It can be a scary thought that your adolescent may have bipolar disorder. Much of the information relating to bipolar disorder is what is portrayed in the media – which often highlights the extreme cases.
However, early diagnosis and intervention can be hugely influential on your teen’s quality of life. If you can spot early warning signs of bipolar disorder and seek out professional support, you can reduce the risk of self-harm behaviors and other negative effects on your child.
If you suspect your teen is struggling with bipolar disorder symptoms or displaying concerning behaviors, schedule an appointment with a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist or licensed Clinical Psychologist with experience in treating adolescents and mood disorders.
Once you have successfully contacted one of these professionals, your teen will undergo a psychiatric assessment which will evaluate the symptoms that they are experiencing. This may lead to a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Once this diagnosis has been made, the medical professional will recommend a treatment plan that may include a trusted teen residential treatment center, partial hospitalization for adolescents, teen IOP, or extended care, including therapy, medication, or a combination of both.
Along with seeking professional advice to support your teen, understanding the signs and symptoms of teen mental health challenges, such as bipolar, is vital. This article offers you a starting point to develop a basic understanding of what bipolar disorder may look like in your adolescent.
Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder in Teens
Understanding the symptoms of adolescent bipolar disorder helps increase parental knowledge and develop empathy for your teen’s experience. Often experiencing these symptoms is frustrating, scary, overwhelming, and taxing for an adolescent. Having their parent’s compassion and support goes a long way.
Bipolar mood disorder is diagnosed based on the presence of two specific presentations of mood. These may initially seem like typical teenage mood swings, however, these two states are classified as such based on a variety of specific symptoms and duration.
These two states are manic states and depressive states. During manic episodes, teens may feel overly excited, have racing thoughts, engage in risky behaviors, and have a reduced need for sleep. In depressive episodes, they may feel sadness, lose interest in activities, experience fatigue, and have thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
The longer an individual remains untreated, the more intense these episodes can become, eventually disrupting functioning at home, at school, and with friends and family.
Mood-Related Symptoms During Manic Episodes
Manic episodes are distinct periods of intense and elevated mood experienced by individuals with bipolar disorder. During a manic episode, a teen’s mood-related symptoms are significantly elevated and may be characterized by extreme happiness, excitement, or irritability.
For an experience of these emotions to be classified as a manic episode, a certain number of symptoms are present for at least a week, causing significant impairment of daily functioning. Some of these symptoms are as follows:
- Mood Swings: Your teen’s emotions change quickly and become intense during a manic phase. They might go from feeling happy and excited to very sad or down in a short time.
- Rapid Speech: During manic episodes, your teen may talk fast and jump between topics, making it hard for others to understand them. Their speech may seem pressurized as if they can’t seem to get their words out fast enough.
- Grandiosity: Teens may feel like they are much more important or unique than they usually do. They might think they have amazing abilities or talents or are invincible.
- Racing Thoughts: They have a lot of thoughts rushing through their mind all at once, making it difficult for them to concentrate or stay focused during studies or any other activities.
- Hypersexuality: Your teen might become more interested in talking about or watching more sexual content. This can lead to engaging in sexual activities. The danger here is that during a manic episode thoughts of safety and wise judgment are not experienced.
- Aggressive Behavior: Sometimes, your teen may become easily annoyed or angry and easily pick fights with siblings and friends.
- Excessive Spending: During certain periods, your teen might indulge in excessive spending without considering the consequences.
- Reckless Driving: Some teens may drive dangerously and take risks without considering the dangers.
- Psychomotor Agitation: You might see your teen restless and moving around a lot, looking for experiences that give them an immediate thrill or excitement.
- Racing Heartbeat: During certain times, your teen’s heart may beat faster than usual.
- Delusions: Teens might believe things that aren’t true, even when you try to tell them otherwise.
- Excessive Self-Esteem: At certain times, they may be overly confident and believe they are better than others.
- Increased Goal-Directed Activity: Some teens might take on a lot of tasks and work on them all at once, showing lots of energy and focus.
- Disorganized Behavior: At times, teens might have a hard time staying organized and focused on tasks.
