Bipolar disorder is a serious mental health condition affecting many teenagers. This condition is characterized by drastic changes to your teen’s mood and energy levels. These intense mood swings can impair your teen’s daily life. Bipolar disorder symptoms can last for days, weeks, or even months. This is what distinguishes this condition from normal teenage mood swings.
As a parent or guardian, you may have a hard time differentiating between bipolar disorder and depression. You are not alone; even mental health providers misdiagnose bipolar disorder as depression. This happens because bipolar depression can last for several months and may not be accompanied by manic episodes.
This article seeks to educate parents about the common symptoms of bipolar depression. It will highlight the emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms of bipolar depression. If you require additional information or are seeking immediate professional help, contact NexStep Teen Academy today.
Understanding Bipolar Depression in Teens
Bipolar depression is a symptom of bipolar disorder. Teens with bipolar disorder usually experience intense mood and energy level changes. They can be extremely happy today and depressed tomorrow.
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes teenagers to experience symptoms that are polar opposites of each other. They may experience elevated moods, energy, and activity levels called manic episodes. Some teenagers never experience manic episodes but have less severe episodes called hypomanic episodes.
On the other hand, low-energy episodes are referred to as bipolar depression. This type of depression is more common in teens with bipolar II. In order to meet the criteria for bipolar II, your teenager needs to have experienced depressive episodes in the absence of mania. Bipolar II is more debilitating because of its chronic depression.
Common Emotional Symptoms of Bipolar Depression in Teens
Some common emotional symptoms of bipolar disorder include the following:
Persistent Sadness and Hopelessness
If your teen has bipolar depression, they may experience overwhelming feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and emptiness. They struggle to find joy in activities that they once enjoyed. Additionally, your teen may struggle with feeling loved or cared for.
Extreme Fatigue and Lack of Energy
Bipolar depression causes teenagers to experience intense fatigue. They have trouble getting out of bed or engaging in their daily activities. As a result, your teenager may miss a lot of school or stay locked up in their rooms.
Intense Feelings of Guilt or Worthlessness
Many teenagers with depression blame themselves for being depressed. They feel like they deserve to be sad. This is because they use guilt as a way of rationalizing sadness. If your teenager feels like they deserve to be miserable, they are unlikely to seek help for their depression. This makes it difficult to overcome bipolar depression. Your teen may also feel worthless and unlovable because they cannot control their emotions. This leads to feelings of shame and guilt.
Suicidal Thoughts and Self-Harm Tendencies
Overwhelming sadness has the unintended consequence of suicidal ideation and self-harm. Your teen may start contemplating suicide to end their suffering. They feel overwhelmed and see suicide as the only way of ending their suffering. Some also develop self-harm habits to relieve their emotional pain. When teens self-harm, their bodies release endorphins, which relieve both physical and emotional pain. However, it is only a temporary fix as these emotions will resurface.
Behavioral Symptoms of Bipolar Depression in Teens
Some common behavioral symptoms include the following:
Social Withdrawal and Isolation
Bipolar depression can cause your teen to become socially isolated. They struggle to interact with people and avoid activities they once enjoyed. This is because they think they have to be alone to deal with their depression effectively. However, this only heightens their stress levels and makes them more depressed.
Loss of Motivation and Declining Academic Performance
Bipolar depression can cause a lack of motivation. This is because depression makes it difficult to find joy in any activity. Your teenager may start thinking that there is no point in engaging in an activity that does not spark joy. This makes them less motivated and can lead to a decline in academic performance.
Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Teens with bipolar depression may develop unhealthy coping mechanisms such as drugs and substance abuse, risky sexual behavior, and self-harm tendencies. Your teen engages in such activities in search of a way to overcome their overwhelming sadness. However, engaging in these unhealthy habits will only make the situation worse in the long run and further require professional intervention.
Physical Symptoms of Bipolar Depression in Teens
Some common physical symptoms include the following:
Changes in Appetite and Weight
Teens with bipolar depression tend to experience drastic appetite changes. They may refuse to eat because they do not feel hungry or eat too much. This can lead to unhealthy weight gain or weight loss.
Unexplained Physical Pain
If your teen has bipolar depression, they may experience unexplained physical pain. This happens because their bodies have high cortisol levels. High cortisol levels have been linked with back, joint, and stomach pain.
Bipolar Depression Treatment at NexStep Teen Academy
NexStep Teen Academy is a premier outpatient treatment facility in Scottsdale, Arizona. We focus on helping teens with various mental health conditions, such as depression and bipolar disorder.
Our clinical team provides comprehensive mental health treatment to our clients, utilizing individualized treatment plans to meet your son or daughter where they’re at. At NexStep Teen Academy, we utilize evidence-based approaches like CBT and DBT to help teens with bipolar depression while also learning holistic approaches like art therapy and mindfulness to help teens build positive coping skills. Additionally, we also provide medication management services to prevent future episodes.
If you require any information about bipolar depression, contact us today. We will happily guide you through our treatment services.
Normal mood swings are sudden changes in your teen’s mood. They occur infrequently and last for a few minutes or hours. Bipolar depression is chronic and intense. It causes teenagers to be depressed for days, weeks, or months. In some cases, teenagers may be depressed for years.
Although bipolar depression and major depression cause teens to experience similar symptoms, bipolar depression is a symptom of bipolar disorder. It is diagnosed differently from normal depression as it is part of a different mental health condition.
Yes, teens can have bipolar disorder without ever experiencing manic episodes. Bipolar II disorder is a type of bipolar disorder that causes chronic depression in teens. Teens with this type of bipolar disorder do not experience mania. Instead, they experience less severe episodes called hypomania.
