A child’s first hospitalization is a watershed event. In my family, life is clearly divided: before that hospitalization and after.

Before my daughter’s first hospitalization at age 15, we had a struggling child and shifting diagnoses. We could occasionally glimpse a “normal” child, and we tried to convince ourselves that things really weren’t so bad. We were sure that our daughter would be fine once we found the right medication. That day couldn’t come a moment too soon!

If you are feeling overwhelmed by your youngster with bipolar disorder, it’s a good bet that the other children in the household are too.

Siblings suffer when a brother or sister has bipolar disorder, but they often hide their struggles or try to be perfect to lessen the burden on parents. Their problems may be missed because parents are doing their best to contain chaos, keep everyone safe and maintain a semblance of ordinary life, including school, work and regular meals.