bipolar disorder

[pingu]

Hi all. does anyone know about bipolar disorder? I have seen it wrote on some peoples profiles and signatures and was wondering if anyone could tell me about the charachter of a child with this... for example.

Would a 15 year old (for example) who was displaying increased high mood and hyperactivness, sillyness and dangerous behaviour, yet alternating to wanting to kill himself, having dark thoughts and feeling as though he cant get out of bed, or is that just been a teenager???

 

For the sake of clarification this behaviour has been the same for 12 years...

 

I have tried looking for it on the inter-pet, but i cant actually find how a child with this would act day to day.

 

Thanks.........

 

shaz

[Clare63]

Interesting that you have raised this, as its something I have been thinking about in relation to my son. Without actually suggesting bipolar to our pyschologist on Monday I described the behaviours simular to what you have said and ask his thoughts on this behaviour which to me seems either very up or very down. The psychologist said he didn't think my son was depressed in the sense of sadness but his behaviours demontrate his frustrations and confussions of the world around him.

I will be very interested to read others comments/views etc., I am sure I have read somewhere that children are not usaully diagnosed with bipolar but can't remember the reasons why not.

Sorry no help Shaz and hope you don't mind me butting in so to speak.

<'> Clare x x x

[pingu]

Interesting that you have raised this, as its something I have been thinking about in relation to my son. Without actually suggesting bipolar to our pyschologist on Monday I described the behaviours simular to what you have said and ask his thoughts on this behaviour which to me seems either very up or very down. The psychologist said he didn't think my son was depressed in the sense of sadness but his behaviours demontrate his frustrations and confussions of the world around him.

I will be very interested to read others comments/views etc., I am sure I have read somewhere that children are not usaully diagnosed with bipolar but can't remember the reasons why not.

Sorry no help Shaz and hope you don't mind me butting in so to speak.

<'> Clare x x x

 

 

<'> course i dont. <'>

[Frangipani]

Hi Pingu,

 

There have been many discussions on here, I just went through the 'Search' but nothing specific - perhaps someone else may be able to connect you with a link.

 

Sorry not much help,

 

good luck!

 

Fxx <'>

[kog]

hi , my son is 12 and has a dx of autism with co-morbid bipolar, he has suffered from psychosis from the age of 7 as well as very extreme mood swings, he has tried to kill himself on many occasions when in a `high` mood. he was finally dx with bipolar last year after a high episode when he thought he was god and had been waiting days for the signs that he was, he had been jesus on other occasions..... in a level mood he doesnt believe in god..... i think it is so hard to tell and i just left it to psychs to make thier minds up, they are very wary about dx this at a young age,one psych thought he had it so we had to be assessed by another psych for a year before they dx it, sorry this is not very helpful, just wanted to say it is possible for a child to have it but is also so similar to the way children with asd can behave, the symtoms are the same for a child as an adult but they often have the` rapid cycling `form, my son has this , they can go from high to low and back every couple of days , even every few hours. again sorry for not being much help, there is little info about children with this, as i think they re only just coming to terms with the fact that people can have it this young

[Karen A]

Hi.Psychiatrists in Britain are reluctant to Dx Bi-Polar earlier than late teens.From what I have read the main reason is that teenagers can have mood swings as part of normal teenage development and so it is difficult to decide what is outside of ''normal'' until later.The situation is even more complicated where a child or teenager also has a Dx of ASD.The ''Young Minds'' Website includes some useful information.Karen.

[loobylou2]

Hi my dd was dx'd at 13 with bipolar following several manic and depressive episodes. However she was also hearing voices and hallucinating, convinced that the voice was telling her to self-harm or kill herself. She could also describe the owner of the voice perfectly. Other than the hallucinations, her behaviour is very similar to any teenager, just more extreme, she seems to lose her inhibitions when she is on a high and can have many extremes of highs and lows in one day. I think the record was 4 lows and 5 highs in one day!!!! I think you really need to speak to a pyschaitrist, but try and find one who knows about bipolar. The good news is that if it is bipolar and diagnosed early, that with treatment, it will have a less severe effect in later life. Hope this helps and good luck with your ds, teenagers are hard enough work as it is without other complications!!!!

