The Ups and Downs of Raising a Bipolar Child A Survival Guide for Parents [Paperback]

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Bipolar disorder has recently been identified as one of the most misunderstood and underdiagnosed conditions affecting children -- and it is dramatically on the rise.The Ups and Downs of Raising a Bipolar Childgives parents the sound advice and expert information they need to cope with this challenging diagnosis, and shows how to provide essential care and support for a bipolar child as well as for the rest of the family.Judith Lederman, a freelance writer and public relations consultant, has written forThe New York Timesand a number of national magazines, and hosted two weekly radio shows in the New York area. She is the parent of a bipolar child and lives in Scarsdale, New York.Introduction

The moment I discovered that I was the mother of a child with bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depression, my life became the ultimate learning curve. I knew something was terribly wrong one summer day in Mystic, Connecticut. My son, then five years old, stood on the edge of a pier at the seaport museum and, under a sparkling summer sky, threatened to kill himself. What horrible incident triggered the outburst? An ordinary parental limit-setting moment. I'd just informed him and his brother and sister that we were headed inside the museum. He wanted to explore another ship, and when I said no, he stomped to the edge of the pier, where he teetered over the smashing waves below. His blue eyes clouded with tears as he threatened to jump into the angry sea. A crowd began to gather as my husband and I tried to talk him away from the edge. We were afraid to charge at him and grab him, afraid he might jump. I helplessly led the other children away as my husband moved closer and spoke to our sobbing child in low tones.

We waited for what seemed to be hours but was actually only about ten minutes. Finally, my husband reappeared, hand in hand with our son. I said a silent prayer and vowed to find out what was wrong. ItlƒÊ