Dear FRONTLINE,

Dear Frontline and Parents with Children of Bipolar disorder;

I have a 12 year old boy who was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder at age 7. Before medications he had all classic signs of pediatric bi-polar disorder and often expressed extreme rages. He was a rapid cycler and would show several different extreme emotions all within a 24 hour period. He would go through periods of depression, as well as extreme psychotic episodes. He would have periods of black out rage, and often showed signs of euphoria, and grandiose ideas. He would often have rapid speech, and his thoughts never seemed to make any sense.

He showed symptoms at from the time he was born. This is something my son was born with. I feel that without medication, my son would not be alive today, he would have eventually taken his own life.

I have gone to Several doctors and reached out to many people for help. My son Bradley is a great child who is misunderstood. He struggles with school, and still has some minor symptoms. He is currently only on two medications, a mood stabilizer and an anti-anxiety medication. I feel that this is a great combination for him. I want to caution parents to research the drugs their kids are on, and watch the doses. Also ask about the mixtures of the medications, ask if the different medications your children are on are working with each other or against each other. Lot of the medications need regular blood work to watch the therapeutic levels in the blood stream.

We as parents must weigh the pros and cons of these medications. The mood stabilizer my son is currently on is also given to patients with epilepsy. Most of us as parents would not think twice in giving this medication to our child if they were having seizures. We get a lot of grief from people who do not understand this disorder about medicating our children. They have never had to live with this disorder, and these same people would not think twice about giving a diabetic child insulin.

I could relate to the parents featured on this show and would ask them to contact me. Although i am in Canada the diagnosis is the same and the symptoms are the same.

If you would like to contact me please email me or add me to MSN, at bpkids@live.ca.

Thank you for your time

Lorie Compton
Orillia, Ontario, Canada

Dear FRONTLINE,

Quite incredible how our society forbids parents from the Biblical concept of "spare the rod, spoil the child." However, it is legally acceptable to wait for the untrained children to become out of control, and then medicate them with drugs resulting in life long tics and other known and unknown side effects. This is madness and another example how secular society throws the natural order of things completly out of harmony.

I enjoyed the show, but it could have been enhanced by including information related to parental discipline and the processed food diet of the average American child. Instead of a $3000 brain scan and harsh drugs to flag and treat the three year old child, we need to take a much closer look at at the aforementioned factors that cause normal children to be deemed worthy of anti-depressants and anti-psychotic drugs.

Just like the adults who blindly invested in over inflated real estate that is now in forclosure, I am amazed at how many parents were convinced by psychiatrists to use their child in an"experiment" that the doctors even admitted was not actually scientific.

john nichols
lyons, Colorado

Dear FRONTLINE,

There is no need to bash parents in order to raise questions about the recent explosions of psychiatric diagnoses in children and the use of powerful psychoactive drugs in kids.

For the most part, psychiatrists don't really know the physical bases of these "illnesses" and they don't know how the drugs they use "treat" them. Yet they are willing to prescribe large doses of multiple drugs to young children with developing bodies, brains, and personalities. You don't have to be a medical expert to sense something is wrong here.

In addition, the past history of psychiatry is one of faddishness - How many cases of "multiple personality do you hear of now and how many in the 1970's? - and abusive and harmful treatments - beatings, dunkings, warehousing, and lobotomy to name just a few. In each case, the psychiatrists at the time assured us that they knew what they were doing and we should trust them. Why, in the light of history, should we trust them now - with our kids, no less!? When a diagnoses of a supposed disorder increases by 4000 percent, it's time for a healthy dose of skepticism.

Dennis Thompson
Northampton, MA

Dear FRONTLINE,

I watched this program, and was intrested because i am diagnosised with Bipolar and am on many medications. i would like people to know that, although there is a trial and error process, once the right medications are found they work. I was diagnosised when I was 15, and now that I am 17 the drugs have been working well for a year. Although it did take a year to get the drugs figured out, i have a noticable improvement with my mood.

Jeff Hansen
madison, ct

Dear FRONTLINE,

I did have a similar experience with my son who is now 13 year old. Probably die to his birth sickness he was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was 2-3 year old. He was treated with medications after medications and was drowsy like a drugged boy with lots of symptoms that would make him even more medicated. Than we saw a very renowned doctor at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. He was a big proponent of European way of treating such cases - namely without or with very minimal medications. On that first and last visit to that Doctor changed our lives. He asked us to gradually lower all doses and finally eliminate all the medications. We did that in course of 2-3 months. To our joy, my son became more normal than he was ever before. Since than , I am telling my story to my friends and family and tell them to ask their doctors to do exactly what we did. I still feel that our son could be a in much better physical and mental health had he not been taking all those medications for several years. Of course, we feel very lucky to have him relieved from medications when we did.

