From Book News, Inc.
Two child psychologists guide families in identifying when a child's problems go beyond crankiness into depression or bipolar disorder, and how to help. They address issues such as providing kids with a "coping toolkit" to manage their moods; keeping a child's behavior from turning home or school into a battleground; finding the right professional help; and safeguarding the couple's relationship when parenting stress goes way up.Copyright © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR


Review
"This book does what it sets out to. It says it clearly and in a way that will provide support and much needed information for anyone who is helping a child with a mood disorder."--Children Now

"...a calming guide....The authors do a fantastic job breaking down the meaning of mood disorder, how to find treatment, and how to help a child and family cope."--Youth Today



Review
"Bipolar illness and depression can derail a child’s normal development at any age. With sage advice to parents (and kids) that 'it’s not your fault, but it’s your challenge,' the authors provide a roadmap and a toolkit of strategies for families facing these complicated, heritable, and treatable medical disorders. Highly recommended."--Martha Hellander, Executive Director, Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation

"As the mother of two children who have been diagnosed with mood disorders, I found this book invaluable. It is extremely thorough and readable; provides solid, current information; and covers every aspect of life that is affected by these disorders. In short, the book helps families navigate murky and formidable waters. It is a great plus to have such a resource available."--Edna Wright, Bexley, OH

"This is an extremely reassuring and eminently practical book that educates and empowers parents of children with bipolar disorder. Not only does it demystify situations that so often paralyze parents, it moves them to a place where they can become much more effective in helping their ill children as well as their family as a whole."--Demitri F. Papolos, MD, and Janice Papolos, authors of The Bipolar Child

"Until we have a 'cure' for mood disorders, young people, their families, and educators will need informed and sensible ways of understanding and managing them. Raising a Moody Child provides state-of-the-art information interwoven with strategies the authors have developed over the years to mitigate the challenges as well as celebrate the strengths posed by 'moody' young people."--Gabrielle A. Carlson, MD, Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stony Brook University



Book Description
Every day can be an ordeal for families struggling with the difficult, moody, "impossible" behavior that may point to childhood depression or bipolar disorder. Effective help for kids does exist, but it often requires a customized combination of medication, therapy, coping skills, and support. From esteemed clinician and researcher Dr. Mary Fristad and fellow treatment expert Dr. Jill Goldberg Arnold, this indispensable book explains how treatment works and what additional steps parents can take at home to help children with mood disorders--and the family as a whole--improve the quality of their lives. Explained are why symptoms look so different (and can be so much harder to manage) in children and teens than in adults, how to find the right doctor or therapist, and how to help kids develop their own "coping toolkits." Bursting with practical tools, FAQs, and examples, the book covers everything from dealing with medical crises to resolving school problems, sibling conflicts, and marital stress.



Book Info
Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Provides practical advice and proven strategies for coping with children with depression and bipolar disorder. Highlights teaching troubled children how to manage their moods. Also discusses how to finding the right professional help, and how to detect diagnostic errors. For consumers. Softcover, hardcover also available.


About the Author
Mary A. Fristad, PhD, ABPP, is Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology at the Ohio State University, where she is also Director of Research and Psychological Services in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. A distinguished researcher and clinician, she has published over 100 professional articles, chapters, and books on childhood mood disorders.

Jill S. Goldberg Arnold, PhD, is a researcher and seasoned clinician with multiple publications in the area of childhood mood disorders. Previously, she was a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Ohio State University. She currently maintains a private practice in the greater Philadelphia area.



Excerpted from Raising a Moody Child : How to Cope with Depression and Bipolar Disorder by Jill S. Goldberg Arnold, Mary A. Fristad. Copyright © 2003. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Part I. Understanding Your Child's Problems 1. Difficult, Temperamental, Impossible: The Challenge of Raising a Moody Child 2. What's Wrong with My Child? 3. Why My Child? 4. The First Step in Getting Good Treatment Is Getting a Good Evaluation Part II. Treatment 5. Getting the Big Picture 6. What Do Medications Offer? 7. What Should I Expect from Therapy? Part III. Helping Your Child Cope 8. Ten Principles for Managing a Mood Disorder 9. Coping Skills for Moody Children 10. Mood Disorders in the School Setting: What You Need to Know to Help Your Child Cope 11. Crisis Management Part IV. Helping Your Family Live with a Mood Disorder 12. How Mood Disorders Affect Family Life 13. How Can You Help Siblings? 14. How to Take Care of Yourself Resources References Index About the Authors

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Difficult, angry, impossible, uncooperative, cranky, high-strung...If you've been struggling with a child's unpredictable emotions and the unmanageable conduct they fuel, "moody" probably sounds like an understatement. Moodiness, however, can point to several serious yet treatable disorders that are now known to affect millions of children and teenagers. Whether your child has been diagnosed with a mood disorder or just needs ways to cope with a volatile temperament, this book can help. Dr. Mary Fristad and Dr. Jill Goldberg Arnold have guided hundreds of families through the difficult journey of evaluating children for depression and bipolar disorder and finding treatments that really work. These trusted child psychologists know the pain kids endure when moodiness gets out of control and the frustration of parents at their wits' end. Now Dr. Fristad and Dr. Goldberg Arnold translate their decades of successful research and therapeutic work into a detailed roadmap for teaching your moody child to get along better in the world. Loads of realistic examples bring to life the many faces of mood problems and illustrate step-by-step strategies

Children grow so quickly that their behavior is always changing. Learning what mood problems look like in kids of different ages -- and the warning signs of clinical disorders -- will help you make sense of what's going on with your child and decide whether to seek professional help. Time-tested advice from Dr. Fristad and Dr. Goldberg Arnold will then help you navigate the diagnostic process, understand connections to such "look-alike" conditions as ADHD and anxiety, and stay alert to common diagnostic errors. If you're working with a doctor or therapist, tips on the pros and cons of available treatments will set you on the right track to making the best decisions for your child. A decade ago, many still believed that depression and bipolar illness were exclusively adult problems -- and parents overwhelmed by a child's debilitating moodiness had few places to turn. Fortunately, effective help is now available. This authoritative book will point you in the right direction, giving you the optimistic guidance you need to help your child and family thrive.

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