Dear FRONTLINE,

As the parent of a child being treated for bi-polar disorder, I have seen first hand the positive effects on the life of my childand our family through the judicious use of medication. I wish that Frontline had talked to more parents who had initiated a search for answers to their children's emotional struggles and truly out of control behavior, rather than presenting parents who seemed to be talked into medicating their children.Yes, this is a complicated issue and troubled children need to be considered from all angles as to what can be causing their symptoms. My son has trouble regulating emotions, sensory integration problems with hearing and vision, and learning disabilities. What I long for is holistic psychiatric care that would take into consideration each child as an individual; their physical and emotional well being with attention paid to medication, diet, sensory needs, as well as learning and social issues.It does no good to just cast doubts on the use of medication and make parents anxious without discussing what could take its place. Our children's problems are real, not just the product of " high expectations" or over-anxious parenting. A discussion about mental health care in this country and the removal of stigma surrounding it would be a worthwhile topic for future programs

Chicago, IL

Dear FRONTLINE,

From infancy my daughter was precocious. We called her gifted, spirited, hyper... We managed with breathing techniques, relaxation and schedules. When it seemed we were struggling more than enjoying her (at the age of 12), we sought help from a child/adolescent psychiatrist who practices with a psychologist. With a small dose of Focalin and regular therapy, she is successful in school, with her grades, with her friends and is happier at home. She enjoys her life much more.

My concern is that media hype im addtion to a lack of public awareness of mental illness overall creates the inflammatory responses I've read on this post. Psychiatric illness needs to be recognized as an illness, in the same way as cancer, diabetes, etc. Families should learn to trust competent practitioners of the field and stop fearing the "stigma" of a diagnosis.

kristin trammell
steger, illinois

Dear FRONTLINE,

I found this discussion of medicating children very interesting but I wonder how much diet plays a role in children's behavior. The parents who want to do the best for their children and limit the amount of medication a child takes may also not want to feed their children a diet of corndogs and gatorade.

Joanna Lewis
Boulder, CO

Dear FRONTLINE,

As a pharmacist, I too am alarmed at the increasing diagnosis of psychiatric disorders in young children, and the resulting use of associated medications; despite my scientific training in the proper use of these medications, I believe as a society we need to look deeper to solve this problem.

Our children are a reflection of their parents and the culture at large- we worship the television with its incessant portrayals of sex and violence, and play on computers, video games, and MP3 players, rather than sharing meals, conversation, and exercise outdoors together...perhaps this constant artificial media stimulation is contributing to this increase in children's behavior problems, and- as adults themselves want a "magic pill" to cure their ills, so they want the same for their children. I believe parents might try more discipline, more love, and more attention as a solution- not powerful medications.

Springfield, Missouri

Dear FRONTLINE,

There is not enough space to write all that I want to say. I have a child that we adopted at two years old. He is now 6, and has been officially diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder. The symptoms are similar to that of ADD and Bipolar disorder. We struggled for four years, not really knowing what was wrong, or what to do. His behavior was intense. We chose NOT to put him on medication, but rather looked at therapy. The therapy was inconclusive and ineffective. Over the past year, I came across a book, called "Beyond Consequences Logic and Control" by Dr. Bryan Post. It gave us a new understanding into our child and why his behavior was out of control. The results have been tremendous! I highly recommend this book. It has changed our lives! My child is a different kid. His outburst are less and less. I still can't believe the changes that have come about over the past year. He went from screaming, spitting, hating, and hitting to calm, more quiet, able to be affectionate, no more spitting, very loving, laughing, and more at peace. He still has outburst, but they are considerably less. We are able to assess where he's at and deal with the situation in a way that allows him to calm down and move forward from there. We started with some small changes, and the first thing I noticed was that he was able to hold my hand, which he could not do before. And from there we started working more, and saw more changes. The changes sound simple when you read the book, but they take a lot of hard work, and support. But the results are SO worth it!His school is still unable to meet his academic needs in a classroom environment. We are looking at a private institution, or homeschool. He falls behind,but I'm able to work extra at home to keep him caught up. Being an "Attachment" child, he struggles socially, but is making great progress. His learning abilities aren't "normal", and he doesn't qualify as special ed. Therefore the school doesn't seem to know what to do with that outside of medicating him. I have started conducting research on my own as to know more about the checks & balances in our public school system. My questions to counselors of Exemplary Rated schools inquire about the types of behavioral issues assessed; percentage of students with behavioral issues; how students with behavioral issues are screened; qualifications of school counselors; what is being done to meet the needs of students with behavioral issues; what is implemented outside of behavior modification (positive & negative reinforcement); What's working with the implementation? (working defined as: a student needs have been met, there is considerable decrease in behavioral issues, and academically they are sustaining an average grade level -- not falling behind); how are schools tracking this progress? are there any reports to see actual results available to parents? I hope to raise public awareness in my experience of what has worked by starting a local parent support group in the early spring of 2008, and to shed some light on accountability in our public school system to better meet the needs of these children.There is HOPE outside of medication!!!

