The Bipolar Child
From Pure Facts, October 2007
Once called "manic depressive disorder," the label now
in favor is "bipolar." New research suggests that most
children and teens labeled as bipolar have been
misdiagnosed.
In recent years there has been a huge increase in the number
of children being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and being
placed on various powerful drugs.
A study published in the September 2007 issue of Archives
of General Psychiatry found that the numbers of diagnosed
children increase forty-fold between 1994 and 2003. In
comparison, the number of diagnosed adults increased two-fold.
And an earlier study published in the June issue of
Biological Psychiatry showed that US children
hospitalized for bipolar disorders increased from 1.3 per 10,000
in 1995 to 7.3per 10,000 in 2004.
One psychiatrist who has studied bipolar
disorders in children reports that
only one child in five who is referred to her
for treatment of this condition
actually has it. And the National Institutes
of Mental Health Director, Dr. Thomas Insel, says
that of the children referred to them for studies
on bipolar disorder, only a small fraction of the
children actually had the disorder.
About half of the children diagnosed with bipolar disorder were also
diagnosed with other disorders, primarily ADHD.
There's another reason critics are skeptical.
For children, the bipolar diagnosis is most common
in boys, but for adults, it is most common in women.
Like ADHD and depression, bipolar disorder appears to run in
families. But allergies and chemical sensitivities also
tend to run in families; so do vitamin and mineral
deficiencies.
The drugs
Two of the antipsychotic drugs given to these children are
Resperdal and Seroquel, both developed for schizophrenia.
Also, antidepressants, stimulants, and a drug for epilepsy
(Depakote) are being prescribed.
Doctors are using the information they have gathered from
treating adults, and are applying this to children, but the
symptoms of children and adults are not the same. Then they
are prescribing drugs that have been used in adults, but do
not have a history of successful use in children.
Big drug profits
Newer, more expensive drugs are being heavily promoted over older ones,
and might not be any more effective. (The cost of one year of drug
treatment can run as high as $8,000.)
Some doctors who treat bipolar children receive large payments from
companies making antipsychotic drugs. This is bringing sharp
criticism from fellow physicians.
Irritability is a characteristic of bipolar disorder, according
to Dr. Insel, but it is also a normal part of adolescence.
ADHD
Many of the bipolar symptoms overlap ADHD symptoms. The
dietary program that addresses causes of ADHD could be effective
for the symptoms of bipolar disorder.
Feingold parents have reported countless examples of extreme
mood and behavior swings that have been triggered by food
additives and other petrochemicals. Here are a few:
- Andrea had a drink of red punch in the church
meeting hall; shortly afterward her behavior changed drastically
and she ran around the room, biting people.
- Johnny went to a restaurant with his family and behaved
well until he ate some green pistachio ice cream.
After that he tore around the restaurant, out of control.
- Billy wanted a Coke with his hamburger, but mom didn't
want him to have caffeine and gave him the orange
colored drink instead. Before they finished their meal,
he was climbing all over the chairs and tables.
- Harry went out to fill up the gas tank. He left in a
good mood and returned shortly afterward (having breathed
in the fumes from the gasoline), very agitated and irritable.
- Jenny behaved so well, she was rewarded with a bright
pink slushee and by the time the family got home
she was out of control.
For each of these people, the answer was to identify and remove the
offending substances, not to attempt to disguise the symptoms
by adding more chemicals in the form of drugs.
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