Welcome to Women Who Empower, the new monthly series here at Live and Love Out Loud that celebrates women who use their online presence to empower others. The Women Who Empower series was born out of a desire to use my blog for more than just a few good laughs. I want to make a difference, effect some kind of change in our world and I want to support, encourage and celebrate women.

Everyday women like Mommy Lebron.

Mommy Lebron is a wife, mother and self-proclaimed “southern belle with a northern attitude” who can often be found, as the title of her blog implies, Raging Against the {Washing} Machine. This snarky, but super sweet woman is on a mission to remove the stains and stigma surrounding pediatric mental illness, specifically Early Onset Bipolar Disorder, or EOBD. Raising awareness of the often-misunderstood illness is a cause that became near and dear to Mommy Lebron’s heart following her daughter’s diagnosis with EOBD 5 years ago.

Looking to connect with other parents of children with Bipolar Disorder, Mommy Lebron soon found that finding a support group that could not only provide resources, intimate conversation and a sense of community was a difficult one. Recognizing that there was a crucial need for other parents to connect, she launched her own support group, “My Kid’s Bipolar, Now What?”. Thanks to Mommy Lebron’s support group, parents of children with BD are able to connect online for free; exchanging resources, posing questions in forums and providing moral support via personal walls similar to those found on sites like Facebook.

Mommy Lebron’s mission to remove the stains and stigma surrounding pediatric mental illness and her dedication to parents of children with BD through her support group “My Kid’s Bipolar, Now What?” is absolutely amazing. She certainly is an inspiration and a woman who’s made it her mission to support, encourage and empower others.

Here’s what Mommy Lebron had to say about coping with the challenges of her daughter’s EOBD while balancing the needs of an entire family and shining a light on fears:

When faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles, we have 2 choices: We can either roll up those sleeves and prepare for a fight or run in the opposite direction with our tail between our legs. Clearly you’ve chosen to roll up those sleeves. Since your daughter, “LeBella” was diagnosed with Early Onset Bipolar Disorder 5 years ago, you’ve made it your mission to spread awareness about EOBD to others. What are some of the common symptoms and misconceptions surrounding EOBD?

Like many illnesses, symptoms can vary and present in different degrees for children. EOBD doesn’t necessarily present like adult Bipolar Disorder, most notably the rate of cycling. My daughter is a rapid-cycler and can be up – manic, hyper, raging and goofy - and down – depressed, angry, irritable or inconsolable - multiple times each day. Her moods change rapidly and without warning, often with no noticeable trigger.

Looking back, she was symptomatic as young as 18 months old. It was like she hit the terrible two’s early and never outgrew it. She’s always been more irritable than most kids - throwing fits or “rages” over the smallest things – screaming and crying that could last for hours all while throwing toys, furniture and herself to the ground. She was also very hyper and impulsive and never seemed to consider any consequence, often taking risks with her own safety; climbing and jumping off high surfaces or escaping from playground fences. LeBella was an early talker and had these talkative fits where she could talk your ear off. Later, as I began to learn more about Bipolar Disorder I recognized these talkative fits as pressured speech. She was experiencing an avalanche of thoughts and was trying to express them all as quickly as they came.

During her preschool career, LeBella was kicked out of several schools due to her aggression, potty mouth and oppositional nature. Everything cumulated for us on a summer day before kindergarten. At the age of 5, my little girl grabbed a kitchen knife, held it to her wrist and calmly relayed to me all the reasons she no longer wanted to live.

It became more than I could handle on my own. I made doctor’s appointments and began researching behavior and mood disorders.

First of all, I had to learn to get organized. I was always the queen of winging it, but my family needed structure and routine. I did some research and came across Flylady. I use her system to run my household. While this system did nothing to “cure” my daughter, it did help to alleviate a great deal of stress and make us more prepared.

Over the years we’ve made many adjustments. The preschools LeBella was kicked out of? They were my jobs. Every time she was kicked out, I was – for all intents and purposes – fired. This past year, I quit work completely in order to homeschool her. Luckily, we were able to qualify for Supplemental Security Income for LeBella.

Some days, it seems like everything in the house revolves around LeBella and I worry about my boys feeling put out. For the most part, they don’t seem to be negatively affected. I am hands-on with my kids during the day when I’m not writing or studying. I play dolls with LeBella and video games with the boys. We cook together and do lots of creative projects. I also have them on a staggered bedtime schedule to make sure they have both face time with me and downtime each day.

The piece you wrote about LeBella being “Baker Acted” – involuntarily admitted to a psychiatric hospital by her psychiatrist for stabilization – following a psychotic episode in the office was so heartbreaking. The thought of having my child taken from me and admitted into a psychiatric hospital just tears me to pieces. I imagine that you make many tough decisions on LeBella’s behalf and that you’ve seen more rough days than you care to. What advice do you have for parents who find themselves making tough choices regarding their child’s health, medication, treatment, etc.?

Educate yourself. I know this seems like such basic advice, but it will serve you in so many ways. By educating yourself, you’ll have a better understanding of your child and will be able to parent them accordingly. In my experience, when you are knowledgeable medical professionals seem to be more open to discussing options and are more forthcoming with answers; your concerns are further validated and responded to when you “know what you’re talking about.” Also, the more you know the less fearful you’ll be.

There is no part of this illness that is not scary. Learning is like shining a light on these fears, the more you learn the less fearful you will be.

…………………….

Mommy Lebron is an amazing woman who’s dedicated to supporting, encouraging and empowering parents of children with EOBD. Do you have an empowering woman in mind for the Women Who Empower series? I’d love to hear from you. Click on over to the Women Who Empower page and tell me all about her! And if you’d like to learn more about the women who were featured in the Women Who Empower series in the past, just click on over.

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