Manic depression, also called bipolar disorder, affects over 10 million people in the United States. Symptoms include severe mood swings that alternate between high mania and low depression. Psychotherapy and medication treats and manages bipolar but there is no cure. Even with treatment, individuals with bipolar or manic depression may suffer episodes of mania or depression throughout their lives. An individual with manic depression or bipolar disorder may struggle emotionally, behaviorally, academically and socially. Friends and family members may deal with the challenging behaviors. Siblings of a child with mental illness often suffer.
Emotional
Emotional chaos may occur within siblings of children diagnosed with bipolar. Feelings of fear, confusion and anger are common. In addition, siblings may feel an unwarranted sense of guilt, as if their actions or behaviors caused their brother or sister's mental illness.
Grief
A sense of grief and loss may occur in the sibling of a bipolar child. Some regular family activities no longer occur. For example, family schedules change to accommodate the sibling's therapy appointments. Parental attention seems focused on the bipolar sibling.
Estrangement
Sibling relationships may become distant or estranged. As the family dynamics change, sibling activities and interactions may decrease. Emotional stress and misunderstandings may discourage communication between the child with bipolar and her siblings.
Stigma
The sibling's friends may not understand mental illnesses. They may tease the sibling, ask inappropriate questions or even shun him. In addition, the bipolar child or teen may display offensive or embarrassing behavior, adding to the sibling's discomfort among peers.
Abuse
Due to the volatility of bipolar, a sibling may experience verbal, emotional or physical abuse. Depending on the severity of the sibling's bipolar disorder, this abuse ranges from seldom to frequently.
