As far as bipolar and depression, they must be treated. My sister went undiagnosed and was miserable. She ran away, often. She was in very dangerous situations and just couldn’t get a hold on life. The pain she went through, it was horrible to see her this way. One of my daughter’s best friends attempted suicide about 4 months ago. She’s 14, depressed and bipolar. Her doctor convinced her mother that the only thing she should be on was thyroid medication and therapy for depression and bipolar. That didn’t go so well. She spent 3 weeks in a hospital and had to be re-admitted a week after she returned home. She is now being treated by another doctor, one that agrees that medication is necessary and so is therapy – different forms of therapy. She is a creative child, intelligent and wants more out of life. I think to not treat (medically) is more of a risk. I’m on the fence about ADD. I don’t have a child with ADD – so I feel that my opinions are on the outside. I have friends that have children with ADD or ADHD – some I can see that they really need the treatment, others that I wonderful if the therapy and behavioral therapy routes, would be more beneficial; however, like I said, I’m an outsider on that one.