This past fall, a counselor who had blamed MacDougall's parenting skills for her son's problems apologized. While there are many reasons not to rush into a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, there also is a real danger in overlooking the disorder. Without it, that child is more likely to drop out of school, to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol or turn to crime. In addition, a misdiagnosed child may be given the wrong medication. As experienced by Stephen MacDougall, typical anti-depressant medication can cause a manic episode in children who are bipolar.
Medication given for attentional disorders also can have negative effects on a bipolar child.
She urges a careful examination of a child's genetic history, looking not only for those with mental illness, but also for relatives who may have covered up their troubles by drinking or taking drugs. Email this story to a friend.