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Even Children
Can Be Bipolar
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By Adam Wilkenfeld
CWK Network
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“When
Andrew was about 18-months-old he would just exhibit some
sort of odd behaviors.”
-Julia Young, mother.-
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Twelve-year-old Andrew is ‘bipolar.’
For him, when life is good, it’s incredibly good. And a
bit out of control. But when it’s bad, it’s rotten,
and he gets profoundly depressed.
It’s the same disorder that used to be known as ‘manic-depression.’
Now researchers from Washington University in St. Louis report
it can be identified in children as young as age seven. And
they say, when it exists in children, bipolar can take on a
form that’s even more severe than in most adults.
“So one minute they are angry and yelling and screaming
and grandiose and they’re in charge of the world and an
hour later they are threatening suicide. And this is what drives
parents up the wall because, how do you deal with this?”
says Dr. Steven Jaffe, a child and adolescent psychiatrist.
“I just get really mad and start cussing and screaming
and hitting people, and destroying other people’s property,
destroying my property ,” Andrew tries to explain. “I
don’t like being in the cycle but I can’t help it.”
Dr. Jaffe says the first thing for parents to do is recognize
that bipolar disorder is a medical problem, and not their fault.
“This is not due to parental inadequacy…It is a genetic
disease,” he says.
Next, he says, parents should look into getting help from the
outside. With psychiatric treatment and medication, Andrew is
slowly getting his life under control. |
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Bipolar Disorder Often More
Severe in Children
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By Sally Atwood
CWK Network
Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine
in St. Louis report that bipolar disorder can occur in children
as young as 7 years old and that it can resemble a severe
form of bipolar disorder in adults.
Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic-depressive illness,
is a serious mental illness characterized by recurrent episodes
of depression, mania, and/or mixed states. Adults and children
with bipolar disorder experience unusual and extreme shifts
in mood, energy and behavior that interferes with their ability
to perform the normal activities of daily living.
Adults will generally have relatively normal functioning between
bouts of mania or depression. Children, on the other hand,
have a more severe, chronic course of the illness. According
to the study, many children with the illness will have mania
and depression at the same time, will often stay ill for years
without intervening well periods, and will frequently have
multiple daily cycles of high and low.
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What Parents Need To
Know
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Manic symptoms include:
- Elated mood
- Grandiosity
- Flight of ideas—jumping illogically from topic to
topic
- Racing thoughts
- Decreased need for sleep
- Distractibility
Depressive symptoms include:
- Persistent sad or irritable mood
- Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
- Difficulty in sleeping or oversleeping
- Loss of energy
- Feelings or worthlessness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Physical agitation or slowing
- Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
Some of these symptoms can indicate other psychiatric disorders
in children, such as conduct disorder (CD), oppositional-defiant
disorder (ODD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention-deficit-hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD).
Effective treatment of bipolar disorder in children hinges
on correct diagnosis. The Washington University study points
out the confusion that can arise between mania and ADHD. Both
have hyperactivity, irritability and distractibility as symptoms.
However, treatment for the two disorders is different.
The Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (CABF) says that
parents can aide their child’s mental health professional
in making a correct diagnosis by keeping daily notes of the
child’s mood, behavior, sleep patterns, unusual events,
and statements by the child.
Once a diagnosis of bipolar disorder has been made, treatment
may include medication to stabilize mood, close monitoring
of symptoms, education about the illness, counseling or psychotherapy
for the individual and family, good nutrition, regular sleep
and exercise, and participation in a network of support.
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Resources
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Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation www.bpkids.org
National Institute of Mental Health www.nimh.nih.gov
Washington University School of Medicine medinfo.wustl.edu
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