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Symptoms of (Pediatric) Bipolar Disorder in Adolescents

By David Oliver

Continuing our series on Pediatric Bipolar Disorder, this month we will talk about Bipolar Disorder in adolescents. Remember that the terms Pediatric Bipolar Disorder and Early-Onset Bipolar Disorder are interchangeable and refer to the same disorder.

When Bipolar Disorder presents itself in adolescents, it may resemble any of the following traditional adult presentations of the disorder:

Bipolar I: In this form of Bipolar Disorder, the adolescent will experience alternating episodes of intense (sometimes psychotic) depression and mania.

Symptoms of depression include:

• pervasive sadness and crying spells
• agitation and irritability
• sleeping too much or inability to sleep
• withdrawal from activities formerly enjoyed
• inability to concentrate (with subsequent drop in grades)
• low energy
• thoughts of death and suicide
• significant change in appetite

Symptoms of mania include:

• elevated, expansive or irritable mood
• racing speech and pressure to keep talking
• decreased need for sleep
• grandiose delusions
• excessive involvement in pleasurable but risky activities
• poor judgment
• increased physical and mental activity
• hallucinations (in severe cases)

Periods of relative (or even complete) wellness will occur between these episodes.

Bipolar II: In this form of Bipolar Disorder, adolescents experience episodes of hypomania between recurrent periods of depression. Hypomania is when a markedly elevated or irritable mood is accompanied by increased physical and mental energy. Hypomania can sometimes be a time of great creativity for an adolescent.

Cyclothymia: Adolescents who have this form of Bipolar Disorder experience periods of less severe, but definite, mood swings.

Bipolar Disorder NOS (Not Otherwise Specified): Doctors make this diagnosis in the adolescent when it is not clear which type of Bipolar Disorder is emerging.

For some adolescents, a loss (or other traumatic event) can trigger their first episode of depression or mania. Later episodes can occur independently of any obvious stresses, or can worsen with stress. For an adolescent, puberty is a time of risk. In adolescent girls, the onset of menstruation can trigger Bipolar Disorder, and symptoms often vary in intensity (severity) with their monthly cycle.

Once Bipolar Disorder starts in an adolescent, episodes will then tend to recur and worsen without treatment. Studies show that after symptoms first appear, there is typically a 10-year lag until treatment begins.

The Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (CABF) encourages parents to take their adolescent for an evaluation of Bipolar Disorder if four or more of the above symptoms listed in this article persist for more than two weeks in their adolescent.

During this critical time of development in an adolescent, early intervention and treatment can make all the difference in the world.

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

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This Week's Bipolar News

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Mom abandons 18-year-old under Nebraska safe-haven law
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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

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