BipolarCentral
Your One Stop Source For Information On Bipolar Disorder

Loved One With Bipolar Disorder?
Discover How to Cope and Deal with
Your loved One's Bipolar Disorder

Do You Have Bipolar Disorder?
Learn the Secrets to Cope and Deal
With Your Bipolar Disorder

Child With Bipolar Disorder?
Learn How to REALLY Help
And Support Your Child

Dating Someone With Bipolar?
Secrets to a Successful
Relationship Revealed

Marrying Someone With Bipolar?
Learn How to Support Your Spouse
and Avoid Common Mistakes

Need Money Because of Bipolar Disorder?
Learn How to Be Successful Even if
You are Dealing with Bipolar Disorder

Drug Addiction and Bipolar Disorder
Secrets to Beating Drug Addiction
When Dealing with Bipolar Disorder

Need Affordable Health Insurance?
Information You Can't Live Without
If You are Dealing with Bipolar Disorder

In Debt Because of Bipolar Disorder?
Get out of debt fast!

Improve Your Emotional Health
Reduce Your Stress Levels and
Increase Your Brain Power

Recognizing Bipolar Disorder in Children

By David Oliver

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), bipolar disorder can occur in children as young as age six. Researchers from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) are now working to discover more effective interventions for children.

Bipolar disorder has become a more "popular" diagnosis for children today than it was just a few short years ago, when parents had to struggle to attain the diagnosis for their children, and/or their children were misdiagnosed.

For example, many children with bipolar disorder were misdiagnosed as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) because of its similarity to the manic phase of bipolar disorder.

Although children with ADHD might exhibit some similar symptoms as bipolar disorder (hyperactivity, irritability, and distractibility), they usually do not show the symptoms of elated mood, decreased need of sleep, flight of ideas, grandiose behaviors, and hyper-sexuality that are characteristic of bipolar disorder.

Whatever the reasons for its more frequent diagnosis, many families today are facing this issue. Children with bipolar disorder have significant (and often frequent) mood fluctuations. Their moods and behaviors, the symptoms of their disorder, can switch repeatedly from elation to deep sadness within a very short period of time.

Bipolar disorder in children is diagnosed based on assessment (self, parent, and school reports), observation, and clinical interviews with the parents and the child; however, they are still being diagnosed using the criteria for adults with bipolar disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual on Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) that psychiatrists use to diagnose patients with a mental disorder.

One of the differences between adults and children with bipolar disorder is that an adult in the manic phase of the disorder may display a euphoric mood; whereas, a child might be irritable and have destructive outbursts. Children with bipolar disorder can also cycle downward into serious depression and could have the previously described up-down mood fluctuations multiple times a day.

Doctors usually prescribe medication for children with bipolar disorder, although not much evidence exists yet to suggest which the best medication to use is. Using Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as part of their treatment may help children develop self-awareness and coping skills.

Bipolar disorder does tend to run in families. Therefore, if someone in your family does have bipolar disorder and you see the signs/symptoms of the disorder being exhibited by your child, you may want to seek evaluation and diagnosis by a doctor or psychiatrist for your child.

About the Author

David Oliver is the founder of FreeBipolarCourse.com, a one-stop source of information on how to cope and deal with bipolar disorder. Sign up for one of his FREE Mini Courses on bipolar by visiting FreeBipolarCourse.com

Back to Article List

This Week's Bipolar News

Overeating and substance abuse are similar disorders
Los Angeles Times
People with bipolar disorder have higher-than-average rates of obesity and substance abuse. But McIntyre found that the obesity rate in bipolar patients was ...

Club stoush bowls out member
The Advertiser
A MAN suffering from bipolar disorder and depression has been barred from membership at a Sydney bowling club after a clash over club bylaws.

Mom abandons 18-year-old under Nebraska safe-haven law
Richmond Times-Dispatch
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- Police say a woman has abandoned her 18-year-old daughter at a hospital, saying she can't control the girl, in what may be the latest use of Nebraska's unique safe-haven law. The woman told officials at BryanLGH Medical Center West that her daughter, who was adopted, is bipolar and has a learning disability, Assistant Police Chief Jim Peschong said today.

Click here for all Bipolar News.

Featured Article:

Romancing Your Spouse

"Romancing your spouse?" Ok, I can already hear you yelling at me! I know, it's a strange concept, but hear me out. Some of the longest-running marriages have lasted because of this very concept.

You may be thinking that this has nothing to do with Bipolar Disorder, but it does. Even the best of marriages has some strain on it - the pressures of day-to-day living, at the very least. However, Bipolar Disorder puts additional pressure on your marriage because of the issues you have to face in dealing with the disorder, whether you are the survivor or the supporter.

No matter how long you've been married, the suggestions in this article can put some "spark" into your marriage. And if you've only been married a short time, putting these suggestions into place now can help ensure a long, happy, healthy marriage (of course, you will still have to do some hard work yourself to make that happen as well!).

Click here to read the entire aritcle

Terms of Service | Privacy Policy

Copyright 2004-2008, BipolarCentral.com