Living Crazy

What is behind the recent explosion in the diagnosis of bipolar disorder among American children? There is much to wonder about, as we know from Time magazine’s 2002 cover, “Young and Bipolar;” and from the recent 60 Minutes segment, “What killed Rebecca Riley?” Four year old Rebecca is said to have died from an overdose of psychiatric medications given to her for her bipolar disorder. The New York Times had already reported last month that the number of American children and adolescents treated for bipolar disorder increased 40-fold from 1994 to 2003. Behind these statistics lie powerful cultural changes in how Americans regard their moods.