Symptoms During Depressive Episodes
In adolescent bipolar disorder, a depressive episode is one phase of the illness characterized by intense sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest or pleasure in activities that the person used to enjoy. During a depressive episode, individuals experience a significant decrease in energy levels and motivation.
These symptoms need to be present for at least two weeks and cause significant impairment in daily functioning to classify as a depressive episode. Some of these symptoms include the following:
- Fatigue: Teens may feel extremely tired and lacking energy, even after enough rest.
- Difficulty Concentrating: During depressive episodes, it can be hard for teens to focus or pay attention, making it challenging to do schoolwork or other tasks.
- Loss of Interest: Teens might lose interest in activities they used to enjoy, feeling like nothing brings them joy anymore.
- Social Withdrawal: They may want to spend more time alone and avoid socializing with friends or family.
- Guilt or Worthlessness: Teens may feel guilty about things, even if they haven’t done anything wrong. They might also think they’re not good enough or worthless.
- Suicidal Thoughts: Some teens may have thoughts about ending their life, a serious concern requiring immediate help.
- Physical Complaints: They may have unexplained physical problems like headaches or stomachaches.
- Difficulty sleeping: Despite feeling tired, some teens might find it hard to sleep or wake up very early.
- Psychomotor Agitation: This means that they may feel restless and fidgety, unable to stay still.
- Difficulty in School: Depression can make it challenging for teens to perform well in school, affecting their grades and motivation.
- Changes in Friendships: They might pull away from friends and struggle to maintain friendships.
- Feelings of Hopelessness: Teens may feel hopeless and like things will never improve.
- Emotional Outbursts: They might have sudden emotional outbursts or become easily upset.
- Self-Harm: In extreme cases, some teens may self-harm to cope with their emotions.
- Emotional Numbness: They might feel emotionally numb like they can’t feel anything.
- Impaired Memory: Teens may need help remembering things or be forgetful.
- Pessimism: They might have a negative outlook on life, always expecting the worst.
- Disinterest in Appearance: Teens may lose interest in their appearance, neglecting personal grooming and hygiene
To understand how these two states affect a teenager’s life you will need to look at a holistic impact. Considering symptoms that cover different areas of functioning can help you to further understand possible symptoms and consequences of bipolar disorder.
Behavioral and Lifestyle-Related Symptoms
Adolescents with bipolar disorder exhibit lifestyle changes due to the complex nature of the condition affecting their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. These changes arise from the shifts between manic and depressive phases, each influencing their daily life in distinct ways.
Some of these lifestyle-related symptoms are:
- Impulsivity: Teens with bipolar disorder will make impulsive decisions and act on their thoughts or feelings without thinking about the consequences.
- Substance Abuse: Your teen might resort to drugs or alcohol as a way to cope with their emotions or seek temporary relief.
- Risk-Taking Behavior: During manic phases, your teen might engage in gambling or dangerous sports due to heightened excitement and invincibility.
- Sleep Disturbances: Changes in sleep patterns are common during adolescent bipolar disorder.
- Social Withdrawal: Teens with bipolar disorder will suddenly withdraw from their friends and family, opting to spend more time alone.
- Academic Difficulties: Bipolar disorder can affect a teen’s ability to concentrate and focus, leading to academic challenges and declining school performance.
- Weight Changes: Fluctuations in appetite during depressive or manic phases may lead to weight gain or loss.
Cognitive and Thought-Related Symptoms
Bipolar disorder involves disruptions in the balance of neurotransmitters, chemicals that transmit signals in the brain. These imbalances can affect the cognitive functions of teens, such as attention, memory, and reasoning. Cognitive and thought-related symptoms are a significant aspect of bipolar disorder. These bipolar disorder signs and symptoms can affect how a person thinks, processes information, and communicates.
- Racing Thoughts: Along with rapid speech, teens in manic episodes experience a flood of rapid and uncontrolled thoughts. These thoughts might be overwhelming and cause difficulty focusing on a single topic or task.
- Delusions: Teens with bipolar disorder may create delusions and accordingly behave.
