Bipolar Disorder is a medical disorder marked by extreme shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. The shifts
in moods will generally go from one extreme to the other. For example, a period of mania, characterized by persistent states of
excessive energy and restlessness, may be followed by a period of depression characterized by persistent feelings of hopelessness
and a lack of energy. They may feel suicidal when depressed and engage in risky and self-destructive behavior during a period of mania.
What Does a Child Have to Be Depressed About
~Quote from a relative
How Common is Early Onset Bipolar Disorder? It is unknown how often Bipolar Disorder occurs in children, because of a lack of conclusive studies and a belief for many years that children could not suffer from the disorder.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder can emerge as early as infancy. Parents often report that children later diagnosed with the disorder were extremely difficult to settle and slept erratically. They seemed extraordinarily clingy, and from a very young age often had uncontrollable, seizure-like tantrums or out of proportion rages, often triggered by the word, "no."
- Grandiose belief in their
own abilities (such as
being able to fly) - Extreme sadness
- Rapidly changing moods
that last anywhere from
a few hours to a few days - Explosive, lengthy, and
destructive rages - Severe separation anxiety
- Defiance of authority
- Hyperactivity, agitation,
excessive giddiness, and
distractibility - Bed wetting and night terrors
- Withdrawal from
activities
formerly enjoyed - Excessive involvement in
multiple projects and activities - Impaired judgment and impulsivity
- Dare-devil behaviors (such as
jumping out of moving cars or
off roofs) - Inappropriate sexual behavior
- Delusions and hallucinations
- Sleeping too little or sleeping
too much - Racing thoughts and excessive
speech - Excessive anxiety or worry
- Bedwetting and night terrors
- THOUGHTS OF DEATH
AND SUICIDE