Bipolar Disorder In Children And Teens
Does your child go through extreme changes in mood and behavior? Does your child get much more excited or much more irritable than other kids? Do you notice that your child goes through cycles of extreme highs and lows more often than other children? Do these mood changes affect how your child acts at school or at home?
Some children and teens with these symptoms may have bipolar disorder, a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and day-to-day functioning. With treatment, children and teens with bipolar disorder can get better over time.
Bipolar Symptoms In Men
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, “The condition affects men and women equally, with about 2.6% of the U.S. population diagnosed with bipolar disorder and nearly 83% of cases classified as severe.” But while both men and women are diagnosed with the disorder at the same rate, their symptoms can look different.
The average age of onset of the disorder typically appears around the age of 25. However, it often occurs earlier in life in men. Men are also more likely to experience symptoms of manic episodes. Women, on the other hand, are more likely to have depressive episodes.
Another difference in symptoms for men is that they can be more likely to show aggression when they are having a manic episode. This is similar to other differences in mental health conditions in men such as depression. Men are more likely to show irritability and anger when depressed than women are. Many people don’t connect aggression with these diagnoses, which can make it harder to diagnosis the disorder because many men don’t realize that it’s a symptom of a mental health condition.
Overall, women are more likely to experience frequent symptoms than men. However, when men have symptoms, they tend to be more severe. And, men are more likely to develop substance use disorders if they have symptoms of Bipolar Disorder.
Men Are Less Likely To Seek Help
Build A Strong Support Network
Whether its friends, family, or a support group for people with bipolar disorder, having people you can rely on is crucial. These people can offer understanding and encouragement when youre struggling and can help you stay on track when youre feeling better. In this way, your support network can be an important part of your treatment. Moreover, it is beneficial to find others who are dealing with the same condition. This can help normalize your experience and provide valuable advice.
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Bipolar Disorder
The defining sign of bipolar I disorder is a manic episode that lasts at least one week, while people with bipolar II disorder or cyclothymia experience hypomanic episodes.
But many people with bipolar disorder experience both hypomanic/manic and depressive episodes. These changing mood states dont always follow a set pattern, and depression doesnt always follow manic phases. A person may also experience the same mood state several times with periods of euthymia in between before experiencing the opposite mood.
Mood changes in bipolar disorder can happen over a period of weeks, months and sometimes even years.
An important aspect of the mood changes is that theyre a departure from your regular self and that the mood change is sustained for a long time. It may be many days or weeks in the case of mania and many weeks or months in the case of depression.
The severity of the depressive and manic phases can differ from person to person and in the same person at different times.
Signs and symptoms of manic episodes
Some people with bipolar disorder will have episodes of mania or hypomania many times throughout their life others may experience them only rarely.
Signs and symptoms of a manic episode include:
Most of the time, people experiencing a manic episode are unaware of the negative consequences of their actions. With bipolar disorder, suicide is an ever-present danger some people become suicidal in manic episodes, not just depressive episodes.
Does Bipolar Disorder Run In Families
Numerous studies have found that people with bipolar often have at least one close relative with depression or bipolar disorder.
Children who have one parent with the disorder have about a 10%-25% chance of developing the disorder themselves children with two parents with the disorder have a 10%-50% chance. If a non-identical twin sibling has the disorder, the chance that another sibling will have it is about 10%-25%.
Studies of identical twins have shown that genetics are not the only factor in determining who is at risk for bipolar disorder. Because identical twins share all the same genes, if bipolar disorder were purely hereditary, then all identical twins would share the disorder.
However, it has been found that if one identical twin has bipolar disorder, the chances of the other twin also having bipolar disorder ranges from 40% to 70%. It is important to note that bipolar disorder can show itself in different forms in individuals in the same families.
Scientists believe that bipolar disorder is not likely caused by any one single gene but more likely multiple genes, each contributing only a small amount to the vulnerability, acting together in combination with other environmental factors such as stress, lifestyle habits, and sleep. Scientists are working to identify these genes in the hopes that this will help doctors to better diagnose and treat the disorder.
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How Does Bipolar Disorder Differ In Men
Symptoms of depression may differ in males. Both males and females with bipolar disorder typically experience periods of mania followed by periods of depression.
Periods of depression may manifest differently in males, however. Males who are experiencing depression can appear angry or aggressive instead of sad.
