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Bipolar Behaviors in Children

Though bipolar disorder is usually diagnosed among teenagers and adults, children can exhibit bipolar behaviors and even suffer from early-onset bipolar disorder. Bipolar, or manic depression, is when someone exhibits mood swings between depression and the excessive irritability or activity known as mania.

  1. Manic Symptoms

    • Children suffering from mania may exhibit a very short temper, talk rapidly about many subjects, talk about sex a lot, and act unusually energetic, happy, or silly, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

    Depressive Symptoms

    • Children experiencing depression may complain about stomachaches and other bodily pains, have little energy, talk about suicide, and sleep or eat too little or too much, according to the NIMH.

    Differences

    • Kids with bipolar behaviors may switch moods more rapidly and have more severe symptoms than adults who have bipolar disorder, according to the NIMH.

    Possible Causes

    • Anxious children are more likely to exhibit bipolar behaviors, as are those who have a parent or sibling with bipolar disorder, according to the NIMH.

    Further Issues

    • Bipolar behaviors and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have some similarities, as both disorders include issues with impulse control and staying focused, according to the NIMH. A child can be both bipolar and ADHD.

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