Common Symptoms of Bipolar Depression in Teens
Table of Contents
Bipolar disorder is a serious mental health condition affecting many teenagers. This condition is characterized by drastic changes to your teen’s mood and energy levels. These intense mood swings can impair your teen’s daily life. Bipolar disorder symptoms can last for days, weeks, or even months. This is what distinguishes this condition from normal teenage mood swings.
As a parent or guardian, you may have a hard time differentiating between bipolar disorder and depression. You are not alone; even mental health providers misdiagnose bipolar disorder as depression. This happens because bipolar depression can last for several months and may not be accompanied by manic episodes.
This article seeks to educate parents about the common symptoms of bipolar depression. It will highlight the emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms of bipolar depression. If you require additional information or are seeking immediate professional help, contact NexStep Teen Academy today.
Understanding Bipolar Depression in Teens
Bipolar depression is a symptom of bipolar disorder. Teens with bipolar disorder usually experience intense mood and energy level changes. They can be extremely happy today and depressed tomorrow.
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes teenagers to experience symptoms that are polar opposites of each other. They may experience elevated moods, energy, and activity levels called manic episodes. Some teenagers never experience manic episodes but have less severe episodes called hypomanic episodes.
On the other hand, low-energy episodes are referred to as bipolar depression. This type of depression is more common in teens with bipolar II. In order to meet the criteria for bipolar II, your teenager needs to have experienced depressive episodes in the absence of mania. Bipolar II is more debilitating because of its chronic depression.
Common Emotional Symptoms of Bipolar Depression in Teens
Some common emotional symptoms of bipolar disorder include the following:
Persistent Sadness and Hopelessness
If your teen has bipolar depression, they may experience overwhelming feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and emptiness. They struggle to find joy in activities that they once enjoyed. Additionally, your teen may struggle with feeling loved or cared for.
Extreme Fatigue and Lack of Energy
Bipolar depression causes teenagers to experience intense fatigue. They have trouble getting out of bed or engaging in their daily activities. As a result, your teenager may miss a lot of school or stay locked up in their rooms.
Intense Feelings of Guilt or Worthlessness
Many teenagers with depression blame themselves for being depressed. They feel like they deserve to be sad. This is because they use guilt as a way of rationalizing sadness. If your teenager feels like they deserve to be miserable, they are unlikely to seek help for their depression. This makes it difficult to overcome bipolar depression. Your teen may also feel worthless and unlovable because they cannot control their emotions. This leads to feelings of shame and guilt.
Suicidal Thoughts and Self-Harm Tendencies
Overwhelming sadness has the unintended consequence of suicidal ideation and self-harm. Your teen may start contemplating suicide to end their suffering. They feel overwhelmed and see suicide as the only way of ending their suffering. Some also develop self-harm habits to relieve their emotional pain. When teens self-harm, their bodies release endorphins, which relieve both physical and emotional pain. However, it is only a temporary fix as these emotions will resurface.
Behavioral Symptoms of Bipolar Depression in Teens
Some common behavioral symptoms include the following:
Social Withdrawal and Isolation
Bipolar depression can cause your teen to become socially isolated. They struggle to interact with people and avoid activities they once enjoyed. This is because they think they have to be alone to deal with their depression effectively. However, this only heightens their stress levels and makes them more depressed.
Loss of Motivation and Declining Academic Performance
Bipolar depression can cause a lack of motivation. This is because depression makes it difficult to find joy in any activity. Your teenager may start thinking that there is no point in engaging in an activity that does not spark joy. This makes them less motivated and can lead to a decline in academic performance.
Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Teens with bipolar depression may develop unhealthy coping mechanisms such as drugs and substance abuse, risky sexual behavior, and self-harm tendencies. Your teen engages in such activities in search of a way to overcome their overwhelming sadness. However, engaging in these unhealthy habits will only make the situation worse in the long run and further require professional intervention.
Physical Symptoms of Bipolar Depression in Teens
Some common physical symptoms include the following:
Changes in Appetite and Weight
Teens with bipolar depression tend to experience drastic appetite changes. They may refuse to eat because they do not feel hungry or eat too much. This can lead to unhealthy weight gain or weight loss.
Unexplained Physical Pain
If your teen has bipolar depression, they may experience unexplained physical pain. This happens because their bodies have high cortisol levels. High cortisol levels have been linked with back, joint, and stomach pain.
Bipolar Depression Treatment at NexStep Teen Academy
NexStep Teen Academy is a premier outpatient treatment facility in Scottsdale, Arizona. We focus on helping teens with various mental health conditions, such as depression and bipolar disorder.
Our clinical team provides comprehensive mental health treatment to our clients, utilizing individualized treatment plans to meet your son or daughter where they’re at. At NexStep Teen Academy, we utilize evidence-based approaches like CBT and DBT to help teens with bipolar depression while also learning holistic approaches like art therapy and mindfulness to help teens build positive coping skills. Additionally, we also provide medication management services to prevent future episodes.
If you require any information about bipolar depression, contact us today. We will happily guide you through our treatment services.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Normal mood swings are sudden changes in your teen’s mood. They occur infrequently and last for a few minutes or hours. Bipolar depression is chronic and intense. It causes teenagers to be depressed for days, weeks, or months. In some cases, teenagers may be depressed for years.
Although bipolar depression and major depression cause teens to experience similar symptoms, bipolar depression is a symptom of bipolar disorder. It is diagnosed differently from normal depression as it is part of a different mental health condition.
Several factors can cause bipolar depression. These include the following:
Yes, teens can have bipolar disorder without ever experiencing manic episodes. Bipolar II disorder is a type of bipolar disorder that causes chronic depression in teens. Teens with this type of bipolar disorder do not experience mania. Instead, they experience less severe episodes called hypomania.