UNDERSTANDING THE MIND OF THE BIPOLAR CHILD by child psychiatrist Greg Lombardo, MD describes the effects of bipolar disorder on every stage of a child’s development from infancy through youth, adolescence, and into maturity, informing parents and professionals what to expect and how to help a child at each stage. The book weaves together an understanding of biology, psychology, and child development.
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Excerpt from the Introduction:
Bipolar Disorder is a manageable condition, one that is more manageable the earlier it is recognized and the more comprehensively it is treated. The better parents understand how bipolar disorder affects their child’s mind, affects how a child take in the world, and affects how a child reacts to its complex demands, the better parents can help their child.
I have been diagnosing and treating children with bipolar disorder for many years and have seen a great many of these children go on to live happy and productive lives – not just children who were bright and personable, but also those who struggled with learning disorders, intense anxiety, isolation from peers, substance abuse, enormous irritability, and overwhelming anger. Despite their many difficulties, most of these children also have powerful gifts for empathy, imagination, inventiveness and productivity that they have learned to use to their best advantage.
The greatest gift you can give a child is understanding. Yet a child with a bipolar disposition is sometimes very difficult to understand. My goal in writing this book is to increase your knowledge of the disorder, its treatments, and how you as a parent can be most helpful to your child. I’ll explain both the biological and developmental aspects of the disease, because if you can grasp the link between your child’s biology and her development, you can help her cope with the impact the condition has on the growth of her personality and of her mind.
When you have finished reading this book, you will have a complete picture of bipolar disorder, ranging from infancy through adolescence, including the impact of bipolar disorder on your child’s development, as well as the need for professional diagnosis and psychiatric and psychotherapeutic treatment., this book will enable you to better understand your child and provide effective support every step of the way.
Table of Contents:
PART I - DIAGNOSIS
Chapter 1 – Understanding Bipolar Disorder
Chapter 2 – Difficulties with Diagnosis
PART II - DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 3 – The Bipolar Infant: Trouble Settling In
Chapter 4 – The Bipolar Toddler: Learning to Accept No
Chapter 5 – The Bipolar Child’s Effect on the Family
Chapter 6 – Going Out Into the World: School, Separation Again, and Functioning in a Group
Chapter 7 – The Bipolar Child From 8-12: Entering the Peer Group, Mastering Aggression, and Developing Skills.
Chapter 8 – Early Adolescence and The Middle-School Years: Increasing Academic Demands, Cognitive Problems, and Hormonal Changes
Chapter 9 – Adolescence: Separation, Intimacy and Identity Formation; Adolescent Rebellion, and Consumption Disorders
Chapter 10 – Late Adolescence: College and Other Moratoriums
Chapter 11 – Diagnoses That May Accompany Bipolar Disorder
ADD/ADHD
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Conduct Disorder
Panic Disorder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Dissociation and Bipolar Disorder
PART III - TREATMENT
Chapter 12 – Psychotherapy
Chapter 13 — Conclusion: Bipolar Disorder at the Beginning of the Twenty-First Century
APPENDICES
Appendix I – Common Medications For Bipolar Disorder
Appendix II – How to Fight Weight Gain in Children
GLOSSARY
INDEX
© 2006 by Gregory T. Lombardo, M.D., Ph.D.
Published by St. Martins Press