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The Complexities of Teen Bipolar Disorder
Teen bipolar disorder is still very much in the stages of being learned about. At one time professionals were certain that bipolar disorder did not appear until the mid-twenties. But recent studies are starting to show that puberty may be a trigger point for teen bipolar disorder. And that is one of the factors that make it harder to recognize as parents question themselves and wonder if their teenager has just hit that difficult age or if something worse is going on.
Parents of teenagers know that their children go through that moody and petulant stage, but when the symptoms become excessive its time to look at little closer to determine if what they are dealing with is a typical teenager or teen bipolar disorder. Teen bipolar disorder is very disruptive. It affects eating and sleeping patterns. When teenagers suffer with bipolar disorder it is different than when adults do.
The symptoms of teen bipolar disorder last longer and move quickly for one extreme to the other. They can change quickly from the high of manic behaviors to the lows of depression, from hyperactivity to lethargy. Based on the recent studies it’s feared that the younger the person when the symptoms begin the worse the condition can expect to be. If these symptoms become extreme, continual and impairing an appropriate next move would be a visit to our health care provider. The teen bipolar disorder sufferer can be treated once a diagnosis has been made.
To begin with there are medical therapies to control the extremes. This means using mood stabilizers. These should lessen the frequency and intensity of any episodes. Sometimes anticonvulsant drugs are given and often so are medications that will increase the levels of thyroid hormones that are often low in teens with bipolar disorder. As well group therapy is recommended for the teenager and for the family members. It often helps both groups to have others like themselves to talk to and help them to understand what living with bipolar disorder means.
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If you think you are dealing with
a mental illness, then seek professional help. We do not offer
personalized medical diagnosis or patient-specific treatment advice.
Thank you for visiting.
Have a great day.
Paul Mackie |
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