What is it like to have a mind you can't control?

For three young people diagnosed with bipolar disorder, it's a brave journey into uncharted medical and emotional territory.

The Wild Child, a one-hour WFCR radio documentary produced by Karen Brown, follows Erin, Eric, and Athena, along with their parents, doctors, teachers, and advocates, as they navigate puberty and adolescence with a serious mood disorder.

Seventeen-year-old Erin is a Nirvana fan with a history of substance abuse; Athena is a 10-year-old aspiring cheerleader who lives on disability with her single mom; Eric is a 15-year-old disciple of Conan O’Brien who still holds a record for most middle-school detentions.

Erin Reddick

Through these young people’s blunt, honest, and often humorous voices, we learn about the early signs of the disorder; difficulties getting an accurate diagnosis; the trial and error of treatment; stress on family relationships; working with under-budgeted school systems; and hopes for the future.

Eric Rancke

It is estimated that about two and a half million people in the United States are diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Throughout history, prominent and creative figures are now believed to have suffered from it, including Beethoven, Abe Lincoln and Ernest Hemingway. However, diagnosing this and other mental illnesses in children is problematic.

There is controversy within the psychiatric field over whether children can even have bipolar disorder. And the illness can mimic other kinds of behavioral disorders such as Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder.

If diagnosed or medicated incorrectly, the symptoms can be profoundly exacerbated, even to the point of suicide.

Connie and Bob Rancke

Within the medical community, there is little consensus on treatment for bipolar disorder in children, and that often makes things worse. Although the scientific community now knows a great deal about bipolar disorder, there are still many unanswered questions—especially for children and their families.

The children featured in this documentary, like thousands of others, approach their illness with courage and hope, but it remains a long, painful road to walk.

Karen Brown covers health care for WFCR, with an emphasis on mental health. She also covers community, urban, and social issues in western Massachusetts. In 2002, she produced the radio documentary, Trauma and Recovery: A Cambodian Refugee Experience, which won the inaugural Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize. You can hear this documentary here.

CD copies of Wild Child are available for $15. Please make checks or money orders payable to WFCR and allow three weeks for delivery. Address requests to:

Cara Kaifé Foster
WFCR-FM, Hampshire House, 3rd Floor
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003
ckfoster@wfcr.org or 413-545-3176

Resources

WFCR provides the following resources without any endorsement of the agencies and individuals listed.

National Support/Advocacy groups:

Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation, a web-based support group
http://www.bpkids.org/

Support group for Bipolar Significant Others
http://www.bpso.org/

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
http://www.dbsalliance.org/

Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health
http://www.ffcmh.org/

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
http://www.nami.org/

Statewide advocacy groups:

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Western Massachusetts (NAMI-WM)
NAMI is a grassroots, family and consumer self-help, support, education, and advocacy organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with severe mental illnesses.
717 ½ Main St.
Agawam, MA 01001
Phone: (413) 786-9139, (800) 295-2121
Fax: (413) 789-1137
Email: AMIWMA@aol.com
Website: http://www.members.aol.com/amiwma/

Parent Professional Advocacy League (PAL)
A statewide network of families, local family support groups, and professionals who advocate on behalf of children and adolescents with mental, emotional or behavioral special needs, and their families.
Statewide Office
59 Temple Pl. Suite: 664
Boston, MA 02111
Phone: (617) 542-7860, (800) 537-0446
Fax: (617) 542-7832
Email: pal@fcsn.org
Website: http://www.ppal.net/

Health Care for All
A coalition of healthcare consumers and advocates. Provides information, referral, personal and legal advocacy regarding health care and health insurance in Massachusetts. Provides opportunities for individuals to become involved and empowered through community organizing. Multilingual staff available for assistance.
30 Winter St., Suite 1010
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: (617) 350-7279, (800) 272-4232, (617) 350-7545 (TTY)
Fax: (617) 350-7545
Website: http://www.hcfama.org/

Disability Law Center
Free legal assistance and information to people with disabilities throughout Massachusetts.
Boston, MA 02108 USA
(617) 723-8455
mail@dlc-ma.org
http://www.dlc-ma.org/
Western Office
22 Green St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Phone: (413) 584-6337, (800) 222-5619, (413) 586-2895 (TTY)
Fax: (413) 586-5711

Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN)
The Federation provides information, support, and assistance to parents of children with disabilities, their professional partners, and their communities through such services as its newsletter, web page, publications, phone consultation, conferences, workshops, and many
others.
Website: http://www.fcsn.org/
Main Office
1135 Tremont St., Suite 420
Boston, MA 02120
Phone: (617) 236-7210, (800) 331-0688, (617) 236-7210 (TTY)
Fax: (617) 572-2094
Email: fcsninfo@fcsn.org
Western Office
324 Old Springfield Rd. P.O. Box 1345
Belchertown, MA 01007
Phone: (413) 323-0681, (866) 323-0681
Fax: (413) 582-9098
Email: sinclair@fcsn.org

The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Massachusetts
400 West Cummings Park
Woburn MA 02108
781-938-4048; fax 781-938-4069
InfoLine 800-370-9085
Website: http://www.namimass.org/

School resources:

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
1101 15th Street, NW Suite 1212 Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-467-5730 | Fax: 202-223-0409
http://www.bazelon.org/

Dept of Education/Special Education Division
http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/

Dept. of Education: Parent’s Rights Brochure
MA USA
http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/prb/

Alternative schools in Massachusetts:

The Merrimac Education Center
http://www.mec.edu/collab/altnedu.php

Academy at Swift River
Cummington, MA 01026 USA
(800) 258-1770
http://www.swiftriver.com/

The Gifford School
Weston, MA 02493 USA
(781) 899-9500
admin@gifford.org
http://www.gifford.org/index.html

Government resources:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/National Mental Health Information Center
http://www.mentalhealth.org/

Mass.Department of Mental Health
1-800-221-0053

Service Providers in Western Massachusetts:

Cutchins Program for Children and Families
78 Pomeroy Terrace, Northampton, MA 01060
413-584-1310

ServiceNet Inc
50 Pleasant Street
Northampton, MA 01060
(413) 582-4252

Kerry Lusignan, MA, LMHC
94 King Street-Suite 2D
Northampton, MA, 01060
Phone (413) 626-4707

Related Books/Publications:

Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/home.html

The Bipolar Child
by Janice and Demitri Papolos
www.bipolarchild.com

Acquainted with the Night: A Parent’s Quest to Understand Depression and Bipolar in his Children
by Paul Raeburn
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?0767914376