Bipolar Disorder Treatment in Children

Bipolar disorder is a serious illness of the brain that’s treatable and is also known by the term manic-depression. Its symptoms could include extreme changes in vitality, thinking, behavior and mood or recurrent episodes of depression, mania. These symptoms might happen during the infancy period or early childhood, and or may come out quickly in the stage of adolescence or adulthood. The said sickness can now be diagnosed and treated in young children, but despite the many research conducted, some professionals still say that the cause or causes of bipolar disorder are elusive and a truly effective remedy is yet to be discovered. Nevertheless, the said disorder may be managed by means of numerous medications and other therapies.
Though the precise bipolar causing agents aren’t determined yet, some say that there is a scientific proof that factors to a chemical imbalance in the brain as the culprit. As for the explanation of such disparity, there are some viable theories which points out to a mixture of environmental and heredity triggers. Some data shows that the discrepancy within the chemical messengers among the nerve cells starting at the brain or the so-called neurotransmitters that happen in people who have bipolar disorder . In most cases sufferers of such sickness may have a genetic nature for the disorder. On the other hand, not every person who is related to a person who has a bipolar disorder could develop the illness.
Drug misuse and or nerve-racking or upsetting events may be among the factors which will cause it. People with such disorder often do not know how sick they are when having more than just a mood swing and how much their condition is affecting their lives and even the lives of the individuals within their family. Should a member of one’s household show signs of a bipolar disorder, advice that person to seek the advice of the help of a psychiatrist or any professional help that will assist him or her to cope with it.

Characteristics Of A Bipolar Disorder

A bipolar disorder is usually characterized by the alternating pattern of emotional highs and lows and from which the intensities may vary. The so-called manic symptom includes increased speaking either too much or too fast, tends to change topics too quickly or can’t be interrupted while talking. Increased sexual thoughts, feelings, or behavior; use of explicit sexual language or Hypersexuality may additionally occur. The child may also have the ability to go with very little sleep or no sleep for days. Some patient show overly-inflated self-esteem; or the show of grandiosity while some are usually somewhat like distracted, the attention moves continually from one thing to the other. Others experience increased goal-directed activity or physical agitation.
Other symptoms that characterize the said disorder are the depressive ones that include sudden lack of interest in the activities once enjoyed, trouble with sleeping or getting an excessive amount of sleep, feelings of unimportance or unsuitable guilt, significant change of mood and or frequent thoughts of death or even suicidal tendencies. Should the disorder remain untreated some complications may rise such as Anxiety Disorder or even Psychosis, where in the personality of a person may be disorganized and has problems getting in touch with reality. It could also result to harmful effects on relationships as it may be with financial problems resulting from overspending in the event of a manic episode up to nearly complete seclusion and abandonment in the depressive stage. Bipolar disorder in youngsters can be successfully treated. Treatments usually start on the training of the affected person and the family about the disease, prevention of the episodes and psychotherapy. Medications alternatively help prevent episodes. Medications such as mood stabilizers like lithium and valporic acid often lessens the severity of manic episodes and may help prevent depression. Meanwhile, psychotherapy aids the patients in understanding what she or he goes through, understand himself or herself, cope up with the stresses, improve relationships and rebuild self-esteem.

The Difficulties In Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder

Some diagnoses that mask or sometimes occur together with bipolar disorder include depression, conduct disorder (C.D.), oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD),ADHD, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and so much more. There’s a great risk that bipolar disorder may be misdiagnosed with these other disorders. Even when a child’s behavior is definitely not normal, correct diagnosis remains challenging. The proper treatment for the Bipolar Disorder clears up the bothersome symptoms thought to indicate another diagnosis.
The analysis of Bipolar Disorder in children and teenagers is intricate and entails careful judgment and or observation. A careful assessment by a child and adolescent psychiatrist makes out Bipolar Disorder and the beginning of the treatment.