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Bipolar Disorder Among Teens
Introduction
Bipolar disorder is a chronic and serious mood disorder that usually appears in the late teens or early adulthood.
Typically, people with bipolar disorder experience periods of extreme happiness or high energy and activity. These are known as manic episodes. Before or after a manic episode, a person with bipolar disorder may experience periods of intense sadness and depression. These periods are known as depressive episodes.
You can be rest assured that at Skooc, you and your family are in good hands.
Symptoms
Episodes of mania or depression may happen irregularly and follow an unpredictable pattern, or they may be linked with a manic episode always following a period of depression, or vice versa.
Keep a lookout for some of the following signs of mania in your teenager:
racing speech and thoughts
increased energy
decreased need for sleep
elevated mood and exaggerated optimism
increased physical and mental activity
excessive irritability, aggressive behaviour, and impatience
poor judgment
reckless behaviour, like excessive spending, making rash decisions, and erratic driving
difficulty concentrating
inflated sense of self-importance
Keep a lookout for some of the following signs of depression in your teenager:
loss of interest in usual activities
prolonged sad or irritable mood
loss of energy or fatigue
feelings of guilt or worthlessness
sleeping too much or inability to sleep
drop in grades and inability to concentrate
inability to experience pleasure
appetite loss or overeating
anger, worry, and anxiety
thoughts of death or suicide
If you notice recurring instances of a few of these symptoms in your teenager, we at Skooc recommend a formal evaluation.
Diagnosis
At Skooc, we help you better understand what you and your teenager are going through. A psychiatrist will conduct a mental health assessment to determine if your teenager has bipolar disorder. Consequently, a medical or mental health professional will take the following steps when assessing a teenager for bipolar:
Physical exam: A thorough physical will help a doctor isolate any medical issues that may be contributing to depressive or manic symptoms, such as thyroid problems.
Lab tests: Should a physical indicate any medical problems, a doctor may order lab tests to confirm or rule out contributing issues.
Interview: A physician or psychiatrist will talk with you about your mood swings, lifestyle habits, and behaviours. This will help identify the likelihood of a bipolar diagnosis, as well as any co-occurring disorders. Anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and eating disorders are common conditions that can occur with bipolar in young adults.
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Next Steps and Intervention
Our team of professional psychologists at Skooc can help you and your family by providing the necessary interventions. Talking with a therapist can help them manage their symptoms, express their feelings, and have better relationships with loved ones. There are a number of different types of therapy treatments:
Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, can help your teen work out the stress associated with bipolar disorder. It can also help them identify issues they can address during sessions. Teens with bipolar disorder can have individual sessions or go to group therapy sessions.
Cognitive-behavioural therapy can help your teen learn problem-solving skills and ways to turn negative thoughts and behaviours into positive ones.
Interpersonal therapy is also known as interpersonal and social rhythm therapy. It focuses on minimizing family disputes and disruptions in daily routines or social rhythms that might trigger new episodes.
Family-focused therapy helps families work through intense emotions and stresses. It also promotes family problem solving and conflict resolution. It’s considered the best type of therapy for children.
You can be rest assured that at Skooc, you and your family are in good hands.
Symptoms
Oppositional defiant disorder
Around one in ten children under the age of 12 years are thought to have oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Some of the typical behaviours of a child with ODD include:
Low frustration threshold – Easily angered, annoyed or irritated
Frequent Temper tantrums – Argues frequently with adults, particularly the most familiar adults in their lives, such as parents
Refuses to obey rules, Seems to deliberately try to annoy or aggravate others
Low self-esteem
Seeks to blame others for any misfortunes or misdeeds.
Conduct disorder
Children with conduct disorder (CD) are often judged as ‘bad kids’ because of their delinquent behaviour and refusal to accept rules. Some of the typical behaviours of a child with CD may include:
Repeated truancy – Frequent refusal to obey parents or other authority figures
Lack of empathy for others
Being aggressive to animals and other people or showing sadistic behaviours including bullying and physical or sexual abuse
Keenness to start physical fights
Frequent lying – Criminal behaviour such as stealing, deliberately lighting fires, breaking into houses and vandalism
A tendency to run away from home
If you notice recurring instances of a few of these symptoms in your child, we at Skooc recommend a formal evaluation.
Diagnosis
At Skooc, we use the following methods to confirm a diagnosis:
Diagnosis by a specialist service, which may include a paediatrician, psychologist or child psychiatrist
In-depth interviews with the parents, child and teachers
Behaviour checklists or standardised questionnaires.
It is important to rule out acute stressors that might be disrupting the child’s behaviour. For example, a parent or victimising by other children might be responsible for sudden changes in a child’s typical behaviour, and these factors have to be considered initially.
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Next Steps and Intervention
Our team of professional psychologists at Skooc can help you and your child by providing the necessary interventions. Generally, the earlier the intervention, the better the outcome is likely to be. Treatment is usually multifaceted and depends on the particular disorder and factors contributing to it, but may include:
Parental education – for example, teaching parents how to communicate with and manage their children.
Family therapy – the entire family is helped to improve communication and problem-solving skills.
Cognitive behavioural therapy – to help the child to control their thoughts and behaviour.
Social training – the child is taught important social skills, such as how to have a conversation or play cooperatively with others.
Anger management – the child is taught how to recognise the signs of their growing frustration and given a range of coping skills designed to defuse their anger and aggressive behaviour. Relaxation techniques and stress management skills are also taught.
Support for associated problems – for example, a child with a learning difficulty will benefit from professional support. Encouragement – many children with behavioural disorders experience repeated failures at school and in their interactions with others.
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