What Chronic Depression Feels Like

Depression is the Demon

It sneaks up on me like a thief in the night. I was just living my life, feeling pretty good, and then, I feel it begin.

The darkness begins to creep in. I feel a sense of panic because I know what to expect. It has visited me before.

I get angry because I was feeling so well. Optimistic, confident and dare I say it, happy? Maybe I was even too happy. Like a storm that threatens to ruin a beautiful sunny day, I am disappointed. I let myself believe that this time I had it beat. The dark feelings weren’t coming back again.

But I was wrong.

In my mind I try and fight it. I recognize the familiar feelings begin again. The thoughts that all is hopeless invade my mind even though I try and make them go away.

I feel like crying for no apparent reason. Right now I can keep from crying but I know soon it will get harder. I feel so restless and I cannot distract myself although I try.

Then it deepens and I just stop caring again. I avoid talking to anyone because I don’t want them to know that it is back again. Soon there will be no hiding it. Everyone will know.

I hate that.

I’m afraid that they will get tired of me and leave me forever. In my mind I am screaming, "It isn’t me, it is the demon".

I still care enough that I feel ashamed by its power over me. I guess that is good. It hasn’t swallowed me whole. It is coming though.

The longer it holds onto me the harder it is to break free from its grasp. It chokes me and wears me down. My mind tries to reason with it but I am getting worn out from the fight.

It won’t let me sleep more than a few hours at a time. I wish I could just sleep until it goes away again but it doesn’t work like that.

The last time it was here I thought it would never leave. I knew what it was doing but I couldn’t stop it. I surrendered to it.

Like a zombie I went through my days barely functioning and certainly not caring. My mind raced with self-pitying thoughts. I took a shower only so I could cry without anyone knowing. But they knew. How could they not?

The negativity oozed from me and there was no hiding it. I was the darkness.

Now it is back and although it is familiar it is not my friend. Depression is the demon and it is not wanted here.

Extremes in Moods - When to be concerned

Extremes in moods with periods of "normal" behavior in between can make you wonder what is going on. Should you be concerned or if you are a woman, blame it on hormones?

There is a Test for Bipolar that can help you determine if the symptoms you have been living with are reason to get evaluated.

With so much talk lately about mood disorders, it almost seems like everyone you know can fall into some category. Diagnosis is not easy and relies upon honesty from the patient and a doctor who is well-trained in listening and hearing what a patient doesn't say.

Could you be bipolar ?

To many people, the thought is scary. We either have misconceptions about the mood disorder, we know someone who has it and is not doing well or we are afraid to be "labeled". You may not even be bipolar or even have a mental illness.

Believe it or not, it could be as simple as a food allergy, a vitamin deficiency or a reaction to medication that you already take. If you are a woman, it could be hormonal.

See your doctor if the extremes in your moods are out of control. If you feel concerned enough to wonder if you could be bipolar, then that is reason enough to go get evaluated. Being bipolar isn't the end of the world. Living with bipolar disorder is something that millions do and they live well in spite of bipolar.

Connecting mental illnesses to the mind/body connection

There is no question that sometimes an antidepressant is necessary when the grips of depression have you paralyzed. Relying on an antidepressant alone will only get you on an endless cycle of dependence on a pill to help you deal with life.

Depression is often the result of an inability to cope with an event or several events that happen in your life. Ignoring the cause of depression by just treating it with antidepressant medication is being in denial of your inner demons.

It does take courage to face these demons and although cognitive behavioral therapy can help, there is no guarantee that you will be successful. Some people can fight an inner demon for years sometimes suppressing it only to find that it returns in the form of chronic depression or anxiety.

Not to say that fighting depression or anxiety is hopeless because I firmly believe that you can overcome depression and anxiety.

I recently came across a blog written by a practicing Buddhist who is also a doctor. Dr. Alex Lickerman is also someone who suffers from mild PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). His blog explores such ideas as the mind/body connection and how physical symptoms can be psychological in nature.

He has some ideas on how to help yourself with your depression and many of these ideas I have done myself. His theories on why we become depressed and his honesty about how difficult it truly is for doctors to properly diagnose and help their depressed patients is refreshing. As a Buddhist and a medical doctor he manages to balance medical science with Buddhism and explain it all in a voice that is encouraging yet honest.

It does take courage to face the cause behind your depression but unless you do the work, you are not going to see your depression go away.

If you are fighting the darkness of depression, these tips can help you to see the light.

Visualize

Visualization is a practice that involves seeing and believing that you have the strength to overcome whatever problem you are facing. Using visual aids such as a board that you personalize with positive affirmations, pleasing pictures or even simple words to remind you of how you see your life is another way to practice visualization.

Avoid major decisions when you are down

Sometimes this is not possible but many times it is. If you can recognize that you are not in your “normal” state of mind, cut yourself some slack and put off major life decisions. This will avoid you making further problems for yourself. Often when you are in the midst of depression, your mental attitude is not conducive to being able to think clearly.

Prioritize your problems

We can easily get overwhelmed by life especially when it feels like bad things keep happening. How bad are they really? Sometimes it is all about attitude but when there is too much for us to handle, we experience an emotional overload and shut down. We feel powerless to solve our problems because it feels like there are so many to deal with. Resolve to deal with one issue at a time. Realize that if you take it one baby step at a time, you can find solutions. Juggling all your problems at once isn’t working.

Stop and breathe- it will pass

Instead of succumbing to panic, stop, breathe and wait. Not only will everything seem to get clearer, but you will sometimes see that it isn’t as horrible as you imagined. Solutions may become more visible once you are able to calm yourself and think clearly.

