Just like adults, children can also experience psychiatric problems. One of them is bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder in children is often not recognized by symptoms. In fact, if not immediately detected and treated, this condition can adversely affect the growth and development of children.
Bipolar disorder that occurs in children can be seen from a change in mood that is very extreme and fast (mood swing). For example, a child with bipolar disorder can suddenly become very depressed, even though a few moments before were very happy.
The patterns of behavior and emotions that children have tend to be unstable. There are phases where the child becomes difficult to manage, easily offended and angry, or even rebellious. In many cases, this is normal and is not a sign of psychiatric disorder.
But in children with bipolar disorder, emotional and behavioral changes occur very easily, quickly, and are difficult to control.
If left untreated, the condition can cause problems, for example the child does not want to go to school, the child's relationship with family or friends is not harmonious, the tendency to self-injure, even making children more at risk of suicidal thoughts or addiction to drugs and alcohol.
Signs and Symptoms of Bipolar in Children
Bipolar symptoms in children tend to be difficult to recognize and are often difficult to distinguish from normal behavior in children. Some of the symptoms can also be similar to other mental disorders, such as ADHD.
Nevertheless, parents need to observe further if their children begin to show behavior that leads to bipolar disorder.
One characteristic of bipolar disorder in children is the presence of several mood phases called episodes. This bipolar episode is divided into three phases, namely mania (up), depressive (down), and a combination of both.
Episodes of mania are characterized by an increased mood. In this phase, children with bipolar disorder can feel excessive enthusiasm. While in depressive episodes, children will lose enthusiasm to despair due to a declining mood.
Two things that are very contradictory come and go in an unexpected period of time, can be in a matter of hours, days, weeks, or even longer. Sometimes, there is a normal period between these two episodes.
Based on the episode, here are some symptoms that might appear:
Episode mania
Symptoms that occur when a child with bipolar disorder enters a mania episode include:
- Looks very happy and has behavior that is incompatible with him or his age, then suddenly becomes angry and very aggressive.
- Speak in a tone that is too fast and sometimes unclear, and it is very easy to change the subject.
- Very energetic and rarely resting. In the mania phase, children may spend a lot of time watching TV, playing games, and not going to sleep.
- Often think unrealistic and have the belief that he has a super power or a certain greatness, for example that he can fly.
- Excessive impulsivity or doing dangerous things, for example jumping out of a running car or jumping off a roof.
- Difficulty focusing and concentrating.
Episode of depression
Whereas in depressive episodes, symptoms that will be seen in children with bipolar disorder are:
- Feeling sad and hopeless for no apparent reason.
- Easily angry, anxious, and worried too much.
- Easily tired and often complain of pain in certain body parts, such as abdominal pain or headaches.
- Too much sleep or just rarely sleep.
- Eat often or even don't want to eat.
- Lazy on the move or less enthusiastic about things he usually likes to do.
- More silent, often shut themselves in a room, and do not want to hang out.
- Pessimistic, hopeless, and feel himself useless.
- Desperate to hurt themselves or expressed suicide.
The symptoms above cannot be used as the main benchmark for diagnosing children with bipolar disorder. This is because not all mood and behavior disorders indicate that the child has bipolar disorder. It could be that these symptoms arise due to other problems, such as depression in children.
To ascertain whether the above symptoms are caused by bipolar disorder, observation or examination of a child's psychology by a psychologist or psychiatrist is required.
Causes of Bipolar Disorder in Children
Until now, it is not certain what causes bipolar disorder in children or adults. However, there are several things that are thought to increase a child's risk of developing bipolar disorder, namely:
Heredity
A person has the potential to suffer from bipolar disorder if a family member, such as his mother, father, or brother, also experiences the same condition. This indicates that bipolar disorder may be hereditary. However, this matter still needs further investigation.
Brain structure and function abnormalities
In the brain, there are chemical compounds that act as a conduit for stimulation of nerve cells throughout the body. This compound is also called a neurotransmitter. If the number of neurotransmitters is lacking, the controlling system of brain activity, including those that regulate emotions and behavior, cannot function as it should.
Psychological trauma
In addition to the above biological factors, bipolar disorder in children is also thought to be caused by pressure or severe stress that results in the child experiencing psychological trauma.
This trauma can occur due to many things, such as divorce or death of parents, wrong parenting, domestic violence, or bullying.
Can Bipolar in Children be Cured?
Until now, there have been no treatment steps that can cure bipolar disorder. However, the symptoms of this disorder can be alleviated by medications, such as mood stabilizers and antipsychotics, as well as by psychotherapists.
In addition to relieving symptoms, treatment of bipolar disorder in children also aims to:
- Ensuring that children can go back to school properly.
- Prevent children from falling into promiscuity or using drugs.
- Avoiding children from self-harm or suicide attempts.
- Provide emotional support to children and guide parents to provide appropriate parenting.
If the child shows signs of suspected bipolar disorder, do not hesitate to take him to consult a psychiatrist to get further tests. If it turns out the child has bipolar disorder, the doctor can provide treatment so that the child's condition improves soon.
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