Bipolar disorder or manic- depressive illness is a major brain illness. Children suffering from this disorder generally experience unusual mood swings. There will be times when bipolar children will feel extremely happy and more active than normal. This state is called the state of mania. There are also times when bipolar children feel sad and show no interest in anything. This state is called  the state of depression. This illness can seriously damage the performance of children in school and create rifts with their friends.

The main feature of bipolar symptoms is the occurrence of frequent mood swings. These mood swings can occur over a period of time.  Generally, one mood episode lasts from a few days to a month. The bipolar symptoms differ in accordance with the state that the person is experiencing. According to the American Psychiatric Association, the bipolar symptoms consist of the occurrence of a manic state and a mixed episode followed by a depression episode. There are several characteristic features and bipolar symptoms associated with each of these states.

Bipolar test essentially involves an examination conducted by a psychiatrist who asks several questions about the history, the signs, symptoms and other relevant behavioral questions which needs to be answered by the patient. The bipolar test is even conducted on family members and friends of the person to ascertain the behavior of the person suffering from bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is not an easy disorder to diagnose and hence, the bipolar test might seem a bit complicated. The questions help the psychiatrist determine if the person is actually suffering from the disorder.

Being a parent to any child is a difficult responsibility any way you look at it; however, supporting a child with bipolar disorder is even more difficult.  This child has needs that other children do not have.

I know that anger is a huge problem for people dealing with bipolar disorder.  How do I know?  Not just because I'm a supporter myself or because my mom has it, but because I get TONS of emails on just this subject.

Bipolar illness (or manic depression) is a neurobiological, hereditary chemical imbalance of the brain. Thirty percent of all children born to a couple where one parent has the illness also are born bipolar. If both parents suffer from it, there is a sixty percent chance that their children will inherit the illness.

Yes, children can develop bipolar disorder before they reach their teen years. This is a relatively recent discovery, and it's unfortunate that it's taken so long for many doctors to realize this. But now that psychiatrists and doctors are recognizing that bipolar can show up in even young children, it's important to know what to look for.

Symptoms of depression include long periods of sadness and perhaps even crying spells that may or may not have an obvious cause to them. They may sleep too much or have trouble with falling asleep or staying asleep. They may seem to be very tired all the time. They may have low energy, which may or may not be because of their sleep problems. They may show increased agitation and irritability. They may be withdrawn, and no longer show interest in activities they normally enjoyed. There may be an observable and significant change in their appetite.

The medical community focused on the topic of children and bipolar disorder in September with the news that there has been a 4,000 percent increase in the diagnosis in children since 1994. This increase occurred despite the fact that bipolar disorder is extremely difficult to diagnose in children. Its symptoms often mimic other, more common childhood disorders, especially attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The increase in diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children alone raised some controversy. But the controversy about bipolar disorder in children escalated when the topic turned to treatment.

There is only one mood stabilizing prescription medication specifically designed to work on children. This makes children the fastest-growing segment of the $11.5 billion U.S. antipsychotic drug market. Most children are treated "off label". They are given drugs tested and intended for adult use. Results of one clinical trial were revealed in September regarding the use of Olanzapine on children with bipolar disorder. It performed admirably in helping to keep the mood swings from bipolar disorder under control. But those conducting the study questioned the side effects. On average, children with bipolar disorder gained a little more than eight pounds in the three weeks of the study. Another study was to begin in September, this one focusing on the effectiveness of family-focused therapy for bipolar disorder.

The study is being conducted at the University of Colorado by David Miklowitz. He has been studying bipolar disorder for more than 25 years and received a $600,000 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health for the bipolar disorder study. The study will determine the effectiveness of family-focused therapy in the early treatment of children with a high risk of developing bipolar disorder. The goal is to provide enough help before bipolar disorder severely disrupts their lives. Dr. Greg Murray from Australia has critically examined the role of a person's own circadian clock affecting the mood swings associated with bipolar disorder . He has strapped a device which resembled a wrist watch on members of a group in the study to see how movement affected their bipolar disorder .

Those individuals with bipolar disorder who experienced the least amount of difference between the movements during the day and at night were affected the most by mood swings. While more research needs to be conducted, this clearly seems to link bipolar disorder with an individual's own internal clock. Meanwhile, in Boulder Colorado, Seth Brigham, who states on his resume he's receiving disability insurance for his bipolar disorder is running for city council. He was instrumental in uncovering several scandals in the area. There are 22 individuals running for the seven available seats.

It was the largest pediatric study of its kind regarding mood stabilizers, according to scientists at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. The clinical trial tested the drug, divalproex sodium, created for adults with bipolar disorder, to see if it helped children and adolescents.