Product Description

From a leading child psychiatrist, a comprehensive parents' guide to understanding--and managing--pediatric bipolar disorder

Once considered an adult illness, bipolar disorder (manic depression) is the fastest growing category in child psychiatry since ADHD, touching the lives of an estimated one million children. But often it goes misdiagnosed, and children can be prescribed medication that only worsens the condition. Parents are desperate for someone to guide the way through this difficult time. With her twenty-five years of clinical experience, child psychiatrist Rosalie Greenberg offers families a lifeline--a book filled with sage, practical, and reassuring advice for anyone struggling to help a child locate that elusive inner calm.

With a revolutionary approach that sees the brilliance, the sweetness, the creativity in these kids, Dr. Greenberg gathers their stories, as well as their parents' stories, to open a window onto these children who have for so long gone misunderstood. She walks readers through the different scenarios that may occur with bipolar kids, from daring manic phases to sudden periods of overwhelming sadness. She spells out the "whys" behind the condition; shows parents how best to navigate the peaks and valleys of bipolar; and provides parents with the assurance that they need not tackle this illness alone. Most important, she encourages adults to listen to what children say through the maze of their mania and depression, for this can make all the difference in diagnosing and successfully managing bipolar.

Bipolar Kids offers parents welcome understanding, guidance, and, most of all, hope that every child can--and should--lead a full, productive, and contented life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #455167 in Books
• Published on: 2007-02-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 312 pages

From Publishers Weekly
A child psychiatrist with 25 years of clinical experience, Greenberg specializes in juvenile bipolar disorder, a condition that affects an estimated half million children in the U.S. Greenberg explains that bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed in children as such other disorders as ADHD or OCD; the "diagnostic morass" is further complicated by the fact that many bipolar kids also suffer from these very conditions or others such as autism or Asperger's syndrome. When bipolar disorder "rides sidesaddle" with other disorders, the wrong diagnosis can result. Fortunately, scientists are learning more about the disorder, and with this book in hand parents will also become more aware of the intricacies of this complex condition. Greenberg walks parents through a multitude of "hidden symptoms," including impulsivity, difficulty waking up, nightmares, anxiety, hypersexuality, carb cravings and sinus infections. Although in and of themselves these clues don't herald the condition, they are among the many fascinating links to pediatric bipolar disorder that Greenberg explores through current research and her own clinical experience. Along with examining the challenges, the author celebrates the bipolar child's creativity, sensitivity, and ability to "think outside the box." She also stresses the importance of listening to bipolar children, revealing that their self-observations can often be key in proper treatment. (Mar.)
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Review
"A thoughtful, comprehensive, and caring book, and even poetic at times." -- InfoDad.com, 4/12/07

"Greenberg . . . writes in a conversational style, sharing many stories from her practice, which makes the disorder seem less scary. . . . .Recommended. " -- Library Journal

"Informative...Presented in an amiable way by a psychiatrist who seems to genuinely like the children she works with." -- About.com, 4/20/07

"Offering hope and practical advice, Bipolar Kids is a first-of-its-kind resource for anyone who cares for a child with BP." -- HealthNewsDigest.com, 2/28/2007

"[An] important work...an invaluable resource for parents, family practitioners, and teachers." -- Tampa Bay Tribune, 4/8/07

About the Author
Rosalie Greenberg, M.D., is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist specializing in the treatment of childhood mood disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. An assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, she maintains a private practice in child psychiatry in Summit, New Jersey. She was a founding member and former president of the Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation and was named one of the top doctors in the New York metropolitan area by New York Magazine in 2005. Dr. Greenberg lives in Montclair, New Jersey, with her husband and two children.

Customer Reviews

I can relate to this book!
I have read a few books on bipolar kids but this is the first book that explains everything in a simple, easy to read way. It's the first time that I can take terms from a book & actually translate them to real life examples. It is helping me to look at things from a different perspective & to more clearly understand certain behaviors.

I have other books on bipolar disorder & I use them like textbooks..they sit on the shelf till I want to look something up. This is the first book that I carry around to read & then actually try to apply what I've read.

This is a great first book if you are just starting to inform yourself about the bipolar disorder, or like me want to better understand the behavior of bipolar kids.

It can change your world!!
I laughed and I cried when I read this marvelous book by Dr. Rosalie Greenberg. You see, my son has been a patient of hers for 11 years during which time the possibility of diagnosing a child with Bipolar Syndrome emerged in the psychiatric world. She figured it out and then we worked together to help him. This book is the story of our family and those of the multitude of families who have been helped by Dr. Greenberg. I only wish this information had been available when my son first became ill. Now, he is 15, and an amazing, stable, productive, creative and compassionate human being. Thanks to Dr. Greenberg and to our partnership, he has been able to meet his potential. Read this book. It can change your world!!

Finally a Doctor Who "GETS" My Son & the Book to Prove It
I was happy to find a book that addressed the unique situation of having a child who has more than one diagnosis. Our son has both high functioning autism and pediatric bipolar disorder, and until I read BIPOLAR KIDS, I never really understood how it all worked together.
His psychiatrist has been trying many of the medications discussed in Dr. Greenberg's book, which now will become a great a reference tool for whenever changes have to be made. The book also includes many forms of therapy inwhich our son has been involved over the years. Now I have a better appreciation of why different therapies worked at different ages and what might be available for him in the future.
Although she is a psychiatrist, Dr. Greenberg does offer some advice on how to make sure that your child is getting all that he or she is entitled to in school. She offers advice for teachers, school counselors, nurses, or anyone else who comes in contact with kids like our's throughout the day.
It is also comforting to know that we are not alone as parents. Reading BIPOLAR KIDS showed me that other parents have encountered many of the same problems and triumphs we have. My husband and I are extremely proud of our son's artistic ability. He studied many forms of dance for eight years before he "retired," but has been seriously and successfully studying water colors for the last two years. We had to wonder where this talent came from because neither of us can paint.
We were amazed and amused when we learned in BIPOLAR KIDS that our son was not alone. There are stories of many famous people throughout history who were either bipolar or who later were thought to have been bipolar. Somehow knowing that our son may have something in common with Sir Winston Churchill, Ludwig van Beethoven, Vincent van Gogh, and President Abraham Lincoln is somewhat comforting and perhaps even a little encouraging.
I am considering buying a copy of BIPOLAR KIDS for our son's teachers and his grandparents. I may even give a copy to his pediatrician, because at times I am not sure he believes me. Our son is always so well behaved in public.
It's nice to read a book that is informative and NOT boring. There are lots of stories about her patients, many of which will make you chuckle or maybe see glimpses of your own child like we did.