CJ Merrell
Midlothian, TX

Dear FRONTLINE,

As a Harvard-trained child and adolescent psychiatrist, I anxiously watched the program, now somewhat comfortable with the ambiguity and animosity my field of medicine faces on a daily basis. Overall, I felt the portrayal was fair, thoughtful, and adequately addressed the major issues.

The resistance from parents, media, therapists, and educators in being referred for a psychiatric evaluation is powerful. I frequently feel on the defensive when preparing to explain diagnoses, treatment options, and probable outcomes due to the overwhelming stigma against psychiatry. But mostly, parents and families are desperate by the time they reach our desks. Ending up in the child psychiatrist's appointment book usually entails multiple failed trials of nutritional, behavioral, therapeutic, and/or neurological interventions, or opting to "wait and see." Basically, we see the worst of the worst-- not the average temper tantrums, pubertal mood swings, or normal adolescent stressors with which most families identify and individuals recall from their youth.

As the program repeatedly points out, there is just not enough data to support most of what we do. Yet we are challenged to help children and families that are in our offices using what little evidence-based medicine exists coupled with our training and clinical experience. Is it perfect? No. Is it risky? Sometimes. Does it work? Usually. Is it worth it? Unequivocally, yes.

Brad Deal, MD
Fort Lauderdale, FL

Dear FRONTLINE,

First of all, it's clear to me that the producers of this show believe that it's a mistake to medicate children. This biases the outcome. I would love to have the producers spend a weekend with a "difficult child". Perhaps they could experiment with some of the alternative therapy's that sound so appealing to someone watching from the sidelines. Our son, who's now 13, took medications from 3rd grade until last year. After a rocky trial that ended with antipsychotics and a bipolar diagnosis, we went the route of the brain scan through Amen clinic. They diagnosed general anxiety disorder with a prescription of trileptal and tenex. Was the brain scan a big help? I'm not sure. I think the lesson I learned from all this is that the doctor choice is huge. Some doctors are less cautious about taking chances on prescribing more potent meds. Some doctors think "everyone" is bipolar. Don't be afraid to get a second or third or fourth opinion. Towards the end of the show they reinterviewed the doctor from the first version of the show. He talked about following the lead of the pediatric cancer industry that acknowledged that they were experimenting and needed to coordinate with each other. Is this happening in the adolescent psychiatric industry? I sure hope so. Was our son helped by meds? Probably. Was he hurt by meds? Probably not. We're fortunate that he's been able to have a fairly average childhood and stop taking his meds without serious repercussions.

Roger J
Gig Harbor, wa

Dear FRONTLINE,

We have a wonderful 7 year old daughter who suffers with bi-polar disorder. The illness runs in the family and we are glad that we and the doctors caught it early with our daughter. As for those who insist that there is no such illness, especially in children, I can only shake my head and hope that they never have to cross into the dark bi-polar world.

Scott Brothers
Plano, TX

Dear FRONTLINE,

Obviously, these people do not completely understand Bipolar Disorder. Without proper diagnosis and medications, many who suffer from mania and depression episodes seek to help "cure" themselves by taking prescription narcotics, illegal drugs, and drinking alcohol. Bipolar Disorder tends to run in families. If people take the time to research their familial medical histories, many will find long lists of alcoholics, drug abusers,depression, suicides, compulsive gambling, spending,arrests, school behavior problems etc. In fact, many teens quit taking their medications because they feel they do not need them any more. They often fall into a deep depression and take measures to end their lives.

So, do I beleive young children, if diagnosed, with Bipolar Disorder should take medications to provide a balance of chemicals in the brain? YES! I do! It is a long road to get the right drug combination for your child suffering from Bipolar Disorder. Once the combination is correct and you see your child's depression and horrific mood swings subside it is definitely worth taking several pills! Parents have monthly visits to the Psychologist or Psychiatrists to monitor the effectiveness of the medications and to monitor the child's growth and vital signs. I feel strongly that children with Bipolar Disorder need the medications to give them the sense of balance they desperately yearn for.

Wanda Ligon
Woodstock, GA

Dear FRONTLINE,

Our now 10 year old daughter has been on many of the atypical antipsychotic drugs and other drugs to try to control many problems since she was 5 years old. She is nominally on the autistic spectrum, but shares some problems of children on the bipolar spectrum, including serious physical aggression, self-injurous behavior, and extremely poor impulse control, to name a few.

I don't believe any parent takes at all lightly the decision to medicate their child, for anything. My husband and I are quite well educated and our daughter is the most precious gift we've ever been blessed to receive, and it was only in desperation that we realized our daughter needed medical intervention.

After a few years of the last particular atypical antipsychotic, the reasons she was on this drug worsened, and she also developed serious side effects that fortunately eventually went away. She has been on Lithium now for a year and a half, and this has been the most efficatious drug for her, with the fewest side effects. It seems tragic and horrific that her (now former) psychiatrist only chose Lithium as a last resort when it is well known both for its efficacy and its safety.

