Can A Bad Childhood Cause Bipolar
It is now accepted by most researchers that Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a genetic, inherited brain disorder which runs in families. In fact, research has revealed that the pattern of inheritance for the illness is very similar to that for a number of other brain disorders such as schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and alcoholism. In this circumstance, bipolar disorder is not caused by poor parenting or any other environmental or social factors. So, can a bad childhood cause bipolar? No. Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder and not a result of a bad childhood..
I Know Someone Who Is In Crisis What Do I Do
If you know someone who might be thinking about hurting themselves or someone else, get help quickly.
- Do not leave the person alone.
- Call the toll-free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK or the toll-free TTY number at 1-800-799-4TTY . You also can text the Crisis Text Line or go to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website.
How Is Bipolar Disorder Treated
Children and teens can work with their health care provider to develop a treatment plan that will help them manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life. It is important to follow the treatment plan, even when your child is not currently experiencing a mood episode. Steady, dependable treatment works better than treatment that starts and stops.
Treatment options include:
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What Can Children And Teens Expect From Treatment
With treatment, children and teens with bipolar disorder can get better over time. Treatment is more effective when health care providers, parents, and young people work together.
Sometimes a childs symptoms may change, or disappear and then come back. When this happens, your childs health care provider may recommend changes to the treatment plan. Treatment can take time, but sticking with the treatment plan can help young people manage their symptoms and reduce the likelihood of future episodes.
Your childs health care provider may recommend keeping a daily life chart or mood chart to track your childs moods, behaviors, and sleep patterns. This may make it easier to track the illness and see whether treatment is working.
How Is Bipolar Disorder Treated In Children
Over the past decade, mental health experts across psychology and psychiatry have helped refine the assessment and treatment of bipolar disorder among children and teens.
An effective treatment plan usually includes a combination of the following therapies:
- Psychotherapy .
- Helpful lifestyle habits, such as exercise, meditation and consistent routines.
- Other therapies.
Bipolar disorder is a lifelong condition, so treatment is a lifelong commitment. It can sometimes take several months to years before you, your child and their provider find a comprehensive treatment plan that works best for your child. Although this can be discouraging, its important for your child to continue treatment.
Psychotherapy for children with bipolar disorder
Psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, can be an effective part of the treatment plan for children with bipolar disorder.
Psychotherapy is a term for a variety of treatment techniques that aim to help your child identify and change troubling emotions, thoughts and behaviors. Working with a mental health professional, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist, can provide support, education and guidance to your child and your family.
Some types of therapy for bipolar disorder include:
Medications for children with bipolar disorder
Mood stabilizers and antipsychotic drugs, which healthcare providers have used for decades to treat bipolar disorder in adults, are also effective in children with bipolar disorder.
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What Does Childhood Trauma Look Like
How you feel about trauma depends to a large extent on how your personality develops over time. If you are traumatized in childhood, you are four times more likely to develop symptoms of problems that can appear in adulthood. Traumatic stress can cause physical, mental and emotional damage to anyone. Some of the common symptoms of trauma are: Depression, Anxiety, Nightmares, Flashbacks, Hair-trigger temper, Substance abuse and Self harming actions..
How Common Is Bipolar Disorder In Children
Studies show that about 4% of people under the age of 18, including children as young as 5, have bipolar disorder.
To put this in perspective, here are the rates of the most common mental health conditions that affect children:
- 9.8% of children have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder .
- 9.4% of children have an anxiety disorder.
- 4.4% of children have depression.
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Makes False Assertions Regarding Expected Age Of Onset And Prevalence Of Bipolar Disorder:
Peppered throughout the manuscript are declarative statements about what the typical onset age of bipolar disorder is and ought to be. Those statements are aside from the point of the manuscript, and serve to confirm that the article was written with an anti-pediatric bipolar disorder slant. Parry et als abstract concludes the reanalysis suggests that bipolar disorder is rare before the expected age of onset in later adolescence. Kraepelin himself stated that the peak onset of bipolar disorder begins at age 15, and acknowledged occurrence in childhood. Perhaps Parry et al would characterize Kraepelin as a mindless psychiatristwe do not. Numerous adult bipolar disorder studies, including representative epidemiologic studies and large-scale clinical studies, report retrospectively determined age of onset in childhood, and in such cases treatment delay is prolonged and the severity of bipolar disorder is greaterand remains greater over prospective follow-up . Post and colleagues have examined factors that may underlie the higher rates of childhood-onset bipolar disorder in the United States as compared to Germany and the Netherlands, and these include greater loading of psychiatric disorders among parents and grandparents, greater childhood adversity, and increased medical burden .
Bipolar Personality Disorder Doesnt Exist
There is no such thing as bipolar personality disorder. Bipolar disorder is a mental illness classified as a mood disorder. A mood disorder is distinctly different from a personality disorder and bipolar personality disorder does not exist. The current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not include a bipolar disorder personality disorder .
