Bipolar Disorder In Children - How Manic Depression In Children Is Like

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a serious, but treatable mental illness. It is characterized by extreme changes in mood, energy, thinking, and behavior. Until recently, a diagnosis of the disorder was rarely made in childhood. Doctors can now recognize and treat bipolar disorder in children.

Symptoms of bipolar disorder can emerge as early as infancy. Mothers may have noticed erratic sleep patterns and excessive difficulty settling a baby who is diagnosed later in life as having bipolar disorder. The toddler may have had separation anxiety or extreme tantrums or rages.

Children with bipolar disorder do not experience the same symptoms that adults do. However, children with bipolar disorder still demonstrate changes in mood and behavior that is recognizeable as symptoms of the disorder. Episodes of extreme elation or agitation accompanied by high energy are called mania. Persistent states of extreme sadness or irritability accompanied by low energy are called depression.

Manic depression may appear differently in children than it does in adults. Children often have an ongoing mood disturbance that is a mix of mania and depression. This rapid and severe cycling between moods produces chronic irritability and few clear periods of wellness between episodes. Rapid cycling is common in children. They may experience several episodes of mania and depression within a single day. They may also experience mixed cycling. Mixed cycling is when the symptoms of both mania and depression occur simultaneously.

Often other mental disorders are diagnosed in bipolar children. These other diagnoses may be in addition to the bipolar disorder, or they may be an incorrect diagnosis of symptoms of bipolar disorder. Depression, ADHD (Attention Defecit Hyperactivity Disorder), ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), schizophrenia, and Tourette syndrome are common conditions that can occur in children who are also suffering from bipolar disorder. It is suspected that numerous children diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD) actually have bipolar disorder instead of ADHD. Misdiagnosis can lead to the giving the manic depressive child with incorrect medication that could actually trigger mania or suicidal thoughts.

For some adolescents, a loss or other traumatic event may trigger a first episode of depression or mania. Later episodes may occur independently of any obvious stresses, or may worsen with stress. Puberty is a time of risk. In girls, the onset of menstruation may trigger the illness, and symptoms often vary in severity with the monthly cycle.

Early intervention and treatment offer the best chance for manic depression children to achieve stability and grow up to enjoy their gifts and build upon their strengths. Finding effective treatment for the child affected by this disorder can control the current symptoms and minimize the adverse effects of the illness on their lives and the lives of those who love them.

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