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You can’t see You look at me You think I’m mean |
Bipolar
Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation Education, support and advocacy for families EARLY-ONSET BIPOLAR DISORDER FACT SHEET Bipolar disorder (also known as “bipolar illness” or “manic-depressive illness”) is a treatable neurobiological brain disorder characterized by severe fluctuations in mood and activity level. Scientists believe that a predisposition to the disorder is inherited. The onset of illness can be triggered by trauma, but often appears with no identifiable cause. Symptoms can emerge at any time from infancy onward. Bipolar disorder is believed to occur in at least one-two% of the adolescent and adult population, with bipolar spectrum disorders (such as mild cycling and recurrent depression) believed to occur in five-seven7%. Fifty nine percent of adults with bipolar disorder surveyed by the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association in 1993 reported that symptoms of their illness appeared during or before adolescence. The time between onset of symptoms and proper treatment is often 8-10 years, longer for early-onset cases. As many as700,000 to one million or more children under l8 in the U.S. may have bipolar disorder (mostly undiagnosed and untreated). Children with bipolar disorder are at risk for school failure, substance abuse, and suicide. The lifetime fatality rate from bipolar disorder is about 18% from suicide alone. Bipolar disorder in children often begins with major depression marked by chronic irritability. Children as young as 3 may talk of wanting to “make myself dead.” Mania (the activated state) may include insomnia, hyperactivity, daredevil acts, elation and grandiose thinking. Racing thoughts, separation anxiety and intense temper tantrums (also called “rages” or “affective storms”) can occur during depression or mania. Sometimes symptoms of both states occur together in mixed states (depressed mood with high energy) or in quick succession within a single day (called rapid cycling). The symptoms of bipolar disorder resemble symptoms of ADHD with some important distinctions. The disorder is often misdiagnosed as ADHD. Fifteen percent of children with ADHD may have bipolar disorder. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, over one and a half million children under the age of 15 are severely depressed. Nearly half of children with depression before puberty develop mania (necessary for a diagnosis of bipolar disorder) by age 20. Treatment with stimulants or antidepressants can trigger mania or mixed states in vulnerable children. A good treatment plan usually includes medication, psychotherapy for the child, multi-family psychoeducational groups for child and family, peer support for parents, and accommodations at school. The Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (CABF) is the only national, not-for-profit organization focused on the needs of families raising children or teens diagnosed with, or at risk for, early-onset bipolar disorder. CABF’s Web site is a virtual community center offering on-line support groups, parent message boards, and a Learning Center with extensive science-based information on bipolar disorder. What to say (and what not to say) to
The Child & Adolescent Bipolar
Foundation’s
Join a community of experienced parents sharing science-based information, parenting tips, and support. Membership in CABF is free to families raising a child diagnosed with or at risk for bipolar disorder. CABF also offers professional and organizational memberships. If you don’t have access to a computer, your public library can assist you. If you wish to be contacted by a volunteer parent member of CABF, please leave a message on our voice mail. Printed materials on early-onset bipolar disorder can be downloaded from the CABF website, or ordered for $8.00 from the Madison Institute of Medicine, Lithium Information Center, at (608) 827-2470. The Child & Adolescent Bipolar
Foundation 1187 Wilmette Ave., P.M.B. #331, Wilmette, IL 60091 e-mail:
cabf@bpkids.org web site:
www.bpkids.org A parent-led, not-for-profit organization providing education, support and advocacy for children with bipolar disorder and their families |
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Foster and Adoptive Care Association
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