[Mumble]

Here is a previous forum discussion on this with some useful resources to follow up. Hope it helps.

[raelien]

Funny you should mention this.

 

I am hopefully going for an assessment with my little one for exactly the reaosn you stated, Being full of energy and hyper, yet full of dark thoughts.

 

I say hopefully becuase he is ill with food poisoning at the moment- so hopeing her well enough to go- otherwise its another six month wait for assessment

 

Ill let you know if I go and how I get on if you like.

[Tally]

This is a fairly good article about bipolar disorder in general, and there are a number of links at the bottom to sites dealing specifically with childhood bipolarism. They are predominantly (if not all) US-based, but the information about symptoms and behaviours are going to be the same.

 

It can be really difficult to distinguish between bipolar disorder and ADHD combined with depression. When the person is on the spectrum and finds it hard to discuss, or even recognise, their own emotions, it is going to be a very complicated process. Some of the medications can be useful for treating both ADHD and bipolarism, so you may well find relief even with the incorrect diagnosis.

[curra1]

Interesting topic, thanks for the link, Tally.

My DS goes from feelings of self-importance, destined for greatness, being funny, talkative, sleepless to feeling empty, with no future, hating himself and everything he does - all in the same day! He has a dx of AS and OCD, but I often wonder ir he is bipolar.

 

Curra

[oxgirl]

I'm also watching this thread with interest. My lad is AS, 14, and can be sobbing and telling me he'll never have friends, everything he does is rubbish, he wishes he'd never been born, he'd rather be dead than be an aspie and then half an hour later be upstairs playing with his toy fish and making happy squawking noises as they chase each other around his room like he hasn't a care in the world! Now, whether he is just very resilient and bounces back very easily or is very good at distracting himself from his unhappiness or whether he just feels better that he's got it all off his chest, I don't know, but I'm left feeling!

We have an appointment with a pscyhologist at the hospital in a week or so, so I'm gonna discuss it with him then and see what they think.

 

~ Mel ~

[Tally]

feelings of self-importance, destined for greatness, being funny, talkative, sleepless

Curra, that does sound like it could be bipolar disorder. Those are all symptoms which can be part of a manic phase. Some people say it feels like their brain is working faster than they can speak.

 

playing with his toy fish and making happy squawking noises as they chase each other around his room like he hasn't a care in the world

Mel, that does not sound like a manic phase. It sounds like he is just enjoying himself. He does sound depressed, and that is definitely something worth looking into. The recent stuff about the pond and his rejection of all alternatives also points to depression. But a manic episode involves an over-inflated self-esteem, a euphoric/'high' mood, racing thoughts and rapid speech. It can also make you highly distracted and irritable. Unless there's a lot more to it that what you've described, it sounds more like a normal, healthy enjoyment. I hope the psychologist can come up with some answers.

[oxgirl]

Mel, that does not sound like a manic phase. It sounds like he is just enjoying himself. He does sound depressed, and that is definitely something worth looking into. The recent stuff about the pond and his rejection of all alternatives also points to depression. But a manic episode involves an over-inflated self-esteem, a euphoric/'high' mood, racing thoughts and rapid speech. It can also make you highly distracted and irritable. Unless there's a lot more to it that what you've described, it sounds more like a normal, healthy enjoyment. I hope the psychologist can come up with some answers.

 

Thanks Tally. I thought that myself really, but at the back of my mind there was a niggling question about the possibility of bipolar. I think you're right, it's not like he's high but he is definitely low a lot!

 

~ Mel ~

[pingu]

Thanks Tally. I thought that myself really, but at the back of my mind there was a niggling question about the possibility of bipolar. I think you're right, it's not like he's high but he is definitely low a lot!

 

~ Mel ~

 

 

After reading all your posts, i am convinced that this is what my eldest DS has..... and anyone who lives with this condidtion will know how scary the situation becomes when knives are involved....

 

<'>

[curra1]

Curra, that does sound like it could be bipolar disorder. Those are all symptoms which can be part of a manic phase. Some people say it feels like their brain is working faster than they can speak.

 

Thanks, Tally! I've thought many times that there's something like it, but the psychiatrist hasn't mentioned bipolar, he only mentioned OCD. Could he have both? Hopefully not. The strange thing is that his mood changes happen during the day, they are not phases.

