Bipolar Disorder - Adolescents

Posted By Ken P Doyle
Categoirzed Under: Depression
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by Ken P Doyle

Bipolar illness or manic depression is a disorder of the brain and it is serious. The illness has a good chance of being managed if treated. Usual signs of this disorder are extreme energy, mood and behavioral changes. Bipolar illness can be treated at a young age but very often it is diagnosed during adolescent and later stages.

Bipolar illness may look different in children than in adults. Bipolar children usually have an ongoing, continuous mood disturbance that is a mix of mania and depression. However, in some adolescents, a loss may trigger a first episode of depression or mania. Later episodes may occur independently of any obvious stresses, or may worsen with stress. Once the illness starts, episodes tend to reoccur and worsen without treatment.

Substance abuse in adolescents and bipolar disorder

Children can go through adolescents and puberty looking normal but a sudden onset of bipolar illness can lead to an addiction to drugs and alcohol. Because drugs and alcohol are readily available teens will attempt to use this substance to control their insomnia and mood swings. Bipolar disorder and addiction must be treated at the same time if they are diagnosed together.

An adolescent with bipolar experience mood swings from very high, sad to hopeless with periods of normal mood in between. There are severe changes in mood, behavior and energy. The highs in bipolar disorder are called bipolar mania the low bipolar depression and hippomania the periods in between depression and mania.

The bipolar symptoms in adolescent that are usually seen during the manic stage or mania episodes are irritable and expansive mood, unusual happiness, trouble falling asleep but does not feel tired, rapid and non-stop talking, trouble concentrating, pressured speech that is usually hard to interrupt and increased physical activity. During the manic stage, grandiose delusions are also evident wherein the affected person shows delusions of inflated knowledge, power, worth and identity. In severe cases, hallucinations may be experienced and the person may engage in risky activities.

Latest treatments available:

Several methods of treating bipolar disorder are:

Medication

Several types of medication are prescribed by doctors depending on the symptoms and the severity of the illness. To have the desired effects doctors can combine few medicines together. Parents of bipolar patients must be warned that stopping these medications all of a sudden can be harmful. Always go back and seek the doctors advice if anything happens.

Therapy that is commonly used for bipolar disorder in adolescent is the talk therapy known as psychotherapy. It is a good and effective therapy. The aim of this therapy is to change teens life style especially their daily routines and behaviors. To show any improvements patients require many sessions attending psychotherapy.

Support groups among bipolar patients

Bipolar support groups can learn and help each other by communicating and opening up to each other. Knowing that they are not alone and there are others out there who are also suffering from ups and downs people go through it is abnormal and more powerful. Some may try to commit suicide or harm themselves. Because of these problems, bipolar medication, therapies and support groups are all important in helping patients cope with the illness.

Appropriate action must be taken if your teen age child is showing signs of bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder must not be taken for granted because it is very dangerous. This is not a normal ups and downs people go through it is abnormal and more powerful. Some may try to commit suicide or harm themselves. Because of these problems, bipolar medication, therapies and support groups are all important in helping patients cope with the illness.

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