Letters: Sep. 9, 2002

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I thank god that you published this story on bipolar youngsters [BEHAVIOR, Aug. 19]. Now if only the public would "get it" and understand this illness, which used to be referred to as manic depression. Three years ago, I lost my 19-year-old son to suicide. No one listened to me when I said he was mentally ill and needed help. People concentrated on his behavior, not to mention my parenting. Counselors, psychologists, a hospital mental ward (twice), psychiatrists--we went through all that before his diagnosis. All those years of trying to find help, fighting the system, and now I visit the cemetery twice a week. My pain will never go away. Something must be done! JAN WORTHEN Goffstown, N.H.

I have no doubt that many valid cases of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression and bipolar disorder exist and need treatment. I fear, however, that we are overdiagnosing and overdrugging our kids at an alarming rate. KIM KLAYUM Eagan, Minn.

You have found the well over 1 million youngsters and their families who live with this disorder every day! These children experience suffering that no child should know. Thank you for opening a door that has been closed far too long. Our hope lies in the research that is so long overdue. These children are in desperate need of better treatment, medication and better outcomes. CHRISTINA P. FAY, PRESIDENT Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation Pawling, N.Y.

I have suffered from this disorder since I was a child, and my life has been hell, even with four years of college. Many people who are bipolar live badly, without much money or any kind of career. We are mostly members of the underclass, tenants of trailer parks and people who do menial jobs. It is not easy. We are not, like bipolar author Lizzie Simon, part of the middle class. Sorry, but the happy ending she wrote about is simply not true for most of us. Manic-depressive illness usually ends badly. ALBERT BARR Seneca, S.C.

I was distressed to see your checklist for helping parents recognize the warning signs of bipolar disorder. Like most teenagers, I am not happy 24/7. I can be happy, giddy, sad, mad, irritable. What teenager doesn't have emotions? One item on the list is being "very intuitive or very creative." Another is "poor handwriting." When did it become a warning sign to be creative? And if I had a nickel for every person in Fairfield County who has poor handwriting, I would be the next Bill Gates. DIANA LYNN, 15 Redding, Conn.

I've given copies of this article to my child's teachers, aunts, uncles and grandparents and, most important, to my child. Medication and therapy are the key starting points for treatment, but public education to correct the stigma associated with mental illness will help bring acceptance for bipolar and similar disorders. We need funds for research that will make the lives of these kids and their families hopeful and prosperous. ABIGAIL BULKLEY ROBERTS Hatfield, Mass.