Can a child have bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder (TB) also known as Manic Depressive Illness, occurs not only in adults but also in children and adolescents; however, it is not usually diagnosed and is sometimes mistaken for ADHD, as children are often very temperamental and difficult to handle.

With this psychological distress, irritation easily develops, as well as a tendency to get more excited than other children. However, there are also extreme ups and downs - you easily switch from sadness to joy, whether at school or at home.

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Bipolar disorder in boys and girls

Symptoms of bipolar disorder cause unusual changes in a person's mood, activity levels, and daily functioning. Bipolar disorder causes the person to experience extreme changes in their mood and behavior. Children who develop it sometimes feel very happy and energetic (this is known as an episode manic) and other times children with bipolar disorder feel very sad and have low energy (this is called an episode depressant).

These mood swings are not similar to children who simply tend to have ups and downs. In children with bipolar disorder, emotions are more extreme and not provoked or justified by elements specific environment, and are accompanied by changes in sleep, energy level and ability to think with clarity. Bipolar symptoms make it difficult for young people to do well in school.

Bipolar disorder is sometimes misdiagnosed, or it is confused with other disorders that can present similar symptoms. It is usually diagnosed as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), Anxiety Disorders, Conduct Disorder, and Negative Defiant Disorder.

In boys and girls, it is diagnosed as early-onset bipolar disorder, something that basically occurs in older children and adolescents. This disorder is not very common in children but it occurs in this age group. The most common is that it appears in adolescents in the middle of adolescence.

Causes

Until now, the exact causes of bipolar disorder are unknown. However, there are factors that contribute to the development of the disease, such as hereditary factors, as well as the lack of serotonin and noradrenaline.

Neurotransmitters play an important role in regulating emotions. In manic phases, dopamine is activated, and when there is depression, there is a lack of serotonin. There are many genes involved according to studies, but there is not a single gene that causes it.

Although it is known that bipolar disorder is more likely to develop if there has been a family member who suffers from it, it is also important to note that Environmental factors, trauma, and stressful life events can increase the chance of developing bipolar disorder if there is a getotype that favor. It is important to know that the hereditary factor plays an important role in developing it; If one of the parents suffers from this disorder, the risk of suffering from it is 50%.

On the other hand, a risk factor that causes relapses is stopping taking the medications correctly prescribed by your psychiatrist and following her instructions. Another risk factor is the use of alcohol or drugs. In addition, going to sleep less than 8 hours can be an indicator that you are entering the manic phase.

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Gender differences and prevalence of bipolar disorder

Studies of clinical populations establish that bipolar disorder occurs equally in children, adolescents and adults, and is equally common in men and women. Type II bipolar disorders and Adolescence-Onset Bipolar Disorder are more prevalent in women.

The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that bipolar disorder is the 6th leading cause of disability in the World, and Recognized as a Public Health Problem with a negative impact that affects the family and social relationships, favoring low academic performance and labor.

According to various studies, bipolar disorder becomes evident after several years, as in most cases it begins with a Depressive Disorder and in children as ADHD. However, there are 69% of people who receive a diagnosis other than TB. In cases like this, it can take years until a Bipolar Disorder is detected, and therefore it is frequent that complicate more by not having detected the alteration in time and that in that period suicide attempts or suicides arise accomplished.

To do?

The recommendations for bipolar disorder consist of being attentive to the moods in the children and, at the warning signs, consult a specialist, either a psychiatrist or a psychologist.

Parents need to be vigilant for mood swings and stressors. Treatment for children is similar to that for adults, and is based on psychological therapy and going to a psychiatrist. Adults and children are often medicated with mood stabilizers.

The strategies applied to therapy for patients with bipolar disorder are psychoeducation, family therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and pharmacological therapy.