Bipolar disorder, sometimes known as manic depression, causes serious changes in moods, vitality, and other behaviour going from the heights of mania on one level, to the depths of depression on the other. More than just a momentary good or bad mood, the bi polar disorder cycle last for days, weeks, or even for months and unlike normal mood swings, the mood changes of bi polar disorder are so intense that they affect your ability to function.

During one of their manic episodes, a person might quite easily quit a job, go on a spending spree, charging huge amounts on credit cards, or feel completely refreshed after only sleeping two hours. During a depressive period, the same person might feel too tired to get out of bed and be full of self-loathing and feel utterly hopeless over being out of a job and deeply in debt.

The causes of bi polar disorder are not fully understood, but it may sometimes run in families. The first occurrence of bi polar disorder is usually in the teenage years or in the early years of adulthood. The symptoms of bipolar can be confusing and easily missed which is why so many people with bi polar disorder are misdiagnosed and overlooked resulting in unnecessary suffering but had they been given proper bipolar disorder treatment and support, they could lead a rich and fulfilling life.

A person with bipolar disorder experiences alternating highs and lows. Both the manic and depressive periods can be brief, from just a few hours to a few days, or longer, lasting up to several weeks or even months. The periods of mania and depression range from person to person many people may only experience very brief periods of these intense moods, and may not even be aware that they have bipolar disorder.

A manic episode is characterized by extreme happiness, hyperactivity, little need for sleep and racing thoughts, which may lead to rapid speech. A depressive episode is characterized by extreme sadness, a lack of energy or interest in things, an inability to enjoy normally pleasurable activities and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. On average, someone with bipolar disorder may have up to three years of normal mood between episodes of mania or depression.

Bipolar disorder is recurrent, meaning that more than 90% of the individuals who have a single manic episode will go on to experience future episodes. Roughly 70% of manic episodes in bipolar disorder occur immediately before or after a depressive episode. Treatment seeks to reduce the feelings of mania and depression associated with the disorder, and restore balance to the person’s mood.

With treatment, the outlook for bipolar disorder is favourable. Most people respond to a medication and or combination of medications. Approximately 50 percent of people will respond to lithium alone. An additional 20 to 30 percent will respond to another medication or combination of medications. Ten to 20 percent will have chronic (unresolved) mood symptoms despite treatment. Approximately 10 percent of bipolar patients will be very difficult to treat and have frequent episodes with little response to treatment. On average, a person is free of symptoms for about five years between the first and second episodes. As time goes on, the interval between episodes may shorten, especially in cases in which treatment is discontinued too soon. It is estimated that a person with bipolar disorder will have an average of eight to nine mood episodes during his or her lifetime.

However, one thing to be kept in mind is that there should be support from family and friends so that the affected person may feel more optimistic and secure.

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Bipolar Disorder is more commonly known as Manic Depression, a serious mental illness which can be treated. The likely symptoms can be radical changes in behaviour, energy, mood or recurring depressive episodes, thought patterns and mania. For children, the symptoms can occur whilst they are an infant or as a young child, and sometimes it does not come out till a person reaches adolescence when there will be a rapid change, or even until someone becomes an adult.

Diagnosis in young children and treatment is available, although many studies have been carried out on this illness, professionals believe that there is still much to learn about Bipolar Disorder – what actually causes it as there are many theories – and there has been no medicine that can be said to be effective enough to cure it. We can only count on various medications, treatments and therapies for patients.

Medication for bipolar disorder should always be carefully prescribed by a qualified mental health practitioner based on the patient’s symptoms. There can be cases, however, where standard medication may have been prescribed without adequate assessment of a patient’s needs.

Mood Stabilizers for Balance

Mood stabilizers aim to keep patients in a balanced mental and emotional state by regulating their mood. In general, mood stabilizers are prescribed when the patient’s symptoms are least disruptive.

Side-Effects of Anti-Psychotic Drugs

For patients who experience psychotic episodes with their bipolar disorder, anti-psychotic medications such as Haldol are often prescribed.

Anti-psychotic drugs have numerous potential side-effects, ranging from minor to serious, and it is important that such medications are only prescribed when absolutely necessary.

A current controversy in the treatment of bipolar disorders is the practice of administering anti-convulsants and anti-depressants for children with bipolar disorder.

Many in the medical community consider it inappropriate to use adult medication on youngsters who have very different growing needs. Also, there has not been enough research to determine the medications’ safety and their long term effects to children.

When considering the use of medications for bipolar disorder, it is important you choose wisely and closely monitor its helpfulness and side-effects.

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Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, was once believed to affect adults only. But researchers have found that children as young as seven years old can have this disorder. Bipolar disorder is a treatable neurobiological brain illness, characterized by severe fluctuations in mood and activity levels.

Children who are diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder are commonly found to have the following behaviour patterns:

1. Overanxious at being apart from family even during a short time
2. Apathy, depression, passiveness
3. Problems with authority
4. Wetting the bed
5. Craving for carbohydrates and sweet things
6. Experiencing delusions and hallucinations
7. Insomnia
8. Irritability
9. A fast change of mood over a few hours or days
10. A temper that is destructive extensively
11. Grandiose ideas
12. Night fears, ranting
13. Inappropriate sexual behaviour
14. Very talkative with fanciful ideas

There is effective treatments for teenagers with Bipolar. The patient and family need to be educated about the illness, so as to prevent further episodes and the need for psychotherapy. It is important for family to show their love and support which aid for a quicker recovery. Medications help to control the illness so that there may be no further episodes. There are mood stabilisers like lithium and valporic acid so that manic periods are not as severe, and may even prevent further depression. Psychotherapy is a great aid for patients to work through their problems, feelings, relationships and most of all, their Self-Esteem. They shouldn’t feel that they are alone; that there is a good support network for them so there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

Bipolar Disorder can present other illnesses or be masked by them like Anxiety Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (A.D.H.D.), Conduct Disorder (C.D.), Depression, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (O.D.D.), Panic Disorders and many others. A person may also be misdiagnosed with Bipolar Disorder rather than another disorder. It is very challenging to give a correct diagnosis, when you have to question a child’s behaviour. The treatment given for Bipolar Disorder can also help other disorders.

Analysis Bipolar Disorder in children is very complex, so careful judgement and observation of them is paramount. A Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist will make a careful assessment and diagnose the disorder, then treatment can commence immediately.

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