Bipolar Disorder In Adolescents: An Overview
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All over the world millions of people are affected by bipolar disorder. The majority of these millions are assumed to be adults. Adolescents, however, hold a significant percentage of those suffering with bipolar disorder and this adds extra complexity upon their lives. This can be said because having to contend with the serious symptoms of bipolar disease and adolescent bipolar disorder is just an extra hassle to the common struggles that every teenager goes through.
Outlining Bipolar Disorder
Originally named manic-depressive disorder, bipolar disorder refers to severe swings in mood. Such mood swings may range from an elevated sense of euphoria (mania) to a severe down cycle known as the depressive phase. Trite and non-professional definitions of the condition look at euphoria as excitement and minor anxiety and the depressive phase as mere sadness or fatigue. In actuality, both phases are serious and they can greatly affect cognitive function, energy levels, decision-making, concentration, and other critical faculties needed to perform the essential functions of life.
Bipolar disorder is treatable even though it is a serious psychiatric condition. Many of the negative effects brought about by bipolar disease can be alleviated by the help of outpatient prescription therapy and counseling. On the other hand, this can be a challenge for adults and also brings about further complexities in adolescents.
The Onset of Bipolar Disease and Adolescent Bipolar Disorder
In general, most people develop bipolar disorder late in their teens or their early adult years. While the development of bipolar disorder in children and younger teens is rare, it does occur. Called Early Onset Bipolar Disorder the mood swings may occur more frequently. Also, the symptoms may very well be more severe than what an adult may manifest. This may be due to the lack of emotional development in the adolescent.
How Parents Can Identify Adolescent Bipolar Disease and Adolescent Bipolar Disorder
Many of the same symptoms that an adult will manifest also appear in adolescents. Common noticeable symptoms include severe mood swings, lethargy, lacking a clear attention span, exhibiting a very depressed or sad mood, extreme excitement and talkativeness are all signs of the disorder.
Adolescents’ behavior at school may also be affected. Ever wonder why your adolescent is having trouble making and keeping and friends? Are their grades starting to slip? Have they been involved in a few disciplinary incidents? If so then these situations may point out the possible presence of adolescent bipolar disorder.
A parent will not know for sure whether their adolescent has bipolar disease until they are accurately diagnosed by a qualified mental health professional. A highly recommended reliable source for a diagnosis would be a board certified psychiatrist. It is important, however, for parents not to make the decisions to whether their adolescent has had a serious mental disorder. By doing this, the youth may be inhibited from obtaining the proper treatment.
Getting to Know Which Treatments Work
Treatment generally involves a combination of medication treatment and therapy. Prescribed medications often include anti-depressants, mood stabilizers, and anti-anxiety prescriptions. No matter what type of treatment plan is enacted, there are no short-term fixes for bipolar disorder. Treatment may last many years and well into adulthood. The duration of the treatment, however, is not what should be of primary importance. Instead, patients should concentrate on using their treatment as the basis for living a normal life with minimal problems deriving from the condition. This is true for both adults and adolescents.
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