I would strongly suggest to all the parents to treat their childrens with traditional love and care and not worry about bi-polar situation. I strongly feel that nature and time would take care of them much better than the medications.

Sanjeev Patel
mt prospect, illinois

Dear FRONTLINE,

My 15 year old daughter has been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder on three seperate occassions with three different psychiatrist. She has suffered for years with depression and severe anxiety, particularly directed at school related activities. She has been prescribed approximately twenty different medications throughout the past 5 years. All of them either made her symptoms worse and/or were not successful in treating her symptoms.

Finding doctors and therapist that actually communicate with each other is extremely difficult and each one treats in a different way. Most psychiatrist spend very little time evaluating as well as tracking how the medications are working. Pediatricians are most times unable or unwilling to be involved with treatment and refer out.

Fortunately after years of suffering with severe symptoms we have found a therapist and medication that helping a bit. Both our therapist and medication prescriber, a psychiatric RN, disagree with the diagnosis of bi-polar. My daughter and I also agree with this and are only using a medication for depression, Lexapro. Every medication we have tried for bi-polar has resulted in worsening symptoms, hallucinations, outbursts and more depression.

We have to work through things on a daily basis and try to find other ways to help her cope with her depression, talk therapy, exercise, diet. I find the label of "bi-polar" seems to be thrown around very easily by psychiatrists. Each time she received this diagnosis it was only after a brief introduction and questionaire with ten yes/no answers on it. This is extremely frustrating. Would a doctor treat cancer and/or other childhood diseases in this manner? I don't understand why such severe mental illness is dealt with in such a manner. More or less, you answered most of these quetions yes so, oh yeah you have bi-polar, take this RX and come back and talk for five minutes in a few weeks, if it doesn't work we will try something else. And in the meantime you have a child who is suffering daily and a family struggling to help them. This has happened to us three times and all have been with doctors associated with large group practices.

I sincerely hope that the psychiatry profession will be compeled to have a more in depth and defined way to diagnos and evaluate mental health in children. The only way this will happen is if parents push for more answers and refuse to just "take what the doctor says" as gospel. This is a very dangerous situation for our children. The drug companies are not helping.

Good luck to everyone who struggles to find answers for thier children. Keep pushing and searching for the right people, it is exhuasting and troubling to watch your child suffer and not know how to help them or where to find real help for them.

If anyone knows of any parent groups that are in the Metrowest area that deal with this subject please post it.

Hopkinton, MA

Dear FRONTLINE,

I disagree with children being put on behavioral medication. My son was diagnosed and recommended to be on many drug regimens due to A.D.D. I declined to put him on meds years ago because I believed that the negative side effects of these drugs outweighed the benefits. My son is now... years old and has learned to control his A.D.D.. He has served in the Armed forces and graduated I.T.T. and now holds a steady job. My opinion is that its the meds that keep them from having a normal life and not their behavior.

Fabiola Frasch
Covina, CA

Dear FRONTLINE,

Hi, I am the mother of an 8 year old boy who was diagnosed at 5 and 1/2 years old as having pediatric bi-polar. The most important point I can make to people who assume parents and doctors who choose to medicate children, especailly young children, have taken the easy road are mistaken.

It is not easy to get medication for a 5 year old. Doctors don't want to go near the issue at all unless they absolutely have to. Medicating a child is a stigma placed on both the parent and the doctor. Thank God I found a child psychiatrist brave enough to take on my son. By the way, My son tried to kill himself 3 times before his 6th birthday. He would not be here today if he had not received medication. As it is, every time he out grows his dosage, he becomes suicidal until re-stablized. I look at my son's bipolar as a cancer in his brain, one that the odds are against him surviving. I thank God every day for his medicine and his docotrs and I beg the medical industry to aggressively explore this topic, in the hope that their findings will help my child grow up.

Highland Lakes, NJ

Dear FRONTLINE,

A friend of mine gave me the link to this story and I have finally been able to finish watching and wow what a powerful story!. I know now that I'm not the only parent going through hell.My son Hunter just turned 8 this month and he's been on medication since he was 4. Hunter's current medication is 60 mg of Focalin XR, 1mg of Risperdal, 3 times a day and Clonidine, 2 pills(not sure on the mgs)to help him sleep through the night. Hunter has been diagnosed with ADHD, Oppositional Defiant with a Mood Disorder and is currently in a specaial class at school for children whom are described as "Emotionally Disturbed".

