I read the story on-line. He is Blessed to have parents who haven't given up on him and are trying their best to help him.
It would be a wonderful Miracle, if preventive medicine could help the younger generation.
Hi, M. Joe Biederman - mentioned in the Newsweek article and in this blog and in previous blogs of mine - is involved in a lot of brain studies. It's going to take a lot of time to figure this thing out and come up with decent treatments, but we have very dedicated people working very hard to crack this one wide open. Here's hoping ...
My 15 yr old son was so like "Max" except he didn't act out in school or at other's houses; he saved it all for home. At school he would just shut down.
Our kids' (and our) environment, and how we are treated within it, has so much influence on our illness. I've found that the literature and suggestions for Gifted Kids has been the best source for how to help my child. In particular, SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted) is a good resource, although they tend to have a bias against psychiatric diagnoses. At their convention several years ago, presenters kept asking me, "Are you sure he's really bipolar?" But the label doesn't matter; nearly all the information was applicable to my child (and me). And it comes from a positive perspective.
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How much do you know about bipolar disorder? 
Honestly, so many people, even in a forum such as this, don't give credit to what the families go through. Now I'm sure there are doctors and parents who are too quick to give the label. My son is 16 and his label for the moment is "unspecified mood disorder". This is made because this is a newly diagnosed problem and he's still young for the bipolar label. Anyone who has a child with unusual behavior; Tantrums that go beyond what is warranted for the situation; Nightmares that repeat and frighten the child beyond the normal nightmares (dreams so real and vivid and morbid they would reduce an adult to tears), a family history of bipolar disorder, or a feeling that something about their child is "just not right", shouldn't be afraid to look into it. It's a tough diagnosis to accept. Sometimes you may have to get 2nd, 3rd, and 4th opinions, before you're willing to go there.
Fact is, even if you feel alone, you're not. Many other families go through this. In a lot of cases, the families are in denial for years before they'll accept it. Once we've gone through the diagnosis and accepted that something is "wrong" with our perfect little angel and that they'll need medication for the rest of their lives to keep them on an even keel, we don't need people telling us it's our fault. We've beat ourselves up more than anyone else could have. What we need is support. We need people to realize that we did the best we could with what we were given and we're here because we want to learn how to help our precious ones.
Thanks for responding Mom, I was going to ask you about this article and what your take was.
Hi, Hopeful Mom. You guys are my favorite people in the world - and I mean that sincerely. I'm sure the Newsweek reporter feels the same way. Please know you have a good friend and ally here at BipolarConnect. All the best to you and your family.