It has been an extremely disheartening experience as a parent not to have professionals or family or the public understand or even believe the kinds of behaviors our daughter exhibited unless and until these people witnessed these behaviors themselves. Being a parent of a child with these kinds of problems is not only off the chart stressful, but extremely isolating. To those of you who think either our child's behaviors couldn't have been that serious, or that something like aromatherpy could've done the trick, you have no idea what you're talking about.

Lincoln University, Pa

Dear FRONTLINE,

As the parent of a bipolar child, it was difficult to watch tonight's episode. While I related and empathized with the parents on the show, I could also see how an outsider could judge us for medicating out children.

To you who do, I ask that you not judge, but instead have compassion.

Tonight's episode was comprehensive, in depth and thorough. However, there is no way you could understand what it is like to watch your child go through this unless you are there. You can't understand how painful it is to see him completly loose control - so much so that you see his eyes go dead. You can't understand the fear of terror that your 7-year old has considered killing himself. And you can't understand the feeling of panic when you see a kitchen knife on the counter - left there by accident - that you don't know if he will use on you during the next rage.

There have been times that my only hope was that when he did hurt someone, that he would have a sympathic judge who would get him help and not just lock him away. Yes, I even briefly considered killing both of us. Him, to protect the world from his rages, and myself because I knew I couldn't live afterward.

All that said, know that now, three years later, properly medicated and in a wonderful school with a wonderful therapist, my son is doing about 1000% better than he was before the medication. I'm an educated parent. I do the research and ask the questions. I'm not in favor of throwing drugs at a problem. But in some cases, medication can save lives.

Rebecca Sander
Plano, Texas

Dear FRONTLINE,

From a Mother of a 9 yr old son dx with Bipolar Type 1 with ADHD. I get so furious an upset hearing others critizie giving these dx's and meds to children. Since about age 2 to age 8..My son went as far as starting fires in the night, Jumped out of a moving car just to get back to my brother's house, my son would go for 3 days w/o a wink of sleep. He climbed up on our roof an wanted to jump as he was laughing hysterically not relize the consequenses of that action. I would get hit or have a full blown temper in the middle of a store if i didn't get him what he wanted if I said No the store would have damage. Zach would have full blown episodes getting into school, he at one time even kicked a cop and called her a name. For those families out there that aren't stable, God bless you, things will get better. Get stable on meds then Therapy.

Amy Huber
Xenia, Ohio

Dear FRONTLINE,

I am a psychologist and I am so appauled by psychiatrist, Dr. Bacon that I had to write. Dr. Bacon stated that 99 percent of children's problems with bipolar disorder could be solved with medication when one of his patient's mother asked if she should consider therapy for her child. Therapy has been shown to be effective, while medication has not. He has obviously had not had the training he needs in therapeutic intervention or empirically validated treatments. How would he make a living if the public knew the truth?

Theresa Kellam
Arlington, Texas

Dear FRONTLINE,

It may be difficult for those who do not have mentally ill children to believe how difficult it is to have a child with this kind of illness. Their problems are not due to poor parenting. It is the manisfestation of brain chemistry gone awry. As the mother of a daughter who has suffered with mental illness since she was very young, I have nothing but sympathy for parents of these children.

I remember my daughter's psychiatrist saying that if she wasn't so young, she would diagnose her as bipolar. I wonder if she had been given drugs when she was younger if her current problems could have been avoided, or at least lessened. She is now 30 years old. Her life has been significantly damaged by mental illness. Children were not diagnosed as bipolar when she was a child.

I understand the anguish and conflict these parents feel in trying to make good decisions for their children. They face stigma and ignorance. They face inadequate guidance from professionals who have limited research to guide them. I do not blame the mental health professionals who try despirately to help these families.

It is tragic.

Mental illness devastates families. As a society, we do not give mental illness the same resources and understanding that we give to physical illness.

Thank you for airing this program. I hope that it leads to better understanding and knowledge to meet the challenge of pediatric mental illness.

Lebanon, Ohio

Dear FRONTLINE,

Let us not kid ourselves, psychiatrists and others in the mental health professions have decided for the rest of us that children who behave in socially unacceptable ways are "not normal" and have mood disorders and need drugs. And we, the general public, have let them do the thinking for us and allow them to drug the brain and body of developing human beings.

What has happened to our culture that we are so unable to relate to, to comfort, to be patient with, to be accepting of small children and teens, to allow them to work through developmental and human struggles (which is the work of all humans at all stages of life) and to accept them as imperfect children, with their foibles, their temper tantrums, their moods, their distractibilities?

It is not an exaggeration to say that many parents and their children are completely gullible and naive about mental health issues and will gladly accept the "wisdom" of doctors over their own correct judgments (which, sadly, they have learned not to trust).

It is a horror that children are using psychotropic drugs.

Bayside, New York