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What Childhood Trauma Causes Bipolar
We all have childhood traumas. Some of us can handle them, while others cannot. When childhood trauma has caused bipolar, it is a type of mental disorder. Bipolar disorder is a disorder characterised by extreme and prolonged mood swings. They are called bipolar disorder because the symptoms are radically different from each other. Someone with bipolar disorder can swing from the extreme of being extremely happy and aggressive to being extremely depressed and withdrawn. The duration of the mood swings can be days, weeks, months or years..
Bipolar Symptoms In Children: Presentation
Every childs symptoms differ, but during a manic phase, you may see signs like:
- Acting hyper, exuberantly happy, or incredibly silly behavior seemingly at random and in a way that is unusual to the childs personality
- Talking quickly or switching topics mid-sentence
- Hyperfocusing on a single subject or project that seems to come out of nowhere
- Erupting in extreme upset when obstacles arise or they are told no
- Highly imaginative coming up with complex storylines
- Angering quickly and becoming violent over small slights
- Not feeling tired or requiring much sleep, and showing little interest in napping, resting, or going to bed at night getting up frequently during the night
- Becoming preoccupied with sex or sexual thoughts talking about sex at inappropriate times
- Acting on sexual desires in public, dangerous, or age-inappropriate ways masturbating excessively or engaging in risky sex at a young age
- Seeing or hearing things that arent there
During a depressive phase, you might see symptoms like:
- Acting unusually weepy and sad
- Complaining of frequent stomachaches and headaches
- Sleeping longer than usual
- Eating too little or too much might gain or lose weight very rapidly
- Showing little interest in regular activities
- Talking about being a bad child, or wondering aloud if everyone hates them
- Becoming preoccupied with death talking about suicide or, for very young children, how it would be better for everyone if they went away forever or were never born
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What Is Bipolar Disorder In Children
Bipolar disorder in adults is defined by intermittent episodes of mania elevated mood, rapid speech, high energy, grandiosity and overconfidence that can last from a week to several months. But mania in children looks different from the symptoms we associate with adult mania. In children, instead of euphoria, mania usually takes the form of increased irritability and aggression.
But relying solely on irritable behavior is problematic. What experts call emotional dysregulation, which includes tantrums, outbursts and aggression, occurs in many conditions among them ADHD. Its only when this occurs episodically, along with other manic symptoms, that it can be a manic/bipolar episode.
What Are The Symptoms Of Bipolar Disorder In Children
To understand bipolar disorder, it’s helpful to know how mental health providers talk about severe mood swings. Mood swings are often termed “mood episodes.” Manic episodes describe periods when a child feels overly excited and confident, and they have a lot of energy. These feelings can quickly give way to confusion, irritability and possibly rage.
Depressive episodes describe periods when a child feels very sad and has low energy.
Children may not have clear-cut episodes. Instead, they may have “mixed” episodes and exhibit both manic and depressive symptoms. Some children may show “rapid cycling” where they shift quickly between mania or hypomania and depression sometimes even within the same day.
Depressive, manic or mixed episodes, by definition, are a change in behavior that differs from your childs baseline state .
Signs and symptoms of manic episodes in children
Children with bipolar disorder are more likely to be irritable and prone to destructive outbursts during manic episodes than to be happy or euphoric like adults with bipolar disorder typically are.
During a manic episode, your child may:
Signs and symptoms of depressive episodes in children
During a depressive episode, your child may:
Teens may be less likely than adults to admit that theyre sad and depressed. If your child shows signs of suicidal thinking, call your childs healthcare provider.
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How Is Childhood Bipolar Disorder Treated
To date, significant studies on treatment for childhood bipolar disorder have been far and few between. Most experts heavily rely on information from adult bipolar disorder studies to develop a treatment plan for children. Treatment typically involves medications such as mood stabilizers and/or antipsychotic medicines. Side effects commonly associated with manic depression medications include weight gain, tardive dyskinesia, movement disorders and/or polycystic ovarian syndrome.
When treating children with bipolar disorder, parents are encouraged to involve their children in the planning and treatment process. If children feel like they are being forced to take medications, they will become resentful, resistant and/ or defiant.
Studies about the effectiveness of therapy in treating childhood bipolar disorder are ongoing. Cognitive behavioral therapy appears to be a very promising a treatment for adult-onset bipolar disorder, but its effect on children in inconclusive at this time. Therapy is still suggested for children with this disorder. Counseling can help children cope with the disorder, foster positive relationships, strengthen their support group and improve their self-esteem.
What Should I Know About Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that look at new ways to prevent, detect, or treat diseases and conditions. Although individuals may benefit from being part of a clinical trial, participants should be aware that the primary purpose of a clinical trial is to gain new scientific knowledge so that others may be better helped in the future.
