International Bipolar Foundation Advocates for Prompt Treatment of Children
Muffy Walker gave an inspirational talk at the 2014 meeting of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders about the International Bipolar Foundation (IBPF, formerly known as the California Bipolar Foundation) she started with three other mothers of children with bipolar disorder. The organization advocates for better understanding and treatment of the illness in children. Treatment is too often delayed and insufficient, as was the case with Walker’s son, who started having trouble at age four and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and conduct disorder (CD) before he became severely manic while taking the antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac). The foundation has a monthly e-newsletter. Their website is http://ibpf.org.
