The Wild Child: Coping with a Bipolar Youth
From: Karen Brown
Length: 00:58:00
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Piece Description
What is it like to have a mind you can't control? For three young people diagnosed with bipolar disorder, it's a brave journey into uncharted medical and emotional territory. This radio documentary follows Erin, Eric, and Athena, along with their parents, doctors, teachers, and advocates, as they navigate puberty and adolescence with a serious mood disorder. Seventeen-year-old Erin is a Nirvana fan with a history of substance abuse; Athena is a 10-year-old aspiring cheerleader who lives on disability with her single mom; Eric is a 15-year-old disciple of Conan O'Brien who still holds a record for middle school detentions. Through these young people's blunt, honest, and often humorous voices, we learn about the early signs of the disorder; difficulties getting an accurate diagnosis; the trial and error of treatment; stress on family relationships; working with under-budgeted school systems; and hopes for the future. This piece premiered on WFCR, Amherst, MA on Nov. 6, 2004 and has aired on about a dozen stations. Awards it has received include: National Edward R. Murrow Award from RTNDA; PRNDI (Public Radio News Directors Inc.)Award; New York Festivals Silver World Medal; First Place, Association of Health Care Reporter's 2005 Contest (Radio/TV); The National Mental Health Association's 2005 Media Award, Massachusetts Associated Press Award. The "Wild Child" was adapted for an American RadioWorks documentary -- "A Mind of Their Own" -- available at: http://www.prx.org/piece/4231 There is also a shorter (7:23) companion feature available -- focussing on the controversy over diagnosing bipolar in kids -- at: http://prx.org/piece/1482.
2 Comments
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Review of The Wild Child: Coping with a Bipolar YouthMy late mother was bipolar, undiagnosed till she was in her late 60s. I used to think how different her life would have been had she received help during adolescence. Of course, as this documentary ably demonstrates she’d have had to have been born in America within the last twenty years, had alert, caring parents, lived in an area with savvy pediatricians and an enlightened school district, etc. etc, to have had a prayer. It’s a complicated diagnosis, treatment is by experiment and feel, the strain on family members intense, and the prognosis uncertain. I remember my mother saying she’d give anything just to know what it felt like to be “normal.” Listening to these three young people struggle to hold onto themselves, I understood even more of what she went through. There’s a good range of professionals interviewed (though a couple of them are so dry I had to pinch myself to pay attention). It’s the kids and moms at the heart of the report who move you. The strain, fear, anger, hope touched me, and there’s much useful and interesting information to contemplate. Adolescence is a hard enough stretch for kids and parents to navigate. Mental illness makes the journey endlessly more treacherous. Highly recommend as health or youth-related programming. |
Broadcast History
This premiered on WFCR in Amherst on Nov. 6, 2004 and has since aired on about a dozen other stations. It has also been adapted for an American RadioWorks production.
The Wild Child has won First Place in the Association for Health Care Reporter's 2005 Contest (Radio/TV category). It has also won a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award, and a Massachusetts Associated Press Award.
Transcript
THE WILD CHILD – TRANSCRIPT 11-04
THIS IS THE WILD CHILD: COPING WITH A BIPOLAR YOUTH -- AN HOUR-LONG RADIO DOCUMENTARY, WRITTEN AND PRODUCED BY KAREN BROWN, AND EDITED BY JOHN DANKOSKY.
MUSIC….
INTRODUCTORY MONTAGE….
TRAX: WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO HAVE A MIND YOU CAN’T CONTROL?
ERIN: 49:08 It's like seeing the world through red sun glasses. Red-lensed sunglasses. That's how I always describe it…That's like the angry side of it, like, you see like everything like angry.
Athena: 14:32 I’ll like run into my room and I’ll like slam the door and I’ll be like kicking the wall, or like hitting the wall or something. I’ll be like banging it with a hammer or something.
0:15:08 Eric: I think millions of things all at once, I can't concentrate. and this one time it was really, really, really bad where I just couldn't concentrate at all and I just started sweating and li...
Read the full transcript
Timing and Cues
There are no cutaways, but there are two program identifications embedded in the program -- at about 15 minutes, and again at about 40 minutes.
Musical Works
Excerpts from Nirvana's Heart Shaped Box, from In Utero, and You Know You're Right, from Nirvana's Greatest Hits.
Also -- bridge music includes short excerpts from Yann Tierson's soundtrack to the movie "Amelie."
And one piece of bridge music comes from Bela Bartok's Microcosmos.
The piece also includes a brief sound clip from "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."
Additional Files
- on-air promo - mp3 (wildchildpromomp3.mp3)
- photo of Erin Reddick in her room, with her idol, Kurt Cobain (erinreddickwildchild.jpg)
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beverly woods
Posted on May 17, 2007 at 07:44 AM | Permalink
Review of The Wild Child: Coping with a Bipolar Youth
I found this piece imformative. being a parent of a bipolar child and going thru some of the sames heartaches and frustration, I myself feel so alone sometimes with people judging you or your child because of his behavior. I my self found it comforting to know someone else shares my frustration of making someone understand your child and his pain , the struggles he or she may have with every day life... I commend these young people and thier families for sharing such personal strides.......... BRAVO