| Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive | | | | school, poor communication, and extreme sensitivity |
| illness, was once believed to affect adults only. But | | | | to rejection or failure are also evidences of bipolar |
| researchers have found that children as young as | | | | disorder occurring in childhood. Some children with this |
| seven years old can have this disorder. Bipolar | | | | disorder show both maniac and depressive |
| disorder is a treatable neurobiological brain illness, | | | | symptoms simultaneously. |
| characterized by severe fluctuations in mood and | | | | Early onset of bipolar disorder is sometimes hard to |
| activity levels. | | | | diagnose. Early treatment by an experienced medical |
| Symptoms of bipolar disorders in children are hard to | | | | practitioner is needed. No specific test is currently |
| recognize because of their age-appropriate emotions | | | | available for the detection of this illness. Bipolar |
| and behaviors. Children suffer from the illness | | | | disorder in children often begins with major |
| differently from adults. In adults, bipolar disorder is | | | | depression characterized by chronic irritability. It is |
| marked by mood cycling between periods of intense | | | | more likely to affect children of parents who have |
| highs and lows. But in children, it often appears to be | | | | the illness. Studies show that when one parent |
| a rather chronic mood deregulation with a | | | | suffers from bipolar disorder, the risk of a child falling |
| combination of elation, depression, and irritability. | | | | a victim to the disorder is 15% to 30%. If both |
| Bipolar disorders in children often involve very fast | | | | parents have the illness, the risk rises to 50% to |
| mood swings between depression and mania | | | | 75%. |
| repeatedly in a day. Unlike many adults, children are | | | | Bipolar disorders in children are usually treated with |
| more likely to be irritable, and they are prone to | | | | medicines such as mood stabilizers in combination with |
| destructive outbursts. During a depressed mood, | | | | other drugs. Medication helps stabilize the child's mood |
| children suffer from headaches, stomach aches, and | | | | and prevent worsening of symptoms. |
| fatigue. Symptoms such as poor performance in | | | | |