Understanding Bipolar Disorder in Children

Bipolar Disorder, formerly known as manic depression, is a mood disorder that is generally known to affect adults. However, there is a small population of children that are also affected. Known as early onset bipolar disorder, these children can manifest symptoms that are otherwise seen as normal in children and teens going through hormonal changes or life events. But how do you deal with a child that truly has bipolar disorder? How do you separate the disorder from typical childhood behavior? It comes with understanding, a true professional diagnosis, and a lot of patience.

Acceptance. Probably one of the hardest things to do for parents and children is accepting a mental health disorder diagnosis outside of what is normally understood by society, i.e. autism or ADHD. Those who don't accept it may refuse medications that help control the extreme moods and the possibility of psychotic behaviors. However, accepting a childhood bipolar disorder diagnosis is the first step to managing the symptoms properly.

Understanding bipolar disorder. Popular culture has unfortunately had an effect on truly defining bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder isn't about hot-and-cold moods from time to time. These swings are intense and lengthy in children, lasting from weeks to months at a time. Children with bipolar disorder aren't just happy in certain moments- they can be unusually happy, extremely hyper, and engage in very risky behavior (to include sexual or criminal activity). The mood is followed by a period of normalcy and then an extreme low depression where they may refuse to play with their friends and even speak about death and suicide, regardless of age.

While bipolar disorder involves these moods, it isn't a personality disorder. Rather, it is a cognitive one, meaning that attempting to change your child's attitude over time is not going to fix or cure them. While negative behavior should be addressed, understand that your child may be acting out as a symptom of disease rather than personality.

Family history. Your family history of mental health may also help determine whether or not your child is at risk of having bipolar disorder. While there is no direct cause pinpointed to childhood bipolar disorder, genetics does have a significant correlation. Studies documented by the National Institute of Mental Health indicate that family history of mental health increase those chances.

If you think your child has the symptoms, do some family research. While you might not have access to your great-grandfather's medical records, older relatives may be able to describe any erratic behavior or a history of institutionalization in the family. Consider that people weren't always as understanding of mental health disorders in the past as they are today. If some relatives are reluctant to divulge family secrets, be up front about it and let them know that these "secrets" of the past can help your child heal his or her future.

Professional diagnosis. Believe it or not, a professional diagnosis can be a matter of life and death because some symptoms are common amongst several disorders. Giving them the wrong medication based on a misdiagnosis can do serious harm. When at all possible, your child should see a mental health professional that can differentiate among the disorders with similar symptoms but require a different treatment plan. They can also recommend additional tests and screening procedures to identify additional disorders (known as co-morbidity) that often accompany a bipolar disorder diagnosis. These include anxiety, ADHD and substance abuse.

Set schedules. While not always practical, keeping your bipolar child on a set schedule can help them manage symptoms better. Other research has indicated that bipolar disorder patients often operate on a different body rhythm, to include sleeping and eating patterns. Veering off of these rhythms puts them at increased risks for manic episodes. Those can often be more dangerous than depression episodes because the risk-taking behavior can lead them faster to self-harm, harm to others, or even death.