Sunday, March 8, 2009

Children With Bipolar

By Ken P Doyle

Suffering from Bipolar is difficult enough as an adult when you are aware of what is going on, for a child who has no idea what is going on it is even more difficult. It is even harder for the parents of children suffering from bipolar to deal with the mood swings, the psychological ramifications and the fallout that can happen from friends, family and school. Bipolar in children can appear differently from the symptoms of bipolar found in adults.

This is one of the things that make it difficult to diagnose bipolar disorder in children because they appear to be related to the symptoms of bipolar but they are not. As we all know children cannot express themselves and let us know how they are feeling compared to adults who are better in informing us of what is happening inside their life.

Behaviors of children with bipolar can range from things such as night terrors, extreme tantrums, despondency, or extreme affection. There are other symptoms of bipolar which can be expressed, but so often you come across as a random set of activities or behaviors that often have no explanation.

Bipolar Symptoms in Children

Symptoms of bipolar in children can include bedwetting, night terrors, learning disabilities, obsessions, daydreaming, compulsive behavior, motor or vocal tics, diff difficulties with short-term memory difficulties with short-term memory. Children may also lie, destroy property, and show signs of bossiness and paranoia. There are other symptoms, which may be indicators of bipolar in children. These symptoms include distractibility, hyperactivity, impulsivity, inability to sit still, and irritability.

There are also usually frequent mood swings, separation anxiety, rages, social anxiety, and oversensitivity to both emotional and environmental stimulus. Other less common symptoms include cruelty to animals, self-mutilating behaviors, and even migraine headaches. All of these symptoms can be indications of bipolar in children.

Line of Action

There are certainly more behavioral differences with children than with adults when it comes to symptoms. This is primarily because children do not always know how to express what is wrong. It is up to parents, teachers and doctors to take note of these behaviors. The difficulty is that bipolar in children is still being explored and until recently, it was not diagnosed or in many cases considered.

Education through others or the internet can provide a wealth of information on symptoms of bipolar. Educating yourself is the first step to helping your child. Through the internet you can also find information on what you can do at home. But there is no substitute for medical treatment.

Because of the myriad of symptoms of bipolar that children can exhibit Bipolar in children is a real disease and is often misdiagnosed. Doctors can recommend everything from medication, therapy, nutrimental supplements to environmental changes that can help to reduce the effects of bipolar. But, education is essential in being able to help your child overcome bipolar and its impact upon their life. To help children with bipolar lead a normal mainstream life medication can also be prescribed by doctors.

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