Early On-Set Bipolar Disorder

I am an educator with a Master’s Degree in Child Development – yet, as a parent, I could not control my son’s behavior, nor did I understand the origin of his irritability. I was on a continual search for the right technique or the correct diagnosis. At 6, he wast diagnosed with ADHD; for 6 more years we tried various medications and treatments. As he got older, his anger increased, and his self-esteem decreased. I eventually took him to Brain Matters, where SPECT imaging was used to observe brain functioning. The results made it clear that he was suffering not from ADHD, but from an early-onset bipolar disorder. Difficult news – but finally, we were able to treat it correctly. To help parents and grandparents figure this out faster than we did, I’ve written a book, Connecting the Pieces: The Discovery of Early-Onset Bipolar Disorder.