subject: Bipolar Disorder and Depression In Kids [print this page] Bipolar Disorder and Depression In Kids
At one time it was considered common knowledge among health care professionals and therapists that only adults could suffer from bipolar disorder. And bipolar disorder in children is rare - but it happens. But, now, realizing that it can occur in children as well, experts have begun to examine and diagnose more children with bipolar each year.
When bipolar disorder is recognized in kids, it is given a different name - early-onset bipolar disorder. Primarily this is done to distinguish it from the more common disorder diagnosed in adults.
When we look at the symptoms of most kids who have bipolar disorder, they can be hard to discern. However, the most common ones are extreme mood shifts from giddiness to depression and back again. In hyperactive children, it can be almost impossible for a parent to tell normal child behavior from bipolar depression behavior. That's why when such symptoms begin to express themselves, it is best to seek the help of a child behavioral expert.
As any grownup with bipolar disorder can tell you, at times, the disease can be almost impossible to control. With that in mind, just try to conceive of how much more difficult it is for a kid diagnosed with early-onset bipolar disorder to deal with the issue by himself. Because of his constantly shifting mood swings, he will probably have trouble in school. And his friendship with kids will, most likely, be tenuous as they slowly began to shy away from him because of his erratic behavior. These rejection, in turn, can make him shy away from even attempting to form new relationships with kids his own age.
Children suffering from early-onset bipolar disorder have an additional danger as well. Especially when they eventually cycle into their depressive phase. This is when they potentially become dangerous to themselves because of the suicidal thoughts that frequently accompany depression. Depression is a serious illness and often undetected until its too late - especially in children.
Diagnosing bipolar disorder in kids can be difficult for a number of reasons. But the main one is that their depression often is expressed through moodiness or aggressive behavior - something that most adults consider normal kid behavior. You may think that a child is simply being difficult or moody for insignificant events happening in his life. But, often, in his mind, these seemingly insignificant events become magnified and take on mammoth proportions. Eventually, if unchecked, the child may began to think that there is no way out except for suicide.
So when is the prime age at which these signs in children begin to manifest themselves? Regrettably, there really is no lower age limit that it is confined to. Typically, it will first begin to affect people in they late teen years. But, in recent years, health professionals have begun to diagnose more and more children under the age of ten.
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