In fact, bipolar disorder was rarely diagnosed in teenagers until recently. It is often misdiagnosed as depression or borderline personality disorder. As a parent or guardian, you may be worried about your teen’s mental health. It is essential that you recognize the signs of bipolar disorder to prevent misdiagnosis and improper treatment.
This article aims to highlight the most common signs of bipolar disorder. It categorizes the symptoms according to your teen’s state of mind in the bipolar cycle. Additionally, it will explore some effective treatments for this condition. If you require more information about this mental health condition, contact NexStep Teen Academy today.
What is Teen Bipolar Disorder?
Before jumping into its symptoms, you should understand what bipolar disorder is. Bipolar disorder (BD) is a serious mental health condition that causes teenagers to have extreme mood swings. Many parents confuse symptoms of BD with ordinary teenage mood swings. However, BD is characterized by really high highs and really low lows. High highs are called manic episodes, while low lows are called depressive episodes.
Bipolar disorder can manifest in three different types. These include the following:
Bipolar I: This type of BD is the most severe. It may cause your teenager to experience manic episodes that occur immediately after depressive ones. For your teen to be diagnosed with BD I, they need to have experienced at least one manic episode that lasted for at least seven days. A BD I diagnosis does not require one to have experienced a depressive episode. Teenagers with this type of bipolar disorder may also experience a shift in reality, often called psychosis.
Bipolar II: Teenagers with BD II experience less severe manic episodes (hypomanic episodes), which rarely escalate to full mania. Although its hypomanic episodes are less aggressive, its depressive episodes can be debilitating.
Cyclothymia: This type of BD is less severe, as your teen will likely experience less severe mania and depression. For your teen to be diagnosed with this type of BD, their symptoms should persist for at least two years.
Other specified or unspecified conditions: Teenagers with highly unstable mood shifts that do not meet the criteria for the different BD types are diagnosed with other specified or unspecified BD. An example of this is Cushing’s disease.
Most Common Signs of Bipolar Disorder in Teens
The most common signs of bipolar disorder can be categorized according to your teenager’s state of mind. They include mania, hypomania, and depressive episodes.
Mania and Hypomania
Although mania and hypomania share similar symptoms, they are different. Manic episodes are extended periods where your teenager has increased energy, activity levels, and an elevated mood. Some common symptoms of mania or hypomania include the following:
Feelings of restlessness
Increased activity and energy levels
Becoming more agitated than usual
Being easily distracted or being unable to focus on one subject or activity
Becoming talkative
Racing thoughts
Engaging in risky sexual activity
Making poor financial decisions, like overspending
Distorted reality or psychosis
Not needing a lot of sleep or feeling rested after only a few hours of sleep
Severe mood changes, for example, from anger to joy
Being grandiose and making unachievable goals
Increased impulsivity
Making poor life decisions
Depressive Episodes
If your teenager is in a depressive state, they may experience low energy levels. These episodes can be impairing as they prevent your teen from going about their day-to-day activities. They may miss school or work because of fatigue and overwhelming sadness. Some symptoms of depressive episodes include the following:
Feeling sad, empty, or hopeless
Irritability
Losing interest in activities they once enjoyed
Sleeping too much
Restlessness or fatigue
Having difficulty concentrating in class or at work
Feeling guilty and ashamed
Suicidal ideation
Planning to commit suicide
A lack of motivation
Sudden bouts of tears
Loss of appetite or eating too much
Social isolation or withdrawal from friends and family
Slurred speech or talking slowly
Depression or Bipolar Disorder?
Many mental health practitioners misdiagnose bipolar disorder. They find it hard to distinguish the two because depressive episodes can last for weeks or even months. If your teenager has bipolar disorder, they may experience overwhelming sadness, hopelessness, and emptiness. These are common signs of depression. Additionally, they may have depression as their first episode. This increases the chances of a misdiagnosis.
To accurately diagnose bipolar disorder, mental health practitioners need to pay attention to their teenager’s symptoms. They need to follow up on your teen’s progress to detect bipolar symptoms accurately.
Management and Treatment Options for Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is primarily treated using psychotherapy and medication. It can be treated using the following psychotherapy approaches:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Teen CBT is an evidence-based treatment approach that helps teens identify and modify unhelpful thought patterns. CBT can help your teenager replace negative thoughts with more positive ones. Crucially, CBT is helpful in helping teens identify bipolar triggers. It also teaches them how to cope with bipolar symptoms through cognitive reframing.
Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (ISRT)
ISRT is used to help teenagers stabilize their daily activities. Maintaining a consistent routine can help teenagers manage their manic or depressive symptoms. Its techniques emphasize medication adherence and can help teens reduce disruption to their daily rhythms.
Medication Management
Bipolar disorder is also managed through medication. Your teenager will use certain medications to prevent future manic episodes. Since bipolar disorder is chronic, it cannot be treated using psychotherapy alone. Some common medications used for teenagers with bipolar disorder include the following:
Mood stabilizers: If your teen has BD, they may receive a mood stabilizer prescription to help manage their symptoms. Lithium is the most commonly prescribed treatment for BD. It is effective and can improve your teen’s symptoms within two weeks of starting treatment. Although lithium is effective, it may cause kidney and thyroid problems. You should ensure a healthcare provider regularly checks your teen to monitor their kidney function. Lithium may also accumulate in your teen’s body and cause lithium toxicity.
Antipsychotics or second-generation neuroleptics: Mental health providers often prescribe antipsychotics together with lithium. Drugs like cariprazine and lurasidone are some of the few FDA-approved medications for BD.
