Bipolar disorder is a serious yet treatable illness. It is one of the very many mental disorders that is quite common nowadays.  It can greatly affect a person’s vocational and social development since the disorder can significantly cause a change in a person’s behavior due to the serious psychological symptoms.  In America alone, there are more than 2 million people who are living with the case of a bipolar disorder, so there is really no denying its presence.  It can occur in childhood but the peak years are during late adolescence and early adulthood. But there should be no denying of the existence of bipolar in children too.

Bipolar in Children

Though the diagnosis of bipolar in children is considered controversial and rare, according to studies it is estimated that 0.3% to 0.5% of children under the age of ten are affected with bipolar. However, some argue this finding. There has been an increase of over 40-fold from the year 1994 to the year 2003 and it still continues to rise. Other recent studies also suggest that bipolar can strike as early as the age of seven years old .A staggering number compared to previous years.

Bipolar in Adolescents

The peak years for bipolar is during late adolescence and early adulthood. When people experience bipolar during this time of their lives, it can severely disrupt them because this is usually during the critical stage of their lives. This is the period where the development of vocational and social aspects of a young adult’s life is most important. About 2.6 percent of people who age 18 years and older suffer from bipolar illness in any given year. 

The symptoms of bipolar are different in adults than in children, which presents a diagnostic challenge to the professionals in the field of mental health. Bipolar in adults have predictable patterns of symptoms, unlike in bipolar disorder children that very often exhibit explosive outburst and irritable moods. Also, bipolar kids may experience the cycles of manic-depressive far more rapidly compared to adult cases.

Bipolar disorders in children are most often overlooked due to the fact that some of the symptoms of bipolar are close to those of mental disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD. In some cases, Bipolar even co-exists with ADHD.

For adults, many times it is not recognized as an illness because it’s usually mistaken for other symptoms of postpartum psychosis, postpartum depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder and substance abuse. It should be carefully managed throughout the life of a person since it is a long-term disorder.

It is important to have some knowledge of bipolar disorder because of the possible cases that may cause bipolar to be overlooked. This is really serious because bipolar has even lead many to committing suicide. Bipolar disorder has a good prognosis and can easily be treated if done early and with proper management.

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