Bipolar In Children And Adolescent Is A Complex Disease

A lot of parents learn the art of parenting before having their first child.  Many aspects of parenting can be taught before hand however when your child is  met with a chronic brain disorder marked by bouts of extreme and impairing changes in mood and behavior, most parents press the panic button. Thinking that it is an attitude problem that must be controlled whatever the cost, even if it would do more harm than good to their child. Bipolar symptoms may come out gradually or appear suddenly in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood. There have been known cases of bipolar children diagnosed as young as 5 years of age.

Not in the Definition

There has been intensive research done on this mental disease. We now are able to know more about this illness and also understand that children and adolescents can contract bipolar disorder without reason. Bipolar disease can be defined as, the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated mood referred to as mania or, if milder, hypo mania. But some others especially with severe mood swings might not meet the textbook definition because they do not have a distinct episodes or clear periods of wellness between each mood swings. Researchers have not come to a decision yet whether children with chronic annoyance and clear mood swings, but without mania, should be named bipolar.

Only Knowing

When the DSM-IV was first published in 1994, the entire focus was on adult-symptoms, that is why little is known about children and adolescent bipolar. Only later that intensive research developments in every area of science, especially the brain, have answers been answered and doors to new questions which was not even there before are raised. This illness sometimes has less visible, but serious, mental, chemical reactions, and heart effects, and on the surface the visible symptoms happen to be behavioral.

Difficult to Diagnose

Accompanied by other psychiatric disorder symptoms, the disorder does not affect every child in the same way because it is a neurodevelopment disorder. This means that parts of the brain mature at different rates and times and some brain maturation are not complete until children reach 25 years or so. Consequently, it is a known fact that symptoms and diagnosis of a psychiatric illness may change as the child grows.  Doctors have found it difficult to have an accurate diagnosis of a child or teen presenting with severely troubled behaviors, which is perhaps the most problematic issue facing families today.

The Truth

We must all be looking at the bright side of things. Those researching  into childrens and adolescent illness is ongoing and have realized that, while bipolar has been managed in some people there is presently no cure for the disorder. We can only hope that genetic discoveries will add light to more accurate diagnosing, better treatments, and perhaps a cure for this mystery illness. Our only advise to all parents that they must always, expect the best but prepare for the worst, because not every child will react the same way on medication. The truth is what works for some may not work for others.

Be Ready in mind and Body

Families with children or adolescent bipolar must learn where the road ahead may lead and expect the unexpected. Develop strategies and emergency plans while staying flexible and positive in the present. Finally, try to network with other parents, because it may be the only way of keeping you in the right peace of mind.