Antidepressants: Some medical providers also prescribe antidepressants to help your teen cope with depressive episodes. Antidepressants cannot be used alone because they often trigger manic episodes.
Treatment of Bipolar Disorder at NexStep Teen Academy
Bipolar disorder can be confusing and complicated to manage. As a result, teenagers with bipolar disorder require professional help. At NexStep Teen Academy, we offer professional support for teenagers. We provide comprehensive medication management and therapy to prevent future occurrences of bipolar symptoms. Our tailored approach is designed to cater to your teen’s individual needs. This ensures positive mental health outcomes.
If your teenager has bipolar disorder, contact us today for information about our programs and services.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do bipolar mood swings differ from normal teenage emotions?
Bipolar mood swings are more intense and last for an extended period. Teenagers with bipolar disorder experience symptoms that can last weeks or months. Normal mood swings last for a few hours, and then their intensity dies off.
Can a teen have bipolar disorder without experiencing mania?
Yes, teenagers with bipolar disorder may never experience mania. This is a characteristic of bipolar II and cyclothymia. Teenagers with bipolar II experience major depression with hypomanic episodes.
Is bipolar disorder hereditary?
Like many other mental health conditions, bipolar disorder has a genetic component. Teenagers whose first-level relatives have bipolar disorder may develop BD.
Most Common Signs of Bipolar Disorder in Teens
Table of Contents
Did you know that around 2.9% of teenagers in the United States have bipolar disorder? However, this number could be much higher. According to Mental Health America, an estimated one-third of teens with depression may actually have bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is underrecognized and underdiagnosed among teenagers.
In fact, bipolar disorder was rarely diagnosed in teenagers until recently. It is often misdiagnosed as depression or borderline personality disorder. As a parent or guardian, you may be worried about your teen’s mental health. It is essential that you recognize the signs of bipolar disorder to prevent misdiagnosis and improper treatment.
This article aims to highlight the most common signs of bipolar disorder. It categorizes the symptoms according to your teen’s state of mind in the bipolar cycle. Additionally, it will explore some effective treatments for this condition. If you require more information about this mental health condition, contact NexStep Teen Academy today.
What is Teen Bipolar Disorder?
Before jumping into its symptoms, you should understand what bipolar disorder is. Bipolar disorder (BD) is a serious mental health condition that causes teenagers to have extreme mood swings. Many parents confuse symptoms of BD with ordinary teenage mood swings. However, BD is characterized by really high highs and really low lows. High highs are called manic episodes, while low lows are called depressive episodes.
Bipolar disorder can manifest in three different types. These include the following:
Most Common Signs of Bipolar Disorder in Teens
The most common signs of bipolar disorder can be categorized according to your teenager’s state of mind. They include mania, hypomania, and depressive episodes.
Mania and Hypomania
Although mania and hypomania share similar symptoms, they are different. Manic episodes are extended periods where your teenager has increased energy, activity levels, and an elevated mood. Some common symptoms of mania or hypomania include the following:
Depressive Episodes
If your teenager is in a depressive state, they may experience low energy levels. These episodes can be impairing as they prevent your teen from going about their day-to-day activities. They may miss school or work because of fatigue and overwhelming sadness. Some symptoms of depressive episodes include the following:
Depression or Bipolar Disorder?
Many mental health practitioners misdiagnose bipolar disorder. They find it hard to distinguish the two because depressive episodes can last for weeks or even months. If your teenager has bipolar disorder, they may experience overwhelming sadness, hopelessness, and emptiness. These are common signs of depression. Additionally, they may have depression as their first episode. This increases the chances of a misdiagnosis.
To accurately diagnose bipolar disorder, mental health practitioners need to pay attention to their teenager’s symptoms. They need to follow up on your teen’s progress to detect bipolar symptoms accurately.
Management and Treatment Options for Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is primarily treated using psychotherapy and medication. It can be treated using the following psychotherapy approaches:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Teen CBT is an evidence-based treatment approach that helps teens identify and modify unhelpful thought patterns. CBT can help your teenager replace negative thoughts with more positive ones. Crucially, CBT is helpful in helping teens identify bipolar triggers. It also teaches them how to cope with bipolar symptoms through cognitive reframing.
Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (ISRT)
ISRT is used to help teenagers stabilize their daily activities. Maintaining a consistent routine can help teenagers manage their manic or depressive symptoms. Its techniques emphasize medication adherence and can help teens reduce disruption to their daily rhythms.
Medication Management
Bipolar disorder is also managed through medication. Your teenager will use certain medications to prevent future manic episodes. Since bipolar disorder is chronic, it cannot be treated using psychotherapy alone. Some common medications used for teenagers with bipolar disorder include the following:
Treatment of Bipolar Disorder at NexStep Teen Academy
Bipolar disorder can be confusing and complicated to manage. As a result, teenagers with bipolar disorder require professional help. At NexStep Teen Academy, we offer professional support for teenagers. We provide comprehensive medication management and therapy to prevent future occurrences of bipolar symptoms. Our tailored approach is designed to cater to your teen’s individual needs. This ensures positive mental health outcomes.
If your teenager has bipolar disorder, contact us today for information about our programs and services.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Bipolar mood swings are more intense and last for an extended period. Teenagers with bipolar disorder experience symptoms that can last weeks or months. Normal mood swings last for a few hours, and then their intensity dies off.
Yes, teenagers with bipolar disorder may never experience mania. This is a characteristic of bipolar II and cyclothymia. Teenagers with bipolar II experience major depression with hypomanic episodes.
Like many other mental health conditions, bipolar disorder has a genetic component. Teenagers whose first-level relatives have bipolar disorder may develop BD.