Is My Young Adolescent Child Bipolar?
Bipolar can show itself anytime but the symptoms can begin to show itself at a very early age only later to be diagnosed. Biplar in children have their first symptoms identified during childhood or earlier while others develop them later in life. For those children s parents who have the illness there is the possibility their children will get the disorder because of the genetic connection.
Symptoms to Look out for
One of the common signs of this mental illness is the severe mood swings that occur. Their mood swings are so vast that they experience high times followed straight after by low times, calm then extreme anger in a matter of few minutes. Young children with severe mania symptoms are more likely to be bad tempered and liable to destructive tantrums than to be overly happy. They can be terrific children when compliant to their drugs but without their prescribed drug they can get extremely angry and irritable.
Other Signs
This disorder in young ones isn’t easy to diagnose because other problems and emotional changes are occurring within these age groups. While irritability and aggressiveness can indicate the illness, they also can be symptoms of other mental health illness like attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder, oppositional conduct and even defiant disorder. Also found in this age groups are major depression or schizophrenia. Because those at this age are onto drugs, drug abuse can also lead to symptoms close to that of bipolar. Late adolescents have a much closer link to the adult-type episodes and its symptoms than those at a younger age.
Other physical Signs
Those with this disease are moody and irritable and get angry more often than normal. The illness has seen children bad mouth their parents, run away from school, dishonest and disobedient. Their self-esteem, confidence and ambition can take a turn for the worse when they are going through the symptoms.
Words of Advice
Like any other mental disease, bipolar disorder is a long-term illness that must be carefully managed throughout a patients life. Appropriate diagnosis for those with the disorder is needed for an effective treatment. If your adolescent bipolar child is showing emotional and behavioral symptoms do not hesitate to let them be evaluated by a mental health professional. On the other hand if they start talking about suicide or become suicidal, take them seriously and refer them to the health specialists in your area.
