Bipolar Disorder and Children
Bipolar Disorder
Candie Daniel
Mississippi University for Women
Human Growth and Development
July 17, 2010
Donna White
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder as illustrated by Miklowitz (2007) is a highly recurrent and debilitating illness. This disorder is also referred to as manic depression or manic-depressive disease. It is characterized by extreme fluctuations in mood, energy and behavior. One of the most probable causes of the disorder is improper functioning of some chemicals in the brain. Manias and depressions are the two poles of bipolar disorder. Some of the symptoms associated with depression include: unusual increase in sleep, excessive fatigue, uncontrollable cries, suicidal desires, feeling of hopelessness and inability to make simple decisions. Manias are characterized by feelings of increased energy, increased sexual desires, little sleep, hallucinations and delusions. Symptoms of bipolar disorder may manifest either during infancy, adolescence or adulthood. In the recent times, doctors have been able to identify and treat bipolar disorder in children as young as six. Children from families that have a history of the disorder have a higher risk of being diagnosed with it. As stated by Fields and Fristad (2009) that there are many barriers to diagnosing a child with this disorder. It is said that often times they would be diagnosed with ADHD, mood disorder or oppositional defiant disorder.
As stated by the Child Adolescence Bipolar Foundation (2010), the disease is more severe in children than in adults. In children, the disease has a very long road to recovery. Symptoms are also manifested for very long periods in children than they are in adults. It is very difficult to differentiate children with bipolar disorder from those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Children with these disorders present with hyperactivity, irritability and distractibility. However, children with bipolar disorder may portray some characteristic
symptoms which include hysterical laughter for no obvious reason in schools and other
social gatherings such as churches.
A change in moods of children with bipolar disorder does not only affect the child and the immediate family but also the community at large. Children with bipolar disorders are more irritable than adults. They hear and see things that are not real. People, who are not familiar with these children