 

Curra

[Karen A]

Hi.Curra 1 how old is your DS ?

Although in theory I think that a psychiatrist could Dx OCD,AS and Bi-polar the psychiatrist would have to be sure that all three conditions were present.This would be complicated to work out.Karen.

[Tally]

Yes, AS, BP and OCD could all occur together.

 

I meant "episode" really. In 'typical' BP, the mood swings over a period of months (often associated with the seasons), often with a period of normal mood inbetween. With Rapid-Cycling BP, the mood swings much more quickly, and you can get several swings in one day.

[curra1]

Hi.Curra 1 how old is your DS ?

Although in theory I think that a psychiatrist could Dx OCD,AS and Bi-polar the psychiatrist would have to be sure that all three conditions were present.This would be complicated to work out.Karen.

 

 

Karen,

 

My DS is 14. He was diagnosed with AS when he was 10 and although he has no "official" dx of OCD the psychiatrist has mentioned it as well as depression. I'll ask about BP when we have another follow-up.

 

Curra xx

[Karen A]

Hi Curra 1.

Thanks for the reply re age of your DS.I asked because as I said before psychiatrists in Britain currently appear reluctant to Dx Bi-polar in pre-teens.

It would be worth thinking about the concerns you have re Bi-polar and your DS and making a list of points to take with you next time your DS sees the psychiatist.If you have a straight forward conversation about it then the psychiatrist will I hope give you an opinion.

I read in your last post that the psychiatrist also mentioned depression.I wonder whether the rapid changes in mood could be related to a combination of anxiety -[which could be related to AS,OCD or teenage mood/hormonal changes ] and depression.It will be interesting to find out what the psychiatrist thinks.Karen.

[Paula]

I was actually myself diagnosed with Bi polar disorder at 30 years of age by a physciatrists after many many years of mood swings,depressions and mania................

 

Its a complecated disorder ............i wasnt diagnosed till like i say i was 30 but i can trace the symptoms back to my teens when they first strted to appear.............

 

Simply pout i was moody,depressed, a loner,would hear voices and have hallucinations if high,would feel life wasnt worth liveing,fealt no one understood me,typical teenage behaviour you think and thats what makes it hard to diagnose in the teen years...............

 

Theres a fantastic online forum for bi polar suffers and families and young people.............

 

Simply type into youre search thingy mdf bipolar hit the link and register its dead easy and a lovely place.ive been a memeber for almost 6 years................

[curra1]

Hi Curra 1.

Thanks for the reply re age of your DS.I asked because as I said before psychiatrists in Britain currently appear reluctant to Dx Bi-polar in pre-teens.

It would be worth thinking about the concerns you have re Bi-polar and your DS and making a list of points to take with you next time your DS sees the psychiatist.If you have a straight forward conversation about it then the psychiatrist will I hope give you an opinion.

I read in your last post that the psychiatrist also mentioned depression.I wonder whether the rapid changes in mood could be related to a combination of anxiety -[which could be related to AS,OCD or teenage mood/hormonal changes ] and depression.It will be interesting to find out what the psychiatrist thinks.Karen.

 

 

Thanks, Karen. I'll let you know what the psychiatrist say. It will probably be in January. My son takes Fluoxetine for his depression.

 

Curra xx

[Karen A]

Thanks, Karen. I'll let you know what the psychiatrist say. It will probably be in January. My son takes Fluoxetine for his depression.

 

Curra xx

 

Thanks.It will certainly be worth talking to the psychiatirst.The fact that your DS is taking Fluoxetine for depression makes things even more complicated and I think you would really need a psychiatrist to decide what is going on.Karen.

[Karen A]

Thanks.It will certainly be worth talking to the psychiatirst.The fact that your DS is taking Fluoxetine for depression makes things even more complicated and I think you would really need a psychiatrist to decide what is going on.Karen.

 

Hi. again Curra 1 I just wanted to add....I have been following your post in thread in Education.I think that if the appointment with the psychiatrist is not in early January it may be worth phoning to ask for one sooner.Do explain the difficulties your DS is having in school too as you may get some support.Karen.