Childhood bipolar – Is it the strangest, most controversial diagnosis? #childhoodbipolar

When we wrote our handbook we researched ‘childhood bipolar’ and felt it was a bit of a crazy/controversial diagnosis. Diagnosing anyone under the age of about 21 with a mood disorder seems bizarre. Having variable moods is part of being a child. Having variable moods (in perhaps a slightly different way) is for most people part of their teenage years.

Creating the childhood-bipolar-diagnosis was controversial at the time with funding for the creation and promotion of this new diagnosis being provided by a drug company.  Check out Robert Whitaker’s book that explains who was involved with creating this diagnosis.

Childhood bipolar is diagnosis 6 in this top ten. The others are perhaps equally wacky and shocking. If it were not for the serious detrimental outcomes for those diagnosed…

Have a read for yourself – be sure to click on the number 6 (the next button did not work for me).

http://www.livescience.com/12908-top-10-controversial-psychiatric-disorders.html