Reader comments
Bipolar cases among kids jump 40 times

Falcon | 8:41 a.m. Sept. 4, 2007

More than anything I think this points out the desperate need to develop biologic tests to diagnose this disorder rather than relying on subjective observations alone. Genetic studies are doubtless being conducted, and when we finally figure out which gene combination causes this, only then will we have the key to correct diagnosis, first time, every time.

Treatment itself should improve too if we know what the underlying biochemical defect(s) are.

Mikey | 8:49 a.m. Sept. 4, 2007

It must be the media's fault, less violence in the media would reduce the number of bipolar patients; that or up doctors pay so they don't have to diagnose it... hmmm but what if it is a legitimate case, I guess the drug companies have to charge more to keep their bills high... hmmmmmm. I jest, and apologize.

Having a brother who was almost debilitated by this disorder I feel I can somewhat relate. The interesting conclusion is once we all (including him) stopped making excuses for why he was the way he was things started to get better. While not necessarily a youth, he was diagnosed at 16-18. Regardless; today he shows no signs of the disorder beyond what is typically seen in all of us. Personally I do believe for him it was more of an emotional trigger and once we were all able to communicate effectively it disappeared. He now knows (I think) that he is incredibly respected and appreciated for his abilities and what he provides to the family. The irony is it all came without meds and without constant medical intervention. This by no means is meant to infer that no one should see the doctors or take meds for this; more to infer that sometimes we may assume they are our only hope when really we can solve our own problems with proper commitment and willingness to learn what we need to change to solve the problem.

Interested in bi-polar | 8:58 a.m. Sept. 4, 2007

Interesting article--there's certainly some evidence that bi-polar disorder is genetic, or at least partly so. There's a multi-generational strain of it in my husband's family that goes back at least 5 generations--he doesn't have it, but a sister and brother did, his mother, grandmother, gg mother and ggg mother. Others in the collateral lines, too. Strangely, he developed epilepsy in middle age and is on depakote and lamotrigine, both of which are also used for bi-polar. 40 years ago, a lot of this wasn't well recognized. I struggle with depression, and a couple of our kids do too--makes you wonder whether the increase in bi-polar is partly due to more bi-polar folks having kids and/or marrying people with similar tendencies. I know it's very prevelant among the Amish. Lots of room for research in this--maybe at the Y where there is considerable genetic stuff going on.

Comments continue below

Bob Rose, MD (retired) | 9:40 a.m. Sept. 4, 2007

When I was in medicatl school at Bellevue hospital in the early sixies, our psychiatrist profs told us bipolar ("manic-depressive") illness is a rare condition. In my 35 years as a primary physician, I found this to be true.

Jeremy DeWaal | 10:53 a.m. Sept. 4, 2007

Americans are simply far too "disorder" happy. I think it creates a very degenerative situation when you label someone as a "disordered person", when this just gives the individual a negatively charged identity. This only worsens whatever problems might exist. We should look toward a more European view of this, where they are far more apt to look at certain modes of behavior as both acceptable and normal to the human experience. If one doesn't have a disorder, but is told they have one, this consciousness might lead to an emotional disorder itself.

bipolarsrule! | 11:01 a.m. Sept. 4, 2007

As an adult with bipolar, I can say with certainty that the disorder is real. However, there is no way that that many children could truly have the disorder! My layman's guess is that these overdiagnoses are the result of a combination of the following: desperate and overworked parents and doctors and greedy pharmacutical companies.

... | 11:20 a.m. Sept. 4, 2007

Do you get happy? Do you get sad? You must be bi-polar, here, let me give you a drug to turn you into a zombie.

Beppa | 11:22 a.m. Sept. 4, 2007

My son is 25 years old and is in a institution where he has been told that is what he is and that it is quite severe. I have watched my family and the families of my parents, it seems to me that is starts out being a type of depression, and is somehow escalated in adulthood. I fight some type of depression, I am cognitive of it and therefore I have the skills to ward it off. I have those skills because I sought out therapy because of my dsyfunctional family. I can only say that the mood swings our child have been faced with is tragic and he just is receiving treatment at this time and one can only pray that he will continue on the recovery road with his meds and his God. Let us be mindful of all those that have it and don't recognize it or won't get help for it. God Bless you all, you are my hero's for just making it through the day!!!

mom of bipolar | 11:37 a.m. Sept. 4, 2007

There are other diagnosis/ailments that have yet to be discovered that will surely allow for more precise descriptions of what is going on with children with emotional and behavioral problems. One of my children has bipolar, and the other has Asperger Syndrome. When the latter was a child, he was diagnosed with ADD and bipolar disorder until someone thought to look for a developmental disorder. Most disorders that cause emotional problems are now being further clarified and pinned down by brain studies, but not fast enough to help children and adults in need. While much has been done to help people with problems, mental illness and developmental syndrome diagnoses, along with causes and treatments, still have a long way to go.

veedub | 12:04 p.m. Sept. 4, 2007

When our children were young, it was hyperactivity, ADD and ADHD. Now it seems the diagnosis du jour is bipolar disorder. Not that I doubt the conditions exist; I just have a sneaky suspicion that someone makes a lot of money out of this (drug companies), and others are relieved to have a diagnosis of a disorder to explain why behavior isn't perfect (parents and teachers).

Jennifer | 12:12 p.m. Sept. 4, 2007

Diagnosis go through cycles. It is like a fad. Remember when every one had mutiple-personalites, now it is a rare diagnosis. Wait five years and a new disease will be all the rage.

