The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that children as young as 6 can be diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It can be hard to determine if a child is suffering from bipolar disorder or another disorder such as attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) due to similar characteristics. Children sometimes are misdiagnosed and not given the appropriate treatment. Treatment for bipolar disorder includes therapy and medication.
Changes in Mood
Bipolar disorder is characterized by highs and lows, and children who suffer from this disorder will have intense mood swings. They'll go from periods of depression to periods of mania. Depression is characterized by sadness, hopelessness and worthlessness. Mania is characterized by irritability, intense happiness and aggression.
Manic Symptoms
A child who is experiencing mania will have other characteristics aside from changes in her mood. She'll appear to have an extremely high self-esteem, have more energy than normal, talk endlessly and ramble, jump from one topic to the next and be distracted. She may have energy even though she slept only for two or three hours, and she may not eat very much. Children who are manic also participate in risk-taking behaviors. For instance, a manic child is more likely to try drugs or have unprotected sex than a child who isn't manic. They feel as if they're invincible and don't consider any consequences while doing risky things.
Depressive Symptoms
A child who is experiencing major depression will show symptoms other than sadness. Some children display feelings of irritability rather than sadness. They might draw pictures or talk about death and dying. They might ask questions about death and seem preoccupied with it. They'll appear tired, might have trouble sleeping, have difficulty concentrating and no longer enjoy pleasurable activities. A child who is suffering from depression may stop playing with his friends after school, no longer seem interested in playing video games, spend large amounts of time isolated and quit his favorite sports.
School Issues
Due to changes in mood and periods of depression and mania, most children with bipolar disorder struggle in school. When the characteristics of bipolar disorder begin to show, they might get into fights with peers, get in trouble with their teachers and receive lower grades. Parents of children with this disorder probably will get phone calls from teachers and school administrators about their children's behavior. The teachers might be concerned about sudden shifts in a child's mood and personality. They might suggest that the child see the school psychologist or an outside mental health professional.
