It Can Be Hard To Diagnose Bipolar Symptoms in Children
Symptoms of Bipolar and Bipolar in Children have varying degrees of seriousness. Because of this, it is sometimes hard to detect symptoms of bipolar and bipolar in children as they can be confused with other issues such as hyperactivity, attention deficit or allergies in children, and can be misconstrued as other things in adults if they use alcohol or drugs, especially.
Bipolar disorder used to be commonly called Manic Depression, and while it can be hereditary and environmental, studies suggest that it is primarily due to a shortage of Serotonin, which is a natural occurring chemical that balances and controls mood. Because of this shortage, extreme mood swings are the primary symptom, but there are other things to look for, as the disorder typically has four separate phases.
The Common Symptoms and the Four Phases of Bipolar Disorder:
Mania or Manic, Hypomania, Depression and Mixed episode are the four phases or moods that are split on each side of normal and balanced moods that most people vary little from. They can vary in degrees, and some people are more prone to episodes of mania over depression or vice versa, but some can alternate frequently or infrequently between the two sides of normal.
People have extreme energy and euphoria in the manic or mania stage. They tend to talk fast and seem hyperactive in general.
The hypomania stage is less severe than the manic phase. Here, people tend to live their everyday lives in a way that outsiders describe as an overly happy person. Because of this, it is harder to recognize but sometimes the impulsive tendency comes through. At some point, they go into a full blown manic episode.
For the depression state, there is a swing towards sleeping more, gaining weight, being highly irritable and having unpredictable mood swings involving guilt. They can also lose touch with reality.
In the Mixed emotion phase, they can experience a mix of high energy with depressed mood which is a combination of anxiety mixed with racing thoughts.
Common Symptoms of Bipolar in Children:
Irritability, frequent mood swings, hyperactivity and impulsivity, restlessness and fidgeting are included as some of the distinctive symptoms of bipolar in children which are similar to the four phases.
Studies show that a staggering 80% of bipolar children may come from families where both parents were either alcoholics or may have had bipolar disorder themselves.
The symptoms of bipolar in children fit the ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) due to the guidelines set out for diagnosing it. However, it is not recognized until later in life.
To Wrap It Up:
The fact that episodes of bipolar in children will get worse in time means that it is very crucial to diagnose bipolar symptoms to be made as early as possible.