Researchers at NIMH and around the country conduct clinical trials with patients and healthy volunteers. Talk to your health care provider about clinical trials, their benefits and risks, and whether one is right for you. For more information, visit the NIMH Clinical Trials webpage.
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What Is The Prognosis For Bipolar Disorder In Children
The prognosis for bipolar disorder is often poor unless its properly treated.
If bipolar disorder goes untreated in children, it may make school, relationships and daily life very difficult. Children and teenagers with bipolar disorder are also at increased risk for:
- Delinquent behavior that results in incarceration.
- Misuse of alcohol and/or drugs.
This is why its essential to seek medical care for your child if you think they may have bipolar disorder and to help them stay committed to treatment if they do have the condition.
Regular and continued use of medication can help reduce episodes of mania and depression. By knowing how to recognize the symptoms and triggers of these episodes, theres a better chance for effective treatment and finding coping methods that may prevent long periods of illness, extended hospital stays and suicide.
What Can I Expect If My Child Has Bipolar Disorder
Caring for a child or teenager with bipolar disorder can be stressful for parents, caregivers and families.
Its important that you take care of yourself as well. Consider seeing a therapist or consult your healthcare provider about support groups. You may also want to consider family-focused therapy. During this type of therapy, together, your family learns about bipolar disorder, communication improvement training and problem-solving skills training.
Finding support and strategies for managing stress can help you, your child and your family.
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What Is Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
If a child is prone to severe irritability with explosive outbursts, but the behavior is not episodic, its possible that he may fit the criteria for the new diagnosis, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, or DMDD. DMDD was added to the list of diagnoses in DSM-5 when it was published in 2013, to identify children with severe mood dysregulation who would previously have been diagnosed with pediatric bipolar disorder. The problem was that children who fit this description often did not go on to develop adult bipolar disorder.
Children with DMDD are prone to outbursts that are out of proportion to the trigger, and are irritable in between outbursts, but this behavior differs from bipolar mania in that it does not alternate with periods of depression or normal mood.
If a child fits the criteria for DMDD, he may still have ADHD, in fact Dr. Carlson estimates that about 75 to 80 percent of children in clinical samples do have ADHD, and treating the ADHD that underpins the explosive behavior may be the most important opportunity to help them. However, emotion dysregulation may be a severe problem with its own burdens leading to emergency room visits and psychiatric hospitalizations. Many children do not respond either to ADHD medications or to mood stabilizing medications. Finding appropriate interventions for these children, Dr. Carlson adds, is a high priority.
Is Bipolar Inherited From Mother Or Father
__% of children born with Bipolar disorder are born to parents who have bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder can be hereditary. However, genetics is not the only reason why you can get bipolar disorder. In fact, living a high-stress lifestyle, or taking certain drugs or medications also increase the risk of developing bipolar disorder..
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When To Seek Help
Children and adolescents with bipolar disorder experience severe mood and behavior changes that are extreme and represent a major change from their typical mood and behavior. It might be difficult to know when the symptoms are severe enough to warrant evaluation and, potentially, diagnosis, so consider these three basic factors: functioning, feeling, and family.
Treatments For Bipolar Disorder In Children
There are several standard treatments for bipolar disorder, although they are slightly different for adults and children.
According to the , for children with bipolar disorder, management and treatment may consist of:
Medication
There are many different types of medications used to treat bipolar disorder. Many people may have to try more than one or use a combination before finding a drug that works for them. Its important to always have your child take medication as directed by your doctor and report any troubling side effects they may experience. With children, doctors usually try to prescribe the lowest possible dose of medication.
Common medications used to treat bipolar disorder in children include:
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At What Age Does Bipolar Disorder Usually Appear
Bipolar disorder usually appears in the teens or early 20s. It is not uncommon for a person to be misdiagnosed with depression, anxiety or other mental health disorder before receiving proper diagnosis. Bipolar disorder is unfortunately also often stigmatized as a condition that only affects adults. In reality, it can affect people of all ages, including children and younger teens. Since people with this condition often go for long periods of time without proper treatment, it is important to recognize bipolar disorder symptoms in both children and adults..
Can You Grow Out Of Bipolar
Long story short, yes, but as a rule it is harder to recover from bipolar disorder as you grow older. You might miss out on some of the changes that come with growing older, especially if you keep acting like a teenager or young adult. Now I know what you might be thinking: Theres nothing wrong with being young for as long as possible..
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What Race Is Most Affected By Bipolar Disorder
NIH conducted an extensive research on race and bipolar disorder, and found that the disorder occurs about twice as often in those of non-Hispanic white ethnicity than in those of African-American ethnicity. However, African-Americans are diagnosed more often with severe bipolar disorder than non-Hispanic whites. Therefore, the researchers concluded that race is not a factor affecting the severity of the condition..