Recent years have seen a marked increase in American children diagnosed with bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression. The disorder is characterized by cycles of deep depression and cycles of giddy mania. However, because symptoms in children are different from symptoms in adults, many Americans are questioning the legitimacy of the increasing diagnoses.

In the past, a huge number of American children were diagnosed with ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The kids were placed on the drug Ritalin. However, it’s unclear how many children genuinely suffered from a mental disorder and how many were just being kids.

Children today are often diagnosed with mental disorders in order to justify poor parenting skills. More and more parents are having children simply because it’s trendy to do so. Children act out because they don’t have the kind of structured home life that they should, and parents seek a diagnosis of mental disorder to make themselves feel better…

Parents who see problems with their children’s behavior should examine their children more closely. They should attempt to determine whether their child has a genuine problem or whether he or she is simply being a kid. Many of children’s mood swings are caused by hormonal changes or stress, which can be very effectively dealt with. Parents can encourage their children to explore sports or other extracurricular activities rather than attempting to medicate them…

Source: Daily Vidette, IL
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