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Bipolar Disorder - Adolescents PDF Print E-mail
Written by Ken P Doyle   
Bipolar disorder or manic-depressive illness is a serious brain illness. It has a good prognosis if treated and managed well. This disorder is marked by unusual and extreme mood, energy, and behavioral changes. The disorder can be diagnosed during childhood years but is more common during the adolescent and adult stages.
by KenPDoyle


Bipolar disorder or manic-depressive illness is a serious brain illness. It has a good prognosis if treated and managed well. This disorder is marked by unusual and extreme mood, energy, and behavioral changes. The disorder can be diagnosed during childhood years but is more common during the adolescent and adult stages.

Bipolar illness may look different in children than in adults. Bipolar children usually have an ongoing, continuous mood disturbance that is a mix of mania and depression. However, in some adolescents, a loss may trigger a first episode of depression or mania. Later episodes may occur independently of any obvious stresses, or may worsen with stress. Once the illness starts, episodes tend to reoccur and worsen without treatment.

Substance abuse and bipolar disorder in adolescents

Children can go through adolescents and puberty looking normal but a sudden onset of bipolar illness can lead to an addiction to drugs and alcohol. Because drugs and alcohol are readily available teens will attempt to use this substance to control their insomnia and mood swings. Bipolar disorder and addiction must be treated at the same time if they are diagnosed together.

Dramatic mood swings from very high to low and normal mood in between can be experienced by adolescent with bipolar. Dramatic changes in behavior, mood and energy level can swing from very high to very low. Bipolar highs are called mania, the low depression and the middle hippomania

The bipolar symptoms in adolescent that are usually seen during the manic stage or mania episodes are irritable and expansive mood, unusual happiness, trouble falling asleep but does not feel tired, rapid and non-stop talking, trouble concentrating, pressured speech that is usually hard to interrupt and increased physical activity. During the manic stage, grandiose delusions are also evident wherein the affected person shows delusions of inflated knowledge, power, worth and identity. In severe cases, hallucinations may be experienced and the person may engage in risky activities.

Some treatment options.

Several methods of treating bipolar disorder are:

Medication

Several types of medication are prescribed by doctors depending on the symptoms and the severity of the illness. To have the desired effects doctors can combine few medicines together. Parents of bipolar patients must be warned that stopping these medications all of a sudden can be harmful. Always go back and seek the doctors advice if anything happens.

Psychotherapy, also known as talking therapy is the most commonly used therapy for adolescent bipolar disorder. The aim of the talk therapy, which is quite effective, is to try and manage teens routines and to have a change in their behavior. Patients taking this therapy must complete many sessions to show any improvements in their illness.

Bipolar support Groups

Letting the affected teenagers communicate and open up in bipolar support group can help them manage their disorder by learning from other people. Knowing that there are also others who are suffering from such condition will give them the encouragement to pursue treatments.

Is your teen child showing sign of bipolar symptoms, appropriate action must be immediately be taken. Because it is quite dangerous bipolar disorder must not be taken for granted. It is normal for people to experience the ups and downs of life but bipolar people are abnormal and very powerful. Because of the chances of harming themselves and trying to commit suicide are great bipolar patients are encouraged to seek medication, therapies and support groups to help them their bipolar disorder.

About The Author:

Ken P Doyle has got some knowledge in the study of bipolar for a long time. For more information on Bipolar Children and Adolescent Bipolar visit his connection resource site today.

Kindly provided by 4Girls.dk You are welcome to use this article on your own website, if you include this link.
 
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