Diagnosing Manic Depression In Children
It has only been recently that the medical community has realized that manic depression, often referred to as bipolar disorder, can affect children. It has been fairly recently then that children have actually been diagnosed as having manic depression.
Manic depression in children shows itself through displays of intense mood swings that quickly run the gamut from extreme highs to extreme lows with no clear cause. These moods alternative from a mania, which involves high energy or even irritability to a depression in which the child has little or no energy and is excessively sad.
Some children with manic depression may return to a healthy mood between experiencing these extremes. Many other children, though, cycle continuously through the manic depression episodes, sometimes experiencing this cycle several times in a single day. Other children who experience manic depression may have both the mania and depression simultaneously.
An episode of either mania or depression could very well be less clearly defined in a child with manic depression than with an adult. Children may be irritable, throwing violent temper tantrums. They may become obsessed with sexuality. Or these children with manic depression may experience an amazingly high level of energy. At other times they may say they feel "down," bored, empty or sad.
Physical symptoms also seem to accompany the presence of manic depression in children. Many children complain of fatigue, headaches, muscle aches or stomaches. Youngsters with manic depression may also miss a lot of school or discuss running away from home. It is not unusual for a youngster with manic depression to become isolated as well as overly sensitive to rejection or criticism.
If you suspect that your child might suffer from manic depression, then take him to a helath care professional who can make this evaluation. Below are the steps you and your child will probably go through while your doctor is deciding if your son or daughter has manic depression.
Your doctor's first steps will be to guide you and your child through a series of questions or possibly complete a written test. This identifies your child's current mental state as well as the severity of either the manic or depressive episode.
During this time, your doctor may question you on your family history of mental illness, drug and alcohol problems. Both drug and alcohol abuse can be linked to manic depression
Your doctor may perform some laboratory exams, such as blood tests, to rule out other possible health problems that could be causing these symptoms. Manic depression in children is not easy to identify.
The symptoms of manic depression often resemble those of other health conditions, most notably, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), problems with substance abuse and conduct disorder to name just several. In addition, manic depression very often occurs concurrently with other health conditions and substance abuse problems as well.
The mood swings that are a natural part of manic depression are challenging, at best, they can be managed effectively with a combination of mood stabilizing medications and professional counseling.
It is extremely important if you believe your child may suffer from manic depression that you get him diagnosed as soon as possible. Children who suffer from manic depression are at a greater risk of developing problems with substance abuse, experiencing difficulty in school as well as developing discipline problems such as fighting or reckless or violent behavior.
Moreover, untreated manic depression can lead to suicide. In fact, an estimate 10 to 20 percent of individuals with manic depression do commit suicide, while nearly another 33 percent say they have tried to kill themselves at least once.
