Northwest Arkansas Times - Fayetteville,AR,USA
... intolerance. Alec has bipolar disorder -- something many people do not understand, she said, and something that stigmatizes people. It ...http://nwanews.com/story.php?paper=nwat&section=News&storyid=22024

I think the minister made the right call in this incident BIG. Initially, as I read, I thought it was clear cut case of discrimination. The sexual acting out of the boy changes the picture substantially. Could there be things going on here besides the bipolar disorder, such an Attachment Disorder and an Oppositional Defiant Disorder? I am bipolar and I never sexually abused anyone. Neither have any of the other bipolars I have known well.

Lincoln family struggling with bipolar disorder

BY TRISH HOLLENBECK Northwest Arkansas Times

Posted on Sunday, November 21, 2004

URL: http://www.nwanews.com/story/nwat/22024

Shane Scarborough recalls the Sunday a few weeks ago when her sons prepared to ride the church bus.

It was the first time in several months they had a chance to attend Washington County Baptist Church because Alec, the oldest, had been hospitalized for 11 months and Scarborough did not send her other boy to church without his brother.

The bus driver, Scarborough said, came by in his private vehicle to talk to her. He told her Alec, 13, could not ride on the bus without his mother present because of his mental disorder and concerns about liability.

Scarborough, at first, was going to let her younger son to go on ahead later that morning, but then decided not to, she said, after considering how discriminatory she thought it was to treat Alec differently from the other children. She said she did not want her other son to be exposed to that intolerance.

Alec has bipolar disorder — something many people do not understand, she said, and something that stigmatizes people.

It was suggested that she counsel with pastor George York about the situation, but she chose not to do that. "She wanted us to be responsible for her child," York said, adding that the church does not have the manpower or teachers to watch a child on a constant basis. "That’s the mother’s responsibility," he said. "I’ve got 60 other children that I’m also responsible for."

He said Scarborough was the one who offered the information about her son’s disorder and the reason he was hospitalized — that the inappropriate behavior was of a sexual nature. "The mother’s the one who volunteered all of this. We don’t go on witch hunts," York said.

Scarborough freely admits the sexual nature of the incident and said her son has owned up to what he did and gotten the help he needs.

She said she told the bus driver on the day before the bus came not to leave Alec unsupervised with a group of girls. She said she did not think that was an unreasonable request concerning a group of teens in a church setting.

Still, York said, "I want to do everything I can to help the boy and the mother, but I also want to do everything I can to protect the children."

While she tries to understand the church’s position, Scarborough said, she also feels that proper supervision at the church could prevent anything from happening. She also said medication reduces the effect of his disorder.

What is bipolar? Bipolar disorder — formerly known as manic depression — causes dramatic mood swings, from overly "high" or irritable to sad and hopeless, and then back again, often with periods of normal mood in between, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

The disorder has had a profound effect on Scarborough’s life. A few years ago, she was a seemingly well-adjusted person, she said, working two jobs. Now she has applied for disability because she cannot handle being in public places.

She, too, has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and said she can barely cover the cost of the medication she requires. "I have panic attacks," she said. "I don’t go to Wal-Mart anymore.

The family has a limited income, and Alec gets much, but not all, of his treatment and medication reimbursed by Medicaid.

Alec, she said, has had symptoms of the disorder since he was a toddler, but was diagnosed only in recent years when he attended the day therapy program at Ozark Guidance Center instead of going to Lincoln Middle School.

Scarborough’s mother, who lives in California, had a breakdown at 45 and realized then that she had bipolar disorder. Now she works in that state with others to promote mental health advocacy.

Alec was hospitalized last November after an incident at a neighbor’s house in rural Lincoln. He had exhibited inappropriate behavior with some teen and preteen girls. Scarborough said she fought not to have any charges brought against Alec by the juvenile prosecutor (Alec apparently had another incident on his record that Lincoln Middle School resource officer had reported to police). She got him into Lakeland Regional Hospital, and he just got out this October.

Due to the incident at the neighbor’s house, the family moved into the trailer on the other side of Lincoln, where they live today. Scarborough said she is thinking of moving to California to be near her mother and because of what she describes as an intolerant atmosphere, particularly concerning mental illness.

Lifetime struggle For Alec and his mother, it has been a lifetime struggle with this disorder. She said he was" incorrigible "when he was 2 and not able to get along with others." He was more aggressive than other children, "she said. She said he had all the classic symptoms of bipolar disorder, but she was a young mother at the time and did not know about it. She said it took an entire school year when he was in the second grade to get him tested by a counselor. She said it is up to parents to get a diagnosis for their children." You learn these things as you go, "she said.

The resulting diagnosis was attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and he was medicated, but the medication only made things worse, she said.

He had temper tantrums and became more aggressive. He put the cat on the stove; even though it was not on, she said, it was still a sign of trouble.

" He was going to hurt somebody or he was going to hurt himself, "she said.

Eventually, she said, the bipolar disorder was diagnosed.

Both children and adolescents can develop the disorder and it is more likely to affect children of parents who have the illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Unlike many adults with bipolar disorder, whose episodes tend to be more clearly defined, children and young adolescents with the illness often experience very fast mood swings between depression and mania many times a day.

Scarborough said she has been told that bipolar disorders in people are like fingerprints — no two cases are alike.

" I believe that to be true, "she said, having herself, her mother and son to go by as" case studies. "

Severe changes in energy and behavior go along with changes in mood related to bipolar disorder. The periods of highs and lows are called episodes of mania and depression.

Signs and symptoms of mania (or manic episode) include:

• Increased energy, activity and restlessness

• Excessively" high, "overly good, euphoric mood

• Extreme irritability

• Racing thoughts and talking very fast, jumping from one idea to another

• Easily distracted

• Little sleep needed

• Unrealistic beliefs in one’s abilities and powers

• Poor judgment

• Spending sprees

• A lasting period of behavior that is different from usual

• Increased sex drive

• Abuse of drugs, particularly cocaine, alcohol and sleeping medications

• Provocative, intrusive or aggressive behavior

Because bipolar disorder tends to run in families, researchers have been searching for specific genes — the microscopic" building blocks" of DNA inside all cells that influence how the body and mind work and grow — passed down through generations that may increase a person’s chance of developing the illness.

Most people with bipolar disorder — even those with the most severe forms — can achieve substantial stabilization of their mood swings and related symptoms with proper treatment.

Scarborough said she is going to call another church in town so the boys can attend. "I think God accepts all for who they are," she said.

But, York said, "The first thing I think about is the safety of my church."