Adolescent Bipolar Disorder
Until recently, experts thought that bipolar disorder was the same in both children and adults. But extensive studies of children and teens show that the symptoms in children and teens are different than those of adults and they need different treatment than adults do. Doctors and researchers don’t completely understand what causes adolescent bipolar disorder. They do know that it tends to run in families and your child has a greater risk of having the disorder if someone in their immediate family, such as a parent, grandparent, brother or sister has it. There is nothing that a parent can do to prevent bipolar disorder.
Teens and children with bipolar disorder have mood swings with extreme highs, referred to as mania, and extreme lows or depression. These intense feelings change quickly from one extreme to another without any real provocation or cause. Many children return to feeling normal inbetween episodes, but they may go from one extreme to another several times in one day.
Bipolar disorder is usually a life long disease, and has been shown to run in families. Just about half of all people who have bipolar disorder have one parent who also has the mood disorder. If one parent does have bipolar disorder, the child will have about a 30% chance of developing the mood disorder themselves. If both parents have bipolar disorder, the child will have about a 70% chance of developing the disorder themselves. Identical twins have about a 45% chance, and non identical twins have only a 5 % chance of having bipolar disorder.
Adolescent bipolar disorder can be very difficult to diagnose in children and teens. Often times the symptoms look a lot like those of other problems, such as ADHD, alcohol or drug abuse problems or other behavior disorders. A doctor who is trying to diagnose your child will give them a written test to find out how severe the mania or depression is at that time. They should ask about your family history of mental illness or drug or alcohol abuse, and take a blood test to rule out any other health problems.
Early diagnosis of adolescent bipolar disorder is very important because usually the disorder is accompanied by other problems. The effects of the disorder will cause other social and personal problems that may include alcohol and drug abuse, trouble in school, fighting, running away from home, or even thoughts of suicide. Some of the warning signs may be hard to read, but thoughts about death or suicide are a red flag that something is wrong.
Treatment for adolescent bipolar disorder may include a mood stabilizer and professional counseling. Although the child may start feeling better, it is key that they continue taking their medication until a healthcare professional has been consulted. Without continued use of their medication, the symptoms will usually come right back. Bipolar disorder is usually a lifelong disease, and a plan for your child’s long term treatment will need to be carefully implemented and monitored. |