- Disorganized Behavior: Teens might appear ‘scatterbrained’ and have trouble organizing their thoughts or actions.
- Impaired Memory: Both manic and depressive phases can affect memory. During manic episodes, teens might have difficulty recalling specific details due to the fast-paced nature of their thoughts. In depressive episodes, memory can be impaired due to low energy and lack of focus.
Physical and Physiological Symptoms
The emotional and psychological stress associated with bipolar disorder triggers the body’s stress response. This can lead to physical symptoms like headaches, stomachaches, and muscle tension. These physical symptoms are closely tied to the underlying neurological and psychological processes of teen bipolar disorder. They often mirror the shifts in mood and energy levels adolescents experience during different phases of the condition. It’s crucial to consider these symptoms in the context of a comprehensive assessment by a mental health professional to diagnose and manage bipolar disorder in teens accurately.
- Headaches: Stress and anxiety, common during manic and depressive phases, can contribute to tension headaches or migraines. Additionally, sleep pattern disruptions and neurotransmitter level changes can also trigger headaches.
- Stomachaches: The stress may also cause stomach discomfort, pain, and appetite changes during different disorder phases.
- General Unease: Adolescents might express a sense of general unease or discomfort that doesn’t have a specific physical cause.
- Fatigue: Adolescents with bipolar disorder may often feel extremely tired and lacking energy, even after enough rest. This fatigue can be persistent and impact their daily activities.
- Decreased Need for Sleep: During manic phases, some teens might experience a decreased need for sleep. They might feel energized despite sleeping very little, which can contribute to their overall restlessness.
- Racing Heartbeat: Teens in manic episodes might have a racing heartbeat. This physical symptom can be related to the heightened energy and excitement characteristic of manic phases.
Social and Interpersonal Symptoms
When a teenager’s internal world feels unsettled, it often reflects in their interactions with friends, family, and the people around them. The symptoms of teen bipolar disorder can become quite evident through social interactions. Here’s how:
- Impact on Relationships: Bipolar disorder’s mood swings during manic episodes can make teens overly talkative and restless, and engage in risky behaviors, potentially straining relationships. In depressive phases, they may withdraw, becoming less communicative and responsive.
- Erratic Behavior: You may notice sudden shifts in teens’ mood, energy, and interests, making it difficult to predict how they will react in different situations.
- Social Withdrawal: Teens may isolate themselves, decline invitations, or avoid interactions due to low energy during depressive episodes or the need for personal space during overwhelmed moments.
- Changes in Friendship Dynamics: Intense mood swings can disrupt friendships.
- Communication Challenges: Rapid speech during manic phases and reduced communication during depressive phases can lead to misunderstanding.
- School and Family Struggles: Bipolar disorder symptoms like difficulty in school, irritability, or inability to manage responsibilities might lead to conflicts with teachers and family members.
- Seeking Support: Adolescents might exhibit signs of reaching out for support during challenging times. This could manifest as seeking attention, expressing distress, or sharing their struggles with friends and family.
Teen Bipolar Disorder and Treatment
Adolescence is a time of emotional and psychological changes, making it challenging to distinguish between typical mood swings and potential bipolar disorder symptoms. Teens with bipolar disorder experience extreme shifts in mood, alternating between manic episodes characterized by heightened energy, impulsivity, and euphoria, and depressive episodes marked by profound sadness, isolation, and lack of interest, interspersed with periods that are symptom-free. Due to its complexity, this mental health condition can manifest differently in teenagers compared to adults. Recognizing the symptoms and seeking timely treatment is crucial for adolescents’ overall well-being and prospects.
Treatment for bipolar disorder is a delicate process, often requiring a multidisciplinary team, support from the family, and time to find the right combination of treatments to suit the specific presentation of bipolar disorder a teen has.