Rad child | 12:54 p.m. Sept. 4, 2007

I took my adopted daughter at to 2 psychiatrists and 3 psychologists and their diagnosis was Bipolar, PTSD, ADHD and possible RAD or just depressed. I studied Bipolar and it didn't fit, she wasn't sad and happy, she was angry, mean and sometimes happy. Medication made no difference. Finally we found the right diagnosis on our own- Reactive Attachment Disorder. She was a classic RAD, she had witnessed the murder-suicide of her parents at age one and was left alone for hours until someone found her.
A break in the bond of the mother is critical to children under the age of three. Infants in daycare with multiple caregivers and children coming from orphanages are at high risk. Don't settle on bipolar if it doesn't fit right!

Tuppence | 5:59 p.m. Sept. 4, 2007

My ex-husband has classic rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. All the manic symptoms: thinking he was better, stronger, smarter than any one else; risky behaviors, hypersexuality, talking 100 miles an hour, paranoia - and all the depressed symptoms: suicidal, not eating, sleeping, talking or doing anything for days. Although his disease got worse as he got older, most of the symptoms were clearly there in his childhood. He was misdiagnosed as a child and teenager with ADD, depression, etc. So I do think there are legitimate diagnoses of children. Is it overdiagnosed? Probably. But it's also really there in some kids, no question.

LCR | 6:08 p.m. Sept. 4, 2007

Unfortunately, this article does not differentiate between Bipolar I Disorder and Bipolar II Disorder. The latter is much more common than the former. But with kids, Bipolar II is almost a cultural thing.

Anonymous | 6:52 p.m. Sept. 4, 2007

As a alternative remedy worth researching further -I have read that taking high quantities of fish oil capsules as an everyday food supplement over several months can really balance the above situation out.

And also research - fish oil capsules as an everyday food supplement known to work wonders for children with memory problems - literally going from not being able to remember any multiplication facts to being able to say them all as quickly and correctly as you or I in only 3 months (Gr. 5).

Both of these areas are really worth researching further.

Anonymous | 6:56 p.m. Sept. 4, 2007

I wonder if it could all be attributed to food allergies and/or deficiencies in the diet?

anon | 9:29 p.m. Sept. 4, 2007

I have a child and a brother in law with bi-polar. While the symptoms are real, we treat them like everyone else. It cannot be allowed to be an excuse for unacceptable behavior. If they choose to take or not to take medication, they are still expected to be responsible for their actions. We live in a real world where job performance and school work still have to be done. If you had a broken arm, would you not take medication and/or find other ways to adjust to cope in your everyday life? or would you cop out and blame your arm for the reason that you should not be expected to be capable in life? With this and other mental illnesses, find what helps (medication, counseling) to be a functioning person in society, not use a diagnosis as a liability.

Tallie | 9:52 p.m. Sept. 4, 2007

anon says it well. It can't be used as a crutch through life.

Lynn Tilton | 10:47 p.m. Sept. 4, 2007

Two possible situations may lead to the increase in this disorder: early schooling and an unstable home life when there is no father in the home or the mother's focus is on her career not on her children.

Anon | 11:51 a.m. Sept. 5, 2007

Bi-Polar is real - and it is becoming the plague of the 21st century whether we want to admit it or not. I believe it has some genetic and hereditary beginnings but mostly it is based in nutritional vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Our foods are nutritionally depleated and we eat overprocessed and chemical laden junk foods. If we want to stem the tide of this illness we must focus more on research in the nutritional supplementation areas and keep our loved ones away from the harsh and dangerous drug treatments and their horrific side effects. Do some research and take charge of your own health and that of your loved ones! I have!!

Lance Murray | 2:32 p.m. Sept. 5, 2007

Well, I'm no expert, but I've suffered from uni-polor depression for over 15 years, and I worked fir over a decade at a state mental hospital. Bi-polar is an actual disease. However, there is no way that actual bi-polar cases have risen 40 times for adolescents in just 10 years. The data is invalid, and/or somone has an agenda here and is just trying to inflame the public. Propogation of hysteria is a big business, ecpecially for drug companies. Follow the money.

Lurker | 10:29 p.m. Sept. 6, 2007

Hmmm....so - what else in our society has been through a drastic change in the last 10-15 years?

How about family and personal morality - you know, teaching AND practicing that there are absolute "right&wrong"s in the world, and that choosing the wrong (regardless of the situation) brings unhappiness and despair? Broken homes? Gay rights / gender role confusion? Public shunning of personal accountability?

Naaaah - - couldn't be....

Mom of BPer 1 | 8:47 a.m. Sept. 11, 2007

My son was diagnosed with Bi-Polar 1 last year at the age of 20. He was hospitalized when he started to have full blown hallucinations and paranoia of the worst kind. When he was younger he did have angry rages but I dismissed that as typical teen behavior. While he was in the hospital I felt that I would never get my bright and funny son back. He is now on medications (Depakote and Abilify) and doing extremely well. I know there is a lot of negative stuff about pharmaceuticals but I am thankfull that this condition is treatable. The meds work and he is not a zombie. From what I understand, not long ago, there was not much that could be done in the way of treatment. Blaming this on todays morality like one poster seems to think is narrow-minded. In my sons case this is very real. I feel he has his life back and my son came back! The CIA is not out to get him and he's not getting messages from aliens or seeing dead relatives. He's enjoying life and just took up Golf :)

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