bipolar kids

came across this today.

this is an interesting topic for me, on many levels. in my psych classes, i always got a kick out of the pathology lectures. as interesting as it was to learn about the brain and how people process information, it was even more interesting to think about solving problems when things went wrong.

i can say that i'm glad the story comes from "normal" parents in a "normal" family. it probably would have been all too easy to hear about another "crack baby" or see an inner city family struggling with something like this--although that's a reality, too, and those folks probably have far less access to the resources these parents did. however, i think that seeing it come from a white, middle class setting normalizes the problem in a way a black/brown/red family wouldn't.

what also strikes me is how smart, sensitive, creative, and deeply feeling these children are. when compared with autism--which can also cause outbursts, etc., but can also include mental deficiencies or developmental delays--bipolar kids (and adults) are often extremely intelligent and articulate. eerily so at times.

there's also that statement about them being "born screaming".

i also perked up at the statement that this kind of diagnosis was rare just a few years ago. just like autism.

so, i'm wondering:

is this another segment of the indigo phenomenon (which i haven't completely bought into, but still interesting to consider)?

is this another, not-so-subtle consequence of the medicalization of birth? how do we get the word out that there are alternatives?

what about the role of immunizations? diet?

is this just exploding here, or in most western(ized) societies?

i don't expect newsweek to answer these questions, but i am interested in what the more holistically-minded community has to say...