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Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depression) is a serious but treatable medical illness. It is thought to be a chemical imbalance in the brain marked by extreme changes in mood, energy, thinking and behaviour. Symptoms may be present since infancy or early childhood, or may suddenly emerge in adolescence or adulthood. Until recently, a diagnosis of the disorder was rarely made in childhood. Doctors can now recognize and treat bipolar disorder in young children.

Early intervention and treatment offer the best chance for children with emerging bipolar disorder to achieve stability, gain the best possible level of wellness, and grow up to enjoy their gifts and build upon their strengths. Proper treatment can minimize the adverse effects of the illness on their lives and the lives of those who love them.

Everyone has ups and downs in mood. Feeling happy, sad and angry is normal. Bipolar disorder, or manic-depressive illness, is a serious medical condition that causes people to have extreme mood swings that affect their entire outlook in all areas of life. These swings affect how people think, behave and function.

How to Recognize Bipolar Disorder

Symptoms of a Depressive Episode   Symptoms of a Manic Episode
  • preoccupation with failure
  • loss of self esteem
  • feelings of uselessness and hopelessness
  • excessive guilt
  • crying easily
  • slowed thinking
  • loss of interest in activities
  • sleep problems
  • loss of appetite
  • suicidal thoughts
  • loss of energy and motivation
  • decreased sexual drive
Enjoyable Symptoms
  • feelings of happiness and excitement
  • inflated self-esteem
  • heightening of the senses
  • excessive energy
  • increased sexual drive
Negative Symptoms
  • irritability and impatience
  • speaking loudly and quickly
  • rapid, unpredictable emotional changes
  • racing thoughts
  • overreaction to stimuli
  • poor judgement
  • overspending
  • decreased sleep
  • alienating friends and family members
  • hallucinations or delusions
  • sexually inappropriate behaviour

 

Links or Useful Resources for BIPOLAR Disorder:

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health - www.camh.ca 
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry - www.aacap.org 
Child and Parent Resource Institute - www.cpri.ca - or call 1-519-858-2774
Children’s Mental Health Ontario - www.kidsmentalhealth.ca 
Canadian Mental Health Association - www.cmha.ca
Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation - www.bpchildresearch.org
Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation - www.bpkids.org
Mood Disorder Parent Support Group of Waterloo Region -email:kidsmood@gmail.com
Mood Disorder Association of Ontario (MDAO)- www.mooddisorders.ca or 1-888-486-8236