Bipolar disorder (BD), also known as Manic Depressive Illness, occurs not only in adults but also in children and adolescents. ; However, it is not usually diagnosed and is sometimes confused with ADHD, since children are usually very temperamental and difficult to manage.
With this psychological alteration, irritation easily arises, as well as a tendency to get more excited than other children. However, there are also extreme highs and lows: it is easy to switch from sadness to joy, whether at school or at home.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder cause unusual changes in a person’s mood, activity levels, and daily functioning. Bipolar disorder causes a person to experience extreme changes in mood and behavior. Boys and girls who develop it sometimes feel very happy and have a lot of energy (this is known as a manic episode) and other times children with bipolar disorder feel very sad and have little energy (this is called a manic episode). depressant).
These mood swings are not similar to children who simply tend to have ups and downs. In children with bipolar disorder, the emotions are more extreme and not provoked or justified by specific elements of the environment, and are accompanied by changes in sleep, energy level, and the ability to think clearly. Bipolar symptoms make it difficult for young people to do well in school.
Bipolar disorder is sometimes misdiagnosed, or confused with other disorders that may present similar symptoms. It is usually diagnosed as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), anxiety disorders, conduct disorder, and Oppositional Defiant Disorder.
In boys and girls, it is diagnosed as early-onset bipolar disorder. , something that basically occurs in older children and adolescents. This disorder is not very common in children but it occurs in this age group. The most common thing is that it appears in adolescents in mid-adolescence.
Causes
Until now, the exact causes of bipolar disorder are unknown. However, there are factors that contribute to the development of the disease, such as hereditary factors, as well as a lack of serotonin and norepinephrine.
Neurotransmitters play an important role in regulating emotions. In manic phases dopamine is activated, and when there is depression there is a lack of serotonin. There are many genes involved according to studies, but there is not a single gene that causes it.
Although it is known that bipolar disorder is more likely to develop if there has been a family member who suffers from it, it is also important to note that environmental factors, traumas and stressful life events can increase the possibility of developing bipolar disorder if there is a getotype that favors it. It is important to know that the hereditary factor plays an important role in developing it ; If one of the parents suffers from this disorder, the risk of suffering from it is 50%.
On the other hand, a risk factor that causes relapses is stopping taking the medications correctly prescribed by your psychiatrist and following his instructions. Another risk factor is the use of alcohol or drugs. In addition, sleeping less than 8 hours can be an indicator that you are entering the manic phase.
Gender differences and prevalence of bipolar disorder
Studies of clinical populations establish that bipolar disorder occurs equally in children, adolescents and adults, and is equally common in men and women. Bipolar disorders type II and Adolescent Onset Bipolar Disorder are more prevalent in women.
The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that bipolar disorder is the 6th cause of disability in the world, and recognized as a Public Health Problem with a negative impact that affects the family and social relationships, favoring poor academic performance. and labor.
According to various studies, bipolar disorder becomes evident after several years, since In most cases it begins with a Depressive Disorder and in children as ADHD. However, there are 69% of people who receive a diagnosis other than TB. In cases like this, it can take years until it is detected that there is Bipolar Disorder, and therefore it is common for it to become more complicated due to not having detected the alteration in time and for suicide attempts or completed suicides to arise during that period.
To do?
Recommendations for bipolar disorder consist of being attentive to the mood states in children and, when faced with warning signs, consulting with a specialist, be it a psychiatrist or psychologist.
Parents should be aware of mood swings and stressors. Treatment for children is similar to that for adults, and is based on psychological therapy and seeing a psychiatrist. Adults and children are often medicated with mood stabilizers.
The therapy strategies applied for patients with bipolar disorder are psychoeducation, family therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and pharmacological therapy.