Every male may experience different symptoms of depression. Common symptoms include:
- feelings of irritability, anger, or aggressiveness
- feeling restless, anxious, or on the edge
- having a loss of interest in work, family, or once pleasurable activities
- experiencing issues with sexual desire or performance
- feeling empty, sad, or hopeless
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Be Patient With Yourself
When dealing with bipolar disorder, its important to be patient with yourself. The symptoms can be unpredictable, and it may take some time to find the right treatment plan. But stick with it and dont give up. Remember, you are not alone in this. There are many people who understand what youre going through and can offer support. So reach out to them when you need it.
These are just a few suggestions for managing bipolar disorder. Remember that everyone is different and what works for one person may not work for another. The most important thing is to find what works for you and stick with it. With treatment and some self-care, you can manage your bipolar symptoms by following these tips.
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Overall Incidence Rates For Dsm
shows the incidence by 10-year age-at-onset bands for bipolar I disorder, first manic episode. The incidence for males peaked in the 1625-year-old age group and fell dramatically in successive age bands, whereas the incidence was lower for females in the 1625-year-old age group but did not fall as dramatically thereafter. Incidence was higher for females in all age bands, except for the 1625 and 76 age bands . Male-female rate ratios were < 1 for each age band, with the exception of the youngest and eldest bands, although gender differences in incidence in the individual bands did not reach statistical significance.
Inability To Control Anger
Its normal for people who have bipolar disorder symptoms to feel angry at certain life circumstances. Such as losing a job, not having enough money to pay the bills, or spending time away from loved ones. However, these feelings of anger might lead them into doing things that they, later on, regret. Such as punching walls or getting involved in road rage accidents which can get them arrested by law authorities.
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How Is Bipolar Disorder Diagnosed
A health care provider will ask questions about your childs mood, sleeping patterns, energy levels, and behavior. There are no blood tests or brain scans that can diagnose bipolar disorder. However, the health care provider may use tests to see if something other than bipolar disorder is causing your childs symptoms. Sometimes health care providers need to know about medical conditions in the family, such as depression or substance use.
Other disorders have symptoms like those of bipolar disorder, including ADHD, disruptive mood regulation disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, and anxiety disorders. It also can be challenging to distinguish bipolar disorder from depression that occurs without mania, which is referred to as major depression. A health care provider who specializes in working with children and teens can make a careful and complete evaluation of your childs symptoms to provide the right diagnosis.
So Youre Home After Treatment Now What
There is a constant effort toward researching bipolar disorder causes and treatments, including by the National Institutes on Mental Health. For now, knowing it can be managed is important to keep in mind.
Whether you are managing your bipolar disorder or supporting someone living with it, it can successfully be built into day-to-day living. You will already have skills in place upon leaving an outpatient treatment program treatment is a start but recovery takes time.
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How It Feels Like Bipolar Disorder In Men
It is not easy to be an adult man with bipolar disorder. Its even harder if you are still a teenager, or in your early twenties. The symptoms mainly include irritability and mood swings which can swing from high to low within minutes. Symptoms of rapid cycling bipolar disorder also show up quickly.
Men are more likely to be irritable rather than have extreme mood swings. It is very common for men with bipolar disorder to get frustrated easily. Especially when they are not able to achieve what they want. They may feel that everyone around them is out to make things difficult and sabotage their efforts. These feelings can aggravate anger which may be targeted at family members, friends, and partners.
In this state of mind, they may not even realize that their anger is misdirected or unjustified. This can lead to violent behavior which might result in physical fights with loved ones. In such a scenario it is very important for the individual suffering from bipolar disorder as well as those around them to be aware of the symptoms.
Men Show Bipolar Signs Earlier Than Women
Two major differences between men and women that have been documented are that men generally display symptoms earlier and are less prone to the depressive episodes of bipolar disorder.
Teens and young adults with bipolar disorder symptoms may think and talk about self-harm or suicide. If someone you know is expressing these thoughts, seek help immediately by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK .
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What Can I Do To Manage My Symptoms
You can learn to manage your symptoms by looking after yourself. Selfcare is how you take care of your diet, sleep, exercise, daily routine, relationships and how you are feeling.
What lifestyle changes can I make?
Making small lifestyle changes can improve your wellbeing and can help your recovery.
Routine helps many people with their mental wellbeing. It will help to give a structure to your day and may give you a sense of purpose. This could be a simple routine such as eating at the same time each day, going to bed at the same time each day and buying food once per week.
Your healthcare professionals should offer you a combined healthy eating, exercise and sleep programme.
You can find more information about wellbeing any physical health at:www.rethink.org/advice-and-information/living-with-mental-illness/wellbeing-physical-health/.
What are support groups?
You could join a support group. A support group is where people come together to share information, experiences and give each other support.
