Only a decade ago, experts believed that bipolar disorder (also called manic-depressive illness) was a disease confined to adults. Misunderstanding and controversy still surround the diagnosis of child and adolescent bipolar disorder. This compelling article chronicles a family’s search for diagnosis and treatment for their son who was spiraling out of control. Conservative estimates suggest that nearly one in 200 children are affected by this serious brain disease, many of them misdiagnosed or undiagnosed.
