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by Allison Romens (Author)
Bipolar Brain: Big Moods, Voices, and Feelings is the second story about MJ. MJ is a seven-year-old who has started hearing voices, seeing things that aren't real, and feeling like bugs are crawling all over him. These hallucinations and his mind's creation of delusions, along with moods that spike from very high to very low, have led his team of doctors to diagnose him with bipolar disorder with psychosis. MJ wonders what that means and is scared because he doesn't understand it. Brain Buddy comes to his rescue, providing age-appropriate brain science and explanations of big words to describe what is going on in his mind. Brain Buddy draws a line to show that bipolar disorder is on a spectrum with schizophrenia, and there are other disorders along the line. Brain Buddy does a good job of helping MJ feel comforted and equips him with information that his adoptive parents know and struggle to describe to him. Brain Buddy keeps things light while he swings on the line and shows that moods can change rapidly and for long periods of time. MJ worries that his brain will change, but BrainBuddy reassures him that even if it does, it's okay because as long as we understand what is going on, we can handle it. Brain Buddy is the star of this story, with MJ a quiet questioner as the story progresses through intense brain science and mental health diagnoses. Brain Buddy is always calm and respectful while MJ asks his questions and responds in a gentle manner that instills hope in MJ for his future.
