How is Bipolar in Children Different?
Unable to voice what they’re feeling, bipolar in children is more difficult to diagnose since children cannot understand the symptoms they’re going through.
It can be difficult to monitor how your child is doing, because symptoms are changing, if treatments are working, besides children going through many emotional and physical changes, including mood swings.
Since bipolar in children is more complicated than bipolar in adults, it’s even more important to have a strong support system in family and friends who can closely monitor the child and help keep communication between the child and the care giver open.
Symptoms of Bipolar: What Is It?
Usually children bipolar disorder marked by severe mood swings, experience depressive and manic episodes. At times children can experience mixed state or hypomanic episodes. Depending on their ages, children experience other illness not related to bipolar and react to them differently.
Children who are in a depressive mode have an increased need for sleep, lack of interest in activities and relationships; have suicidal thoughts, always tired, lethargy and feelings of hopelessness. They are also oversensitive or exaggerated emotional responses fascination with gory or morbid topics and have very low self-esteem.
Symptoms of manic episodes include a decreased need for sleep, rapid speech, racing thoughts, impulsive behavior, distractibility, and, in some cases, aggressive behavior. These symptoms are all common in children, as well, and children suffering from a manic episode may also have temper tantrums, extreme irritability, “silly” behavior, and motor or vocal tics.
Less severe to mania, Hypomania is when the person is in a good mood, compared to depressive episode of bipolar. When symptoms of depression and mania are present at the same time it is called a mixed state episode.
Where Can I Get More Information?
As well as ensuring that treatment is effective and helping your child manage his/her illness, first you must understand bipolar in children and its symptoms. Your child can be on the way to living a healthy and happy life if you know what to look for.
