Is My Teen Bipolar?

Everyone knows that parenting a teenager is a difficult job, one almost as difficult as actually being a teenager!  If you are struggling to raise a teen, you most likely have experienced the full range of emotions and behaviors that teens exhibit.  If you need further examples of teenage angst, rent or download any John Hughes movie from the ‘80s (my fave is “The Breakfast Club”).

You have a good understanding of your teenager’s “normal” behavior, but are you starting to get concerned with changes you are noticing?  If you see any of the behaviors listed below, your teen may have bipolar disorder.  PLEASE make an appointment for him to see his doctor as soon as possible!  Your child’s life depends on it!

Here are some very common symptoms (they are NOT the only symptoms, nor do each have to be present for diagnosis of bipolar disorder):

Aggressive behavior.  Is your teen acting more aggressive than normal?  One of the first symptoms we saw with our bipolar daughter was her new “talent” of fighting (and winning) boys in middle school!

Frequent mood swings.  As the name implies, teenagers with bipolar disorder suffer through some horrific mood swings.  One minute they are so incredibly manic that their overactive behavior drives you crazy; suddenly they are so depressed that they won’t even speak or get out of bed.  This up-and-down behavior is called cycling, and the time between cycles varies.

Grandiosity.  The bipolar teen often feels like they can do anything.  We’re not talking about how we tell kids they can be anything they want to be if they work hard enough.  Oh no.  We’re talking about a teen that blurs the line between fantasy and reality and tells everyone that they played baseball for the high school team just because they went to a try out, or was a professional ballroom dancer because they watched “Dancing With The Stars”.      

Risk-taking behaviors.  Bipolar teens tend to take greater risks than teens without the disorder, including performing acts that their peers deem “crazy”.  They also are prone to risky sexual behavior and an increased use of drugs and alcohol.

Impulsivity.  Even when taking the appropriate medication, my daughter deals with extreme impulsivity.  She lives in the moment, and has difficulty delaying gratification for long-term benefit.  For example, if I give her $20 dollars so she can buy lunch for the week, she will spend the entire amount at the mall on that day.  She knows that she won’t be able to buy lunch for the rest of the week, but cannot resist buying whatever item she desires at the time.  This symptom also applies to time management, as the bipolar teen will often put off those activities that are necessary for those that are more fun or entertaining regardless of the consequences.

My daughter was diagnosed as bipolar over six years ago.  Since that time, she has been on a variety of medications, with mixed results.  She still has many of the symptoms that are so common with the disorder, but they are significantly reduced.

I’d like to say that she is “cured” but that would be a lie.  This disorder is terrible, and I’m not sure that she will ever function in a 100% “normal” manner.  However, I know that had we not sought treatment, she may have committed suicide, harmed others and at a minimum had a much lower quality of life.

You’re probably thinking “there’s no way my teen is bipolar”.  I’ve been there, and believe me; denial doesn’t make it go away.  You owe it to your child, your family and yourself to get him evaluated. 

If the diagnosis doesn’t support a finding of bipolar or any other disorder, you will be relieved and know that you need to make changes in how you discipline him.  If the evaluation supports a finding of bipolar disorder, you may have saved his life.