Paramedic Dad

A lot of psychiatric disorders can be passed on. Bipolar Disorder is one of them. I've got limited knowledge when it comes to ADD so I can't help you much there.

When dealing with mental illness there are a few things I suggest you keep in mind.

First, misdiagnosis happens. Especially with kids. They are developing and changing so fast that sometimes its hard to make a really solid diagnosis. Many psych disorders have very similar signs and symptoms but, have very different treatments. Its hard enough to get a good diagnosis in an adult. The result of this is incorrect treatment plans. This can give you a transient "bandaid" effect but, in reality isn't helping the underlying condition. Finding a physician who has pediatric experience and that your child likes are equally important. If your child doesn't like the doc he/she won't talk to him/her. As you can imagine, that makes the already difficult task of accurately diagnosing a pedi psych disorder even more difficult.

The next thing to consider is therapy, drugs, or both. Many people will swear by one or the other and say the other is the work of the devil. As far as that is concerned, I'm not a psychiatrist. I have however, had a great deal of experience with psych patients. My observations have lead me to believe the following: there are way to many variables to have a black and white answer to this question. And its not uncommon to require changes in treatment plans.

I guess the summary of my ramblings is that you need to be well educated about any conditions your child may be dealing with. Also, don't be afraid to get a second opinion regarding both diagnosis and treatment options. Keep in mind that in medicine, there are very few black and white answers.