Determining Bipolar Disorder in children is harder then adults because of the mistakes doctor’s make in their diagnosis. All kids have mood swings—is it Bipolar Disorder?Psychologists of today are having problems diagnosing children with Bipolar Disorder because the symptoms are so different from the adult form of the disorder. In children Bipolar Disorder is called “Child Onset Bipolar Disorder”, known as COBPD (My Child 1). In children the cycling from highs to lows are very fast.
Children will cycle between mania and depression many times a day. The episodes of mania or depression are short and rarely go on for more then a day at a time (Childhood 1). Children have longer periods of normal behavior between episodes then adults (Bipolar I Disorder 1). This rapid cycling is called “ultra-ultra rapid cycling” (My Child 1).
“Ultra-ultra rapid cycling” is mostly associated with the low states in the morning, and then followed by the afternoon and evening with a high increase in energy (Frequently Asked Questions 1). Children usually have continuous mood changes that are mixes of mania and depression (Sutphen 1). In adult Bipolar Disorder, it is called “Bipolar Affective Disorder”, known as manic depressive illness (My Child 1). For adults the change from manic to depressed can take months. They often have periods of normal behavior in between their episodes of mania and depression (Bipolar 1).
Bipolar Disorder is a biochemical imbalance that causes major mood changes from the highs of mania, to the very lows of depression (My Child 1). Doctors say “What goes up must come down” with the highs and lows of this disorder, but the cycles are very unpredictable and vary in Determining Bipolar Disorder in children is harder then adults because of the mistakes doctor’s make in their diagnosis. length. The times of depression and mania stages are not equal in time (Basic Terminology 1).
In children only about . 5% have bipolar disorder. The disorder is most common in males in children (Childhood 1). In adults one percent or about four million people of the population is affected by the disorder (Who Gets Bipolar 1). Bipolar Disorder affects women equally (Expert 1). The normal range of age that the disorder appears in is between the ages 15 and 25 (Alternative 1).
The cause of Bipolar disorder is still a mystery. Doctors know that there is a strong genetic condition that may have something to do with it (Childhood 1). One of the most important things to have when diagnosing a child with bipolar disorder is to have an accurate family history (Facts 1). With one parent with the disorder they say the chances of each child having it is 15-30%, when both parents have the disorder the risk incr3eases to 50-75% of each child having it. In siblings and fraternal twins there is a 15-25% percent, and in identical twins there is about a 70% chance of having the disorder.
(About Early-Onset 4). In adolescents a loss or some other traumatic event might trigger an episode of either depression or mania. Later episodes of mania or depression may occur independently because of any other obvious trigger, such as stress, or the episode may worsen with any additional added stresses. Puberty is also a time of risk for children (About Early-Onset 3). There are also factors of the person’s environment, stressful life events can trigger an episode from anything from a death in the family to losing a job or Determining Bipolar Disorder in children is harder then adults because of the mistakes doctor’s make in their diagnosis. having a baby, or moving to a different city (Bailey 1).
Nearly anything can trigger a persons change in mood, there might not be any obvious triggers at all (Bipolar 1). On average people with Bipolar Disorder, especially children, usually go through three to four doctors, and go through about eight years trying to find what works before they can obtain a correct diagnosis (Expert 1). When diagnosing a child with bipolar disorder doctors have to be very careful that they do not make the wrong diagnosis (Childhood 1). It is very tricky to make a bipolar diagnosis in children because of all the other disorders that can go along .
