Bipolar Disorder Symptoms in Children

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness in which people's moods become unstable, swinging from high to low. It is also called manic depression. Although bipolar disorder primarily affects adults, cases are also commonly diagnosed in children and adolescents. It is a chronic condition with no cure. Treatment generally centers on medications to help control and stabilize mood and therapy. Because bipolar disorder is not as prevalent in children, it is sometimes misdiagnosed as a condition such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Grandiose Behavior

• Many times children with bipolar disorder will exhibit behavior characterized as grandiose. They may believe they are capable of superhuman feats such as flying, or they may act as though they are an authority figure, telling their actual authority figures, such as parents, teachers and caregivers, what they should do.

Racing Thoughts

• Children with bipolar disorder often jump from topic to topic both in their conversations and their activities. Many children exhibit this type of behavior from time to time, especially if they are particularly excited about something, but when it is a frequent occurrence or when it occurs without cause, it can be a sign of bipolar disorder.

Sleep

• Children with bipolar disorder often need very little sleep compared with their peers. These children may only get four to six hours of sleep each night, but they will not exhibit any signs of being exhausted or even tired the next day.

Hypersexuality

• In some cases, children with bipolar disorder will display characteristics of hypersexuality. These characteristics include engaging in flirtatious behavior before they are emotionally mature enough or trying to touch the genital areas of people they come in contact with, such as teachers.

Other Symptoms

• Other symptoms that are often exhibited by children and adolescents who are bipolar include easy irritability or hostility when their demands and expectations are not met; an elevated mood or euphoric feeling; extreme talkativeness and distractability; poor judgment; and hallucinations.