Aug 28 2007
All Grown Up: Adolescents with Bipolar Disorder
While one might think that bipolar disorder only occurs in adults, this is a misconception. The truth of the matter is, this disorder is not limited to adults at all. Bipolar disorder has been diagnosed in babies, children, and teens alike. In fact, the occurrence of bipolar disorder in adolescents is not uncommon at all, and it is increasing every year.
As a parent, it can be difficult to see your teenager go through bipolar disorder during their adolescent years. Family support is key in helping them cope—just knowing the symptoms, prognosis, and potential medications can be immensely helpful in helping an adolescent make sense of bipolar disorder.
Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder in Adolescents
Unlike the distinct symptoms of bipolar disorder in children, the symptoms of bipolar disorder in adolescents strongly resemble those of adults with the condition. There are two types of bipolar disorder that a teen might experience: Bipolar I and Bipolar II.
Bipolar I causes an adolescent to alternate between episodes of intense mania and depression. The symptoms of Bipolar I include: decreased need for sleep, poor judgement, grandiose delusions, elevated mood, and hallucinations (in severe cases).
Also, symptoms can include involvement in risky activities which the teen finds pleasurable, racing speech, increased mental and physical activity, agitation and irritability, change in appetite, thoughts of death and suicide, sadness and crying spells, and low energy. It is common for the adolescent to seem relatively healthy in between the episodes.
In adolescents, Bipolar II describes the cycle of recurrent depression with episodes of hypomania in between. Periods of hypomania are known to be times of great creativity for people who suffer from bipolar disorder. The symptoms of depression are similar to those in Bipolar I.
Getting Better?
It is most common for symptoms of adult bipolar disorder to begin making themselves known in the late teenage years. Unfortunately, adolescents who experience an early onset of symptoms usually experience a much more severe form of bipolar disorder, taking a much longer time to recover.
A common risk associated with bipolar disorder that is even more critical when referring to bipolar disorder in adolescents is suicide. Any talks of death or not wanting to be alive should be taken extremely seriously.
Staying in Control
Unfortunately, scientists and doctors have not yet determined what the best method of treatment is for adolescents with bipolar disorder. Most are waiting to determine which treatment method is best for adults before making a recommendation for teens. However, there are drugs out there that can help adolescents with bipolar disorder to live a fairly normal life. After all, isn’t that what any teenager wants?
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