The Bipolar Child: The Definitive and Reassuring Guide to Childhood's Most Misunderstood Disorder

From the authors of the classic text Overcoming Depression, here is the first book about early-onset bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder--manic depression--was once thought to be rare in children. Now researchers are discovering that not only can bipolar disorder begin very early in life, but also that it is much more common than ever imagined. Yet the illness is often misdiagnosed or overlooked. Why?

Bipolar disorder manifests itself differently in children than in adults, and in children there is an overlap of symptoms with other childhood psychiatric disorders. As a result, these kids may be given any number of psychiatric labels: "ADHD," "Depressed," "Oppositional Defiant Disorder," "Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder," or "Separation Anxiety Disorder." Too often they are treated with stimulants or antidepressants--medications that can actually worsen the bipolar condition.

The Bipolar Child demystifies this disorder of childhood. Drawing upon recent advances in the fields of neuroscience and genetics, the Papoloses convey what is known and not known about the illness. They comprehensively detail the diagnosis, tell how to find good treatment and medications, and advise parents about ways to advocate effectively for their children at school. Included in these pages is the first Individual Education Plan--IEP--ever published for a bipolar child. The book also offers critical information about the stages of adolescence, hospitalization, the world of insurance, and the psychological impact the illness has on the child.

The Bipolar Child is rich with the voices of parents, siblings, and the children themselves, opening up the long-closed world of the families struggling with this condition. An invaluable resource for parents whose children suffer from mood disorders, as well as the professionals who treat and educate them, this book will prove to have major public health significance.

Demitri Papolos, M.D., is an associate professor of psychiatry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City and the codirector of the Program in Behavioral Genetics. He is the medical advisor for Parents of Bipolar Children, an on-line support group, and the chair of the professional advisory board of the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation. Janice Papolos is the author of three books, all recognized as definitive in their field. The Papoloses live in Westport, Connecticut.