Hunter's problems started when he was 3 1/2 to 4 years in preschool, he had severe temper trantrums that would sometimes last up to 2 hours. It's been all downhill since, he's been suspended from school for pushing his teacher in 1st grade, we lost several babysitters because no one can handle him which is a whole other issue(I have to work outside the home to help support my family). Every aspect of our life is a struggle with Hunter and it's very hard on my 9 1/2 year old son as well as my marriage.

Those of us who have children on these types of medication have no where else to turn and would not be able to live with our children without medication. I could go on and on with our struggles but the bottom line is we have received some relief because of these medications and for that I'm grateful!!

Mom of a very difficult cild

Carmen Halley
Plain City, Oh

Dear FRONTLINE,

Thirteen years ago I was stationed at the Naval Base in Rota, Spain with my wife and 5 year old son. He was enrolled in the Department of Defense school (DoDDSS) there.

His teacher shortly into his first school year started making complaints that my son's behaviour was detracting from the class, that he exhibited signs of ADD, and he would not be permitted to return until he'd seen the Air Force Services for Exceptional Children (AFSEC) office to speak to their psychiatrist.

I was not aware that American teachers are lisenced to make provisional diagnosis. Nevertheless, my wife and I made the appointment, and less than ten minutes into it the psychiatrist had determined he was indeed ADD and needed to be started on a regimen of Ritalin. He went as far as to say that I would benefit from it, too, though he was not examining me, and a maintenance medication would destroy my Naval career.

I had briefly taken Ritalin when I was 11 - my mother, a psychologist, was so horrified by the effects that she took me straight off it. I would not do the same service for my son.

I told the doctor "No" (but not so nicely) and if that wasn't good enough for DoDDS, we would enroll our child in a Spanish school out in town where we lived. After a conference with the doctor, the teacher agreed to move ahead without the drug.

My son continued in counselling however. We arrived in Florida for new duty a few years later. When he reached the third grade, his counsellor and teacher thought that the real problem might be he was not as mature socially as he should be for third grade, and perhaps what he really needed was simply setting back a year.

My son won Jacksonville's only fully-funded City scholarship to the University of North Florida this year. I shudder to think what the outcome would have been if he had been forced to endure the powerful effects of "speed" for all thst time instead, and also glad for my mother's help in seeking alternatives to drugs as the cure for every problem of childrearing. Love, diligence, and patience were what it took, not a bunch of white tablets.

James Kulacz
Ponca City, Oklahoma

Dear FRONTLINE,

I've lived in many different States in the U.S. and currently I live in Germany. The one thing I've noticed about psychiatry is that every where you go there's a slightly different take on it.

It seems to me that the medicine of psychiatry is about as infantile as the practice of blood letting in the 18th century. We have a few hundred years to go yet.. and maybe more if drug profits are a bigger motivation than actual effective treatments.

Here in Europe one thing I've noticed is a monumental difference in children's behaviors and substantial lack of psychiatric problems. Hell even the dogs behave better over here. I think the fundamental difference is people know how to handle diverse personalities and have more patience.

In Europe it's more accepted that kids will be kids. And they don't all fit a perfect mold. Europeans aren't looking for a quick fix or easy way out of the parenting dilemma. Diversity is much more accepted here in general.

Hell if you sold some straight "A" elixir at the corner drugstore Americans would buy it by the truckload... Europeans don't fall for that pharmaceutical marketing.. they understand it takes hard work and effort for some. And just because it's easier for others, doesn't mean you need drugs to make up the gap.

Tony Walton
Heidelberg, Baden-Wrttemberg

Dear FRONTLINE,

Thank you again for this and you did a great job. I hope and pray you do it again.I noticed in the discussion, that, Dr. Patrick Burke md from Houstin, TX said '1 hour is not enough' to cover this issue. I wish psychiatrists would realize this when it comes to diagnosing and 'medicating' children based on what adults say about the child and not taking into consideration that this could be learned behavior.It's intersting that the the children of adult adhd parents are exibiting 'symptoms' could this be learned behavior? Could we study that as a theory? Could we consider also the comments of another psychiatrist who said 'we're all looking for some one to blame' I agree, and unfortunately it seems to be the children.

l s
california city, ca

Dear FRONTLINE,

My daughter, 13, is currently in a mental hospital after spending two weeks at Childrens Hospital. On Jan 2, 2008, appearing normal and happy, broke into a gun case, after trying 6 times realized that she had to put bullets into the gun, loaded a 12 gauge shot gun with 20 gauge shells. She then shot herself in the head. Thankfully she had the wrong shells. 47 pellets were removed from her head and there was a hole. I have never heard of a little girl using a shot gun to her head.

