the person who has ADD with a high degree of agitation may be incorrectly diagnosed as having manic-depressive illness. This has practical significance in that the drug most commonly used to treat mania, lithium, usually does not help ADD. Indeed, it may make ADD worse. Therefore, it is important to consider ADD as a possible diagnosis in the agitated individual thought to be manic but who is nonresponsive to lithium. That person may have ADD and may get better when treated with one of the medications used for ADD.