Teen Bipolar Disorder Treatment Approaches According to Their Symptoms
Effective treatment for teen bipolar disorder involves tailoring interventions to address specific symptoms and challenges. Here, we explore treatment approaches aligned with different symptoms commonly seen in adolescents with bipolar disorder:
1. Treatment for Mood-Related Symptoms
Manic Episodes
For teens experiencing manic episodes with elevated mood, impulsivity, and increased energy, mood stabilizers and antipsychotic medications can help regulate mood and manage impulsive behaviors.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy for teens (CBT) can teach them coping strategies for handling racing thoughts and impulsive actions.
Depressive Episodes
For teens facing depressive episodes marked by sadness, isolation, and loss of interest, psychotherapy like CBT and teen dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) can address negative thought patterns and provide tools for managing emotions.
Medications, such as SSRIs, might also be considered to stabilize the mood. This medication combination should be carefully monitored and adjusted until the right mixture has been found.
2. Treatment for Cognitive and Thought-Related Symptoms
Cognitive approaches like CBT can help teens manage racing thoughts, impaired memory, and delusions. Therapists work with teens to challenge distorted thinking patterns and develop more balanced perspectives.
Teen Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can aid teens in learning to observe negative thoughts without getting entangled in them and can improve cognitive flexibility.
Research also supports regular exercise, balanced nutrition, adequate sleep, and stress reduction techniques for teens’ overall mental stability and emotional well-being.
3. Treatment for Physical Symptoms
Incorporating lifestyle changes is crucial for managing physical symptoms like fatigue, sleep disturbances, and psychomotor agitation. Encouraging a consistent sleep routine, regular exercise, and stress reduction techniques can contribute to stabilizing mood and improving overall well-being.
Recreational activities like Teen yoga and teen surf therapy can also help teens cope with headaches and general unease.
4. Social and Interpersonal Symptoms
Teen family therapy is valuable for addressing shifts in friendships, academic challenges, and social withdrawal. It enhances communication and understanding within the family, promoting a supportive environment.
Additionally, school-based support, such as Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) or 504 Plans, can accommodate academic needs.
5. Behavior and Lifestyle-Related Symptoms
Teaching teens strategies to manage impulsivity, risk-taking behavior, and substance abuse is essential.
Therapists can recommend teen art therapy or teen music therapy to help divert young minds to more productive and calming activities. Talk therapy during cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) can help to foster emotional regulation and decision-making skills.
6. Building Support Networks
Building a strong support network of friends, family, teachers, and mental health professionals can provide a sense of community and help teens by reducing symptoms, including feelings of isolation, loneliness, alienation, and lack of understanding from peers or family members.
7. Monitoring and Management
If your teen is facing regular mood fluctuations, changes in behavior, side effects of medication, or early signs of relapse, continuous monitoring of symptoms and progress is essential. Teens and their mental health providers track mood fluctuations, side effects of medications, and changes in behavior. This allows for timely adjustments in treatment plans.
8. Teen Individual Therapy
Every teenager’s experience with bipolar disorder is unique. Treatment plans should be tailored to their specific needs, considering the severity of symptoms, family dynamics, and individual strengths. Teen Individual therapy can address specific symptom severity, triggers, and coexisting conditions.
9. Dual Diagnosis Treatment
If substance abuse or other mental health conditions coexist with bipolar disorder, a dual-diagnosis treatment approach may be necessary. Teen IOP and adolescent PHP can help treat both conditions concurrently and manifest successful recovery. Also, the teen extended care will be right for teens struggling with bipolar disorder and teen substance abuse.
10. Long-Term Management
Bipolar disorder is a chronic condition that requires ongoing management. Enrolling in teen residential treatment encourages long-term success. Key Healthcare’s residential treatment program involves regular therapy sessions, medication adherence, and learning effective coping strategies for managing stressors and triggers.
Conclusion
Key Healthcare is a trusted teen rehab in the US providing bipolar disorder treatment for adolescents. Our treatment approaches focus on holistic well-being, combining medical, psychological, and lifestyle interventions.
By addressing various aspects of the condition, teens can develop the skills and support systems they need to navigate their challenges and lead fulfilling lives. Teens, families, and mental health professionals need to collaborate closely to ensure the best possible outcomes in managing teen bipolar disorder. This is possible and many individuals with bipolar disorder live satisfying and fully functional lives.
