Ten Years Old and Mentally Ill

'Growing Up Bipolar': Readers were touched by our article on Max Blake. One called it "a poignant telling of the extraordinary pain and suffering wrought by mental illness." Some who have experienced bipolar disorder firsthand were thankful for the coverage. "With so little information out there, it is good to see that a national publication is getting the word out," said the mother of a young son who has the disorder. "People who haven't experienced bipolar disorder don't understand, and criticism and judgment is generally what they resort to."

On 'Girls Gone Mild': "The reason I gathered with my friends to watch 'Sex and the City' every week, and own the complete series on DVD, has very little to do with sex. I watch because I identify with the intimate bond of friendship in the four women."
Peg Farwig, Tunkhannock, Pa.

Growing Up With Bipolar Disorder
I want to applaud NEWSWEEK for its May 26 cover story, "Growing Up Bipolar." I also want to thank the Blake family for their brave and candid account of what it is like to have a child with bipolar disorder. Because of society's negative attitude toward mental illness, many families have been isolated and marginalized. It is my hope that in the not-too-distant future, society will stop stigmatizing mental illness and recognize that these disorders of the brain are biological—like diabetes, heart disease and other physical illnesses.
Vivian Dole
Wellesley, Mass.

Life from the perspective of someone who was diagnosed with mental illness in childhood is even worse than life for those children's parents. Like Max, I was very young the first time I attempted suicide—I was 11 and struggled day and night to find the words to express what was going on in my heart and mind. And as with Max, my primary disorder isn't my only one. Living with any type of mood disorder is a constant struggle, with successes often followed by periods of lethargy and depression that make it hard to function. I have a hard time forming and sustaining relationships with other people, and in the grips of the worst of it, I can't sleep or concentrate. Worst of all, however, is dealing with the pervasive attitude of much of society and the medical community that says my disorders are overdiagnosed, overmedicated and overreported and have less of an impact on my life than my experience tells me is true. Most people seem to believe my disease is "all in my head," and that if I wanted to get better, I would. The attitude of Americans in regard to psychiatric medication needs to change, and soon. For many people like Max and myself, life without those drugs is not only difficult, but often impossible. We do not find fault with cancer patients when they accept chemotherapy or radiation, because we recognize that, dangerous though they may be, these are treatments that can save lives. It's more than time for our society to see the same value in psychiatric medications, which have immensely improved the quality of life for millions of suffering Americans.
Laura Newton
Lexington, Ky.

Max is at an extreme end of the spectrum of bipolar disorder. As with many other diseases, there are varying degrees of severity, and Mary Carmichael's article does not include this perspective. In neglecting to do so, the article contributes to the fear and stigma surrounding those who suffer from bipolar disorder and does a disservice to those of us who work hard to have our children accepted in the same way children with epilepsy, leukemia or ADHD are accepted. Yes, parents of a child with bipolar disorder typically face many problems with school and other stressful environments. We also share grief over lost dreams of a "typical" future trajectory for our child, along with fear about the reality of suicide when that child is caught in the desperation of depression. The extreme irritability, rage and threat of violence that are insinuated into our families during a manic phase are very real and very scary. In spite of all this, many of us have children who graduate from public schools, sustain social relationships, participate in extracurricular activities and understand that they have a treatable disease and hope for a healthy future. Your readers need to know that.
Diana O'Donnell
Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

"Welcome to Max's World" saddened me deeply. I wish Max's local public school had done more. However, as a former special-education teacher, I know that special education is not a priority for most public-school districts. By and large, in the public schools many children with disabilities are pleasantly tolerated and "passed along." When problems occur, excuses are offered and parents are blamed. Public education in the United States will not improve until we recognize that education is important and valuable for all children, not just the well-behaved ones with high standardized-test scores.
Martha Rayner-Biegunska
Naperville, Ill.