You might be able to find a local group by searching online. The charity Bipolar UK have an online support group. They also have face to face support groups in some areas of the country. Their contact details are in the Useful contacts at the bottom of this page.
What are recovery colleges?
Unfortunately, recovery colleges arent available in all areas. To see if there is a recovery college in your area you can use a search engine such as Google.
Bipolar Disorder In Men
Unlike women, men dont have any completely unique issues when it comes to bipolar disorder. Because women can give birth and breast feed, there are a number of issues that only affect them. However, there are a number of ways in which bipolar men are more likely to be affected, or, on a whole, are affected to a greater degree. Men with bipolar disorder 1 tend to have more severe and earlier bouts of mania than bipolar women do. Men are more prone to substance abuse, violence and criminal behavior than bipolar women are. Finally, men are less likely to seek treatment for bipolar disorder than bipolar women are.
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Bipolar Disorder Or Depression
Doctors sometimes find it hard to distinguish between bipolar disorder and depression, and this can lead to misdiagnosis. People with bipolar disorder are more likely to seek help during a low mood because depression is more likely to have a negative impact on their health and wellbeing. During a high mood, they may feel exceptionally well.
Factors that increase the chance of this happening include the following:
- Depression is the dominant mood.
- Depression is the first episode you have.
- You have experienced mania or hypomania but not realized it could be significant.
Its essential to get an accurate diagnosis in order to work out a treatment plan. Antidepressants may not be effective in treating bipolar disorder.
In addition, some antidepressant medications can trigger a first manic or hypomanic episode if youre susceptible to them, and this could complicate both treatment and the outcome.
If you go to see your doctor with depression, be sure to tell them about any of the following, as these can help get an accurate diagnosis:
- a family history of bipolar disorder or other mental health conditions
- any other conditions that affect your mental or physical wellbeing
- any medications, drugs, or other substances youre taking or have used in the past
- if youve already tried antidepressants and they did not help
A Higher Risk Of Depression
In females, research suggests that bipolar II is more common than bipolar I. A person with bipolar II experiences depression and hypomania, a less extreme form of mania.
In females with bipolar disorder generally, depressive symptoms are more likely to be dominant. In fact, females with the condition are twice as likely to experience depression as males. Females are also more likely to experience psychosis with depression.
Because depressive symptoms tend to be dominant, females with bipolar disorder often receive an incorrect diagnosis of depression.
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Talk With Your Doctor
If you think that you or a loved one has signs or symptoms of bipolar disorder, your first step should be to talk with your doctor. Only a trained medical professional can diagnose this disorder, and diagnosis is key to getting proper treatment.
Medication, therapy, or other treatment options can help you or your loved one manage symptoms and maximize quality of life.
Lack Of Family Support
Its common for people with bipolar disorder to feel like theyre burdening their family, friends, or even loved ones. This can affect the emotional well-being of a person who has this mental condition. It makes it harder for them to cope with everyday challenges. Thus it is important to take care of your health by maintaining good relationships with family, friends, and loved ones.
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Bipolar I And Bipolar Ii Are The Most Common Types With Two Main Differentiators:
- Bipolar I: A person may experience a manic episode of extreme highs lasting around seven days or requiring hospitalization. This may or may not be followed by an extremely depressed period lasting around two weeks.
- Bipolar II: A person may experience a less-intense version of mania called hypomania, which is not as severe as bipolar I. A depressive episode may occur before or after the hypomania. This depressive state can be severe and one condition of bipolar is not more or less serious than another.
- Cyclothymic disorder. This type of disorder can occur when the mania or depression episode lasts longer than two years.
- Other: This type of disorder could be rooted in substance use disorder affecting mood or other health concerns.
Bipolar Symptoms In Men: Treatment Options
There are multiple forms of treatment that you can use for Bipolar Disorder. The same treatment might not be the right one for everyone and there are many people that experience a relief after finding the right combination of multiple treatments. The key is trying different things until you find what works the best for you. Some forms of treatment include:
Bipolar Symptoms In Men: Medication
There are different types of medication that can work to treat Bipolar Disorder. These include antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotic medication. Medication can help you to gain control over your symptoms while you work on using other forms of treatment to develop strategies and skills to help you cope with and overcome the disorder.
Some men may find that they respond well to medication and others may find that they prefer to focus on another form of treatment. Talking with a medical professional is the best way to determine what type of medication is going to be the best for you to try. Once you are taking medication it’s important that you monitor how you are responding both physically and mentally to see if there are any negative side effects from the medication. If you think that your medication is causing you trouble, then you need to discuss it with your doctor or psychiatrist as soon as possible.
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