highly sensitive to emotional and environmental stress in the household already and disagreements with his parents can produce extreme anxiety, increasing the chance of triggering a manic or depressive episode. It’s important to try and come together and understand the needs of your child so you can parent together.

 

 

#3 Agree on parenting goals

While it may take a bit of time to arrive at a plan, seeing eye to eye is extremely important and will help pave the way for rocky roads ahead. This includes what the parameters around discipline should be, types of treatment and what happens if your child should become unstable or even violent. It starts with agreeing on the same parenting goals and working from there.

 

 

#4 Attend appointments together

Whenever possible, go to medical and psychiatric appointments together. Not only does this unite you as a team, it also provides two minds thinking of questions to ask the doctor and gain more information. Plus, it’s an extra set of ears to pick up anything missed by one person.

 

#5 Join a support group

Attending a local support group together provides an opportunity for both parents to talk to other parents of children with bipolar disorder. This offers the chance to discuss successes and failures and discover what techniques have worked.

 

 

#6 Privacy, please

Do not argue, yell or fight in front of the children; instead, handle all disagreements in private. The stress created by yelling at each other in the presence of your child with bipolar is enough to trigger an episode and change the course of his or her improvement. Also, it’s good to make a habit of having all serious discussions in private as well.

 

 

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     Today, NAMI Tulsa is heavily focused on education, support groups, public policy, training, and we have developed lasting relationships with many local, state, and national agencies for the betterment of the care of our mentally ill.

    The views expressed in these columns come from independent sources and are not necessarily the position of NAMI Tulsa. We encourage public engagement in the issues and seek good journalistic sources which advance the discussion for an improved society which fosters recovery from mental health challenges.

    President Steve Baker

    2017 President of NAMI Tulsa.
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