Treatment of bipolar children encouraging

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is classified as a major mental illness. Until recently, this problem was not diagnosed in children and adolescents but is now being diagnosed and treated with increasing frequency.

Symptoms of bipolar disorder in children may include:

• Moods that change rapidly and last from a few hours to several days.
• Rages which are often destructive; impulsivity, poor judgement, racing thoughts and pressured speech (talks too much, too fast; changes topics too quickly).
• Engaging in high risk, dare-devil behavior.
• Bouts of depression.
• Frequent distractibility and hyperactivity.
• Defiance of those in authority.
• Ability to go with very little sleep for days or sleeping too much.
• Delusions and hallucinations.
• Simultaneous engagement in multiple activities, increased energy.
• Heightened sexual interest and/or activity.
• Inflated self-esteem thinking and/or behavior.

Researchers are studying the causes of bipolar disorder in children and most agree that this illness has a strong genetic basis. Many also feel that there are environmental factors that influence whether the illness will occur in a particular child.

Individuals suffering from bipolar disorder are often very creative and productive. Hemingway, Handle, Schumann, Goethe and Tolstoy were all thought to be sufferers of bipolar disorder.

Some mental health researchers report that some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder in children and attention deficit hyperactive disorder may be similar, although their origins are thought to differ. Properly distinguishing between these two childhood problems is important because treatment of the two differ in some important ways.

On a very positive note, treatment of bipolar disorder in children can be very effective and successful. Medications, psychotherapy and educational planning can all be very helpful. Parents wishing further information on the subject may want to consult a book entitled The Bipolar Child by D.F. Papolos, M.D. and J.D. Papolos. This is a recent and very authoritative resource by two experts in the field of bipolar disorder in children.

Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 2002