Childhood Bipolar Disorder: A Treatable Disease
October 29th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Many people have heard about bipolar disorder or as it is sometimes referred maniac depression. However, many may not be aware that this is a disease that can occur in childhood. Childhood bipolar disorder can be seen in children as young as infants, or it can begin in adolescences.
Symptoms of Childhood Bipolar Disorder
There is a difference between the symptoms experience by adults and children with bipolar disorder. Many adults go through weeks of phases with this disorder. They may appear very energized and seem to be in a mania. Then they will have weeks of extreme lows where they are unable to function.
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Childhood bipolar disorder can appear to be a combination of mania and depression that can occur during the same time. There are also periods of normal emotions in between. Childhood bipolar disorder symptoms can include destructive rages, extreme emotions, hyperactivity, sleeping too little, or sleeping too much, impulsive behaviors and there are more symptoms. Childhood bipolar disorder needs to be identified and treatment should begin as soon as possible. In order to get childhood bipolar disorder properly diagnosed it is important to keep a record of behaviors to show a physician and then a psychiatrist. By keeping tack of when and what behaviors present themselves, a parent can actively monitor if a child had bipolar disorder or maybe another disorder such as ADHD.
Treatment for Childhood Bipolar Disorder
Since bipolar disorder is a chronic condition, treatment can change throughout a person’s lifetime. Most often, mood altering medications will be subscribed in order to get the child stabilized emotionally. These medications will continue to be part of a child’s lifetime, and as new medications are found can change. There is no cure for bipolar disorder, so it is imperative to learn what can make the symptoms better. The next step in treating childhood bipolar disorder is to see a psychotherapist to help a child learn how to control their emotions. This can be a very difficult process for a child and may take many sessions to begin to see results. In these sessions children learn relaxation techniques, learn how to let go of stress, discovering situations which may cause a child stress and how to avoid or cope with these situations. Psychotherapy is an important part of treating childhood bipolar disorder. Childhood bipolar disorder can feel overwhelming to both a child and their parents. It is critical to begin searching for the right support and treatment for your child. Parents too may find that they benefit from seeing a psychotherapist for ideas on ways to cope with the stress that this disorder has on a family. Don’t be afraid to look for help, for yourself or your child.
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bipolar disorder in children
September 6th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
It is an unfortunate fact of life that the incidence of bipolar disorder in children is on the rise. If you are the parent of one of these children, you are certainly wondering what you can do to help your child. Below are some suggestions to get you started.
Supplements for Treating Bipolar Disorder In Children
For bipolar disorder in children it is recommended that you give your child Omega 3 supplements. These supplements are seriously lacking in our modern diet and there is some evidence that they can be helpful minimizing the symptions of bipolar disorder in children. A quality Omega 3 supplement may help you more effectively handle bipolar disorder in children.
Food and Exercise for Treating Bipolar Disorder In Children
Diet is something that needs to be seriously reviewed and considered whenever you are faced with bipolar disorder in children. For this reason, you really should try to feed your children natural foods first, instead of going for a quick fix meal that is full of preservatives. You should also decrease the amount of sugar and salt that is in your child’s diet.
Exercise is another very successful treatment for bipolar disorder in children. Just 30 minutes of exercise each day is actually more effective in fighting major depression than drugs are. Therefore, it is very important to teach your children the importance of exercise, regardless of what exercise they choose to do. Herein you should also know that you should get rid of the television and video games as well.
These things only damage your child’s development whenever it comes to proper thinking, assessing reality, problem solving, etc. Furthermore, bipolar disorder in children can be aggravated even more by the images that are in television shows and video games. If you cannot completely eliminate these things, then you should at least minimize their time to only 1 hour per day.
Counseling for Bipolar Disorder In Children
You should also find your child a good counselor. This is especially important because bipolar disorder in children can actually be caused by traumatic events that your child is unable to talk to you about. Do not insist that your child talk to you. Instead, make sure that they do have a person that they can talk to. Some of the early childhood events that can actually cause bipolar disorder in children include the early loss of a parent, parental depression, incest or even abuse. If you do not know where to find help, you can always call your child?s school guidance counselor or pediatrician.
Tags: bipolar disease, childhood bipolar disorder, bipolar disorder in children, bipolar disorder
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