Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder

Candie Daniel

Human Growth and Development

July 17, 2010

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder as illustrated by Miklowitz (2007) is a highly recurrent and debilitating illness. This disorder is also referred to as manic depression or manic-depressive disease. It is characterized by extreme fluctuations in mood, energy and behavior. One of the most probable causes of the disorder is improper functioning of some chemicals in the brain. Manias and depressions are the two poles of bipolar disorder. Some of the symptoms associated with depression include: unusual increase in sleep, excessive fatigue, uncontrollable cries, suicidal desires, feeling of hopelessness and inability to make simple decisions. Manias are characterized by feelings of increased energy, increased sexual desires, little sleep, hallucinations and delusions. Symptoms of bipolar disorder may manifest either during infancy, adolescence or adulthood. In the recent times, doctors have been able to identify and treat bipolar disorder in children as young as six. Children from families that have a history of the disorder have a higher risk of being diagnosed with it. As stated by Fields and Fristad (2009) that there are many barriers to diagnosing a child with this disorder. It is said that often times they would be diagnosed with ADHD, mood disorder or oppositional defiant disorder.

As stated by the Child Adolescence Bipolar Foundation (2010), the disease is more severe in children than in adults. In children, the disease has a very long road to recovery. Symptoms are also manifested for very long periods in children than they are in adults. It is very difficult to differentiate children with bipolar disorder from those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Children with these disorders present with hyperactivity, irritability and distractibility. However, children with bipolar disorder may portray some characteristic

symptoms which include hysterical laughter for no obvious reason in schools and other

social gatherings such as churches.

A change in moods of children with bipolar disorder does not only affect the child and the immediate family but also the community at large. Children with bipolar disorders are more irritable than adults. They hear and see things that are not real. People, who are not familiar with these children regarding their condition, often think that they are going crazy. Children suffering from this condition often display ostentatious behavior. They believe they can perform superhuman deeds such as flying from windows without getting hurt. These children cannot give an exact sequence of an event as it happened, but jump from one issue to another. Social interactions of these children are greatly affected; they tend to stay hooked on the computer playing games. A seriously depressed child becomes incommunicative, socially, withdrawn and unable to carry out general tasks in life. They do not recognize the joy a particular occasion may present Parents with children who are bipolar have a tendency to be less expressive then a parent who does not have the disorder(Vance, Jones, Espie, Bentall, and Tai, 2008) .

National Institute of Mental Illness (NIMI, 2004), notes that children with mania can display hypersexuality. They tend to act flirtatious way beyond their years. They may go to an extent of touching the private parts of other children, teachers and even other adults. A child with this disorder may use explicit sexual and vulgar language. Children with mania revolve from volatile, silly highs to miserable, dull and suicidal depression cycles during the day. Children, who have bipolar disorder, face a very big challenge in their social life. They are stigmatized not only by their age mates but also adults.

The family and the society at large are charged with the responsibility of taking care of the ill child as they tend to act weirdly. They may threaten to jump from a fast moving vehicle. Based on the fact that they portray extreme hostility, they pose a great threat to other children. They tend to order everyone around especially in a classroom. They may boss adults around. It is very challenging to live with and educate a child who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder especially those who display symptoms of extreme high or low episodes. The disease is so depressing that some children may decide to commit suicide. Cases of suicide and suicide attempts associated to bipolar disorder are very high among teens as compared to adults. As Van der Kolk, Perry, & Herman, J.L.( 1991), have found in their study that children with bipolar disorder who do not manage it by the time they become adults exhibit the same self-destructive behaviors as they did when a child. These behaviors include: suicidal threats, suicide attempts, self-injury, and eating disorders.

Young people with bipolar are faced by the challenge of developing alcoholism and other substances abuse as a way of escaping the reality. Out of alcoholism, young people with bipolar disorder may act in a weird way as they cannot control their activities or make concrete decisions.

Bipolar disorders on children place a very heavy burden on families.