Bipolar disorder is too often blamed for erratic behavior, doctors say

Ray Pearson
By McClatchy-Tribune

Ray Pearson is a sleepy teen whose depressed lows once caused near-daily suicide attempts and whose manic hallucinations had him talking to doorknobs and laundry bags.

Unlike hundreds of other children diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Pearson isn't given to unexpected outbursts. His shifts from depression to mania are as foreseeable as the Titanic -- and just