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What Is the Difference Between ADHD & Early Onset Bipolar Disorder?

Determining the difference between ADHD and Early-Onset Bipolar Disorder is difficult because they share a range of symptoms. Care should be taken to achieve a proper diagnosis to improve the success of treatment.

  1. Similar Symptoms

    • Hyperactivity, impulsivity, and distractibility are common to both ADHD and the manic state of early-onset bipolar disorder. Irritability is another shared trait, though with bipolar is usually more chronic and results in rages.

    Distinctive Symptoms

    • The American Academy of Pediatrics lists five symptoms used to distinguish early-onset bipolar disorder from ADHD: "elation, grandiosity, flight of ideas/racing thoughts, a decreased need for sleep, and hypersexuality (in the absence of sexual abuse or overstimulation)." A family history of mental illness may offer clues as well.

    Joint Diagnosis

    • Early-onset bipolar disorder is frequently misdiagnosed as ADHD, but the two may co-exist. The Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation reports "85% of children with bipolar disorder also have ADHD and up to 22% of children with ADHD have bipolar disorder."

    Comorbities

    • Conduct disorder, generalized anxiety disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder may be present alongside bipolar. Illnesses with symptoms similar to bipolar include Tourette's syndrome and seizure disorders.

    Warning

    • ADHD medications may induce or worsen mania in a child with bipolar, though taking a mood stabilizer may help. A child psychiatrist with experience in these difficult cases is recommended.

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