- January 23, 2023
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry
How To Recognize the Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder in Teens Early On
When people first start learning about bipolar disorder, they often assume that it is rare. However, the numbers indicate that about one out of every 30 adults in the United States lives with bipolar disorder. That means that there are about 6 million adults in the country with bipolar disorder, plus teens and children.
Considering how common bipolar disorder is, there is a reasonable chance that one of your children will develop it. That is one reason why it is so important to be familiar with the symptoms of bipolar disorder in teens. Even the most inexplicable behavior can make much more sense when you understand the typical signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder.
So how can you recognize the early signs of bipolar disorder in a teen? Read on to learn all about the most important symptoms to pay attention to for your teen!
Notice Positive Bipolar Symptoms in Teens
One of the confusing aspects of bipolar disorder for many people is that it combines very different symptoms. In fact, some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder can even be characterized as positive. This presence of positive symptoms is one of the best ways to detect if someone has bipolar disorder or not.
For example, you might notice that a teen seems to go through bouts of extreme euphoria. They might seem to have infinite energy and positivity about everything. They might love all of the ideas that they think or that they hear other people express.
In fact, they might even display a level of enthusiasm that seems immature given their age. If your teen seems to be taking much longer to mature, then it is possible that bipolar disorder is in the play.
On the other hand, having these kinds of positive symptoms will not indicate the presence of bipolar disorder unless they are accompanied by other early signs of bipolar disorder in teens.
Notice Aggressive Signs of Bipolar Disorder in Teens
Another classic symptom of bipolar disorder is a tendency towards certain kinds of aggression. For example, you might notice that your teen seems to fly off the handle or have a short temper.
If they are like this all the time, then it is possible that is simply their personality. Or they might be moody because of the normal difficulties in teenage life.
On the other hand, if their short temper seems to show up for a specific amount of time only to fade away at other times, then it may be a symptom of bipolar disorder. Another important thing to keep in mind is that bipolar disorder can influence teens to take part in risky activities.
Look for Depressive Symptoms in Teens
Along with energetic and aggressive symptoms, bipolar disorder tends to cause depressive symptoms as well.
Many people are somewhat familiar with the typical signs of depression. In general, someone going through a depressive episode will feel a lot of sadness. On top of that, they might have trouble regulating certain aspects of their body. They might find it difficult to get enough sleep or eat enough.
On the opposite end of things, they might feel like they have to sleep all the time. They might feel like overeating. Depressive episodes also make it difficult for people to have fun or enjoy participating in normal activities.
Other Signs and Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder in Teens
As we have seen, bipolar disorder combines many kinds of different symptoms. However, there are several other symptoms that might help you detect bipolar disorder in your teen.
You might notice that the mood swings of your teen seem to match the changes in the seasons. Of course, if there are other members of your family with bipolar disorder, that increases the chance that your team will have it as well.
It can also help to remember that although depression tends to manifest in either too much or too little sleep, the kind of depression associated with bipolar disorder tends to manifest in an excess of sleep rather than a deficit.
Assess Symptoms With Perspective
When many people hear about the symptoms of bipolar disorder, they are even more confused. After all, with such a wide variety of symptoms, how can you distinguish bipolar disorder from regular moodiness?
One of the most important things to understand about bipolar disorder is the way that symptoms manifest. Most other types of mental illness cause the same kinds of symptoms all the time. Bipolar disorder causes people to shift between very different moods.
If your teen displays depressive behavior alone, then they probably do not have bipolar disorder. The same thing applies if they only display aggressive or manic symptoms. However, if your team displays all of these, then the chance that they have bipolar disorder goes up.
On top of that, remember that bipolar disorder does not mix these symptoms up at random. Instead, depressive symptoms tend to all come together. After that, a manic episode brings very different symptoms that eliminate the depressive ones.
This shifting pattern may be the best indicator of bipolar disorder.
Understand the Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder in Teens
Learning about the symptoms of bipolar disorder in teens can be the first step to helping your team get the support that they need. Many people are confused by the way that the behavior of their teen changes as they get older. Learning about bipolar disorder and other potential mental illnesses can help clarify what kind of support your teen needs.
To learn more about how to recognize the symptoms of bipolar disorder in teens, reach out and get in touch with us here!