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Teens & Bipolar

Bipolar disorder is characterized by the oscillation between mania (highs) and depression (lows). Teens can be diagnosed with bipolar disorder just as adults can. Their experiences with this serious mental illness can differ in significant ways though. Diagnosis, symptoms, development, tasks and treatment are all unique to the adolescent.

  1. Diagnosis

    • While symptoms vary from one bipolar patient to another, there are three main components to a diagnosis. According to Dr. Gregory Lombardo, contributor to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in Arlington, Virginia, these components are: the "symptoms present at the time of consultation, developmental history and family history." Each contributes to the total picture of the patient's illness.

    Symptoms

    • One of the most common symptoms of teenage bipolar disorder is the swinging back and forth from depression to elation. When the teen is experiencing an elevated mood he may also have intense imagination or be highly creative, giddy, high-energy and oppositional. Anxiety, irritability and hypersensitivity mark the depressed mood. Difficulties with sleep can be symptomatic of mania or depression. Symptoms are also rated as to their intensity and can run the gamut from mild to severe.

    Development

    • As children grow, they accomplish developmental skills. Each skill is a building block for the next skill. A teen with bipolar disorder has her development delayed or even stopped. It is important that the teen learn skills that were disrupted because of the illness. Often, a teen is initially seen by a psychiatrist not because of the illness, but because of a developmental skill which is lacking.

    Tasks

    • According to Dr. Gregory Lombardo, "Certain developmental tasks are particularly difficult for children with bipolar disorder: self-regulation, accepting limits, managing relationships with peers [and] functioning in school." When these tasks are not accomplished as a child, it makes it more difficult to learn as a teen. Assistance in learning these tasks must be part of the teen's ongoing treatment.

    Treatment

    • According to Dr. Gabriella Carlson, "There are three ways to achieve what you want to achieve when a child is showing symptoms. They are: 1. Change the child, 2. Change the environment or 3. Do both." To change the child, medication is prescribed. Giving instruction and verbal kinds of therapy are another option. Children can stop taking their medication if it is not helping them or if they are in a stable place. That is if they are not presenting problems and they feel safe.

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