I have seen and read many reports, documentaries, etc. on bipolar and children and adults. 90% of the time my daughter is completely normal. However, if a rage hits her the violence is so extreme. This is her forth suicide attempt and she has beaten me twice. Most of the time she is an exceptional teenager. No drugs or alcohol or sex. She is polite to others and loving towards animals. She cuts and does not seem to care about pain or anything that happens to her.

If anyone has any insight, I question her diagnosis.

Jill Miller
Milford, MI

Dear FRONTLINE,

I have overcome a lifetime of wearing the label "bipolar". I found a CURE through, diet, love, support and Gods Grace and no longer take psychiatric medication.

For 22 years of my life I took psychiatric medications daily; Lithium, Depakote, Lamictal, Neurotin, Paxil, Wellbutrin, Imapramine, Geodon, Zyprexa, Risperdal, the list goes on and on (as a result of taking neuroleptic medications I have Tardive Dystonia, Tardive Dyskenesia and Tardive Dimentia - the struggle of which living with now is far more difficult than any emotional problem I ever had - GOOD LORD)

I am now drug free and psychological stable and happy. I will do anything to help those dealing with the emotional problems of their children to SAVE THEM FROM PSYCHIATRIC DRUG TORTURE. Please, please I beg of you - dont put your kids on these drugs. There is a better solution! My heart breaks. There is such huge profits in big pharm & medications that other resources are neglected - these children are being killed.

The number one thing to understand is that your children are allergic to the many of the foods they eat - pretty simple. I become a psychotic monster if I eat a Big Mac from McDonalds (no joke). Start here - look at what your putting in them, what is around them. Read Philpotts "Brain Allergies". Please, please listen to me!

I found that I am highly allergic to certain foods. Wheat, eggs, and dairy. Once I eliminated them from my diet and supplemented Omega oils, vitamins, minerals and certain Amino Acids I found recovery.

Salt Lake City, Utah

Dear FRONTLINE,

As a one time kid who was diagnosed at thirteen with ADHD, then later Asperger's Syndrome, having been through regimens of various drugs, including a neuroleptic which I'm convinced left me with lingering Parkinsonian symptoms, having been through ECT, I understand that life can be particularly hard for some kids more than others. Let's not forget that these stories are about the kids as much as the parents; however difficult it is for the parents, whatever the criticism and doubt, these kids have to live with problems for the rest of their lives, live to be adults with childhoods that cannot be undone.

One thing that really disappoints me, what I've heard on the program, and read on the discussion, on the part of some of the parents, is the assertion that drugs, particularly antipsychotics, make their kids normal, or even a hope that they will do so.

I hate to break anyone's heart, but this is nonsense. If you take a bipolar kid and give him an antipsychotic, he doesn't turn into a normal kid, he turns into a bipolar kid on an antipsychotic. Parents ought to realize that children are different from each other, learn to accept that their children are different, and encourage acceptance on the part of children -- not bad behavior. I shouldn't have to say that; Fred Rogers spent over thirty years preaching the same thing.

We live in an American civilization drowning in adrenaline and cheap thrills. It's a lot of pressure for kids, and some are especially unprepared for dealing with it in any acceptable way. When you think about when these kids have problems, most of the time there are situations that provoke the problems. Parents in your program acknowledge this. Instead of dealing with the child's stress with stupefaction, so often, how about removing the source of the stress and anxiety? If the kid throws a fit every time you take him to Chuck E. Cheese, how about not taking him there? Same thing with shopping malls, birthday parties, or whatever else. It may be controversial, but I'd say the same thing about school. Not everyone is built for public schooling. I see there has been at least one parent on the discussion who mentioned home schooling, and I'm all for it. It doesn't have to just be about creationism and the ten commandments. Another technique is called "unschooling"; there's a story about it on Minnesota Public Radio: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/05/16/unschooling/. The fact is that kids may be very precocious in some respects and lag behind their peers in others. Sometimes it just takes time to learn the skills to cope with one's own pain, with one's own problems. It may take twenty years.

I'm thirty years old, haven't used drugs in four years, and I'm doing just fine. Drugs are not an only solution for childhood problems, nor do they always need to be a permanent solution. Kids, with luck, grow up. Parenting ought to be about guiding kids on a path to self-actualized adulthood, neither about indulging the child or the parent. A regretted childhood may last for eighty years; when people say "think of the children", I think of the adults that they will one day become, for better or worse. We'll all be living among them.

Warrenville, IL