Use distraction to heal your mind

Music, meditating, art, writing, or whatever soothes you will also distract your mind from the problems and stress that seem to be consuming your being. By taking a break from it all, you are rejuvenating yourself and the solutions to your problems may become clearer.

Face your fears

Acknowledge what is frightening to you and allow yourself to rationalize it. Imagine all the scenarios and remind yourself that no matter what- you can and will survive it. Maybe the outcome is not what you had imagined or hoped it would be but you can do it.

Write it down

Get out a piece of paper and write down everything. Spill your guts. Spell it all out on paper. Sometimes after doing this exercise you may see how silly some of your problems appear to be. Sometimes you can also recognize how you may be making your problems worse by your reactions to them!

Believe it or not, you will get through this. Try and think back to other periods of your life where you felt helpless and you were despondent. You made it through, didn’t you? You will get through this also. Accept that sometimes obstacles that happen in life bring changes that are good even though at the time they don’t feel that way.

Fear can make challenges scarier than they have to be. Fear can overcome you, paralyzing you to accepting change. Stress and disappointment can make you feel horrible about yourself, doubt your worth and make you feel hopeless.

There is always hope.

Believe it and it will be so!

Animal Hoarding

Many neighborhoods have the "crazy" cat lady who feeds strays and whose home is filled with several cats. Not too many people recognize the fact that animal hoarding is a result of a mental illness.

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, depressive disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder are often responsible for a person's uncontrollable need to save and protect animals. Most of the time, the conditions that their animals are living in are less than humane.

Hoarding animals is a disease; there is nothing "normal" about it.

Thanks to television programs like Animal Planet's Confessions:Animal Hoarding, the dirty secret about why people hoard animals is being talked about.

Again, it brings back a common subject- stigma about seeking help for mental health issues. People hoard animals for several reasons but they all stem back to a traumatic event or a feeling of lacking control in their life. It is almost always rooted in depression or anxiety.

Treatment for animal hoarding includes cognitive behavioral therapy which can be extremely emotionally painful for people. Of course, the person needs to let go of most of the pets they are hoarding. They are forced to face what issues have caused them to become hoarders and giving up the security of hoarding pets is part of the painful process.

Each case must be looked at individually. That crazy cat lady in the neighborhood has her reasons why she needs to take care of all these cats. When she gets professional mental health treatment, the crazy cat lady can begin to heal and live a more normal existance.

Coming Clean or Beating the Stigma to a Punch

Catherine Zeta-Jones recently made the public admission that she had sought treatment for bipolar 2 disorder . Now the truth comes out via her husband, Michael Douglas on the Oprah show that it was not her intention to become a spokesperson for mental illness but instead, she spoke out before she was outed.

It still was a brave move for a celebrity to make. Certainly celebrities who are "outed" about other personal subjects can refuse to comment. It is just sad that there is still such a stigma against those who admit to having a mental illness.

If you look at the statistics, nearly 5.7 million adult Americans suffer from a form of bipolar disorder. Many who do have a mental illness hide it like a shameful secret.

Mental illnesses are no different than diseases such as diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure. Is it because it involves behavior and mood swings and some mentally ill people are seen as "unstable"?

Although there are extremes in behaviors when someone is mentally ill, not every bipolar patient is without hope. Nor every schizophrenic, or anxiety sufferer or any other person who is afflicted with a mental illness.

Someday the stigma against those with a mental illness will have been replaced with compassion and understanding. I hope I see that day.

Depression and Women

Research shows that women are more likely to talk to their doctors about their mental health than men are. This is not a shocking revelation. Most women are more able to discuss their feelings than men are.

Is it the stigma of mental illness that keeps men from seeking treatment for their depression? Or maybe it is the male machismo that makes them feel like they need to not admit to such a "weakness"?

The disturbing part of this research is the idea that so many people still see depression sufferers as "weak" people. In my mind, it takes courage to admit yourself powerless to the symptoms of depression and treatment for depression includes being able to look in the mirror and face the issues that are causing your depression.

Depression happens for many reasons. You can be at a higher risk if you are genetically predisposed to mental illness but many times, depression happens because of a high stress event in your life. We are only human and many of us are not taught the coping mechanisms that we need to survive this life. Even if you do feel that you have the coping mechanisms, depression can still affect you.

Depression can happen to the best of us. It also can happen to the strongest people. Becoming depressed does not mean that you are weak- it means that you are human. Facing your depression takes courage and a will to want "normalcy" to return to your life.

Male or female, in your lifetime you may develop depression that is more than just the "blues". If you do, I hope that you will ignore the uninformed who call depression a weakness.

Depression is real and anyone who has ever been treated for it knows the truth. Don't be afraid to speak to your doctor if you think you have symptoms of depression . There is life after depression and it is good!

Bipolar Hope

I watched a show on Investigation Discovery today about a mother who was searching for her adult daughter that had disapppeared. Enough time had gone by for the mother to feel very strongly that her daughter was most likely dead, but she still wanted and needed closure.

During the piece, the mother mentioned that her daughter had been diagnosed with bipolar 2 disorder . This is not the first story I have heard about a young woman who disappears after falling off of her treatment program for bipolar.

Still, as a parent of a bipolar adult child, I have hope. What else can I do? I will never give up on my child. I know how strong I am and I have to believe that my strength is genetic. (my tendancy for mental illness was)

Today scientists, doctors and researchers have recognized that bipolar in children is very real. There have been documented cases of children as young as 5! The earlier someone is diagnosed with bipolar or any other disorder like anxiety or depression, the greater their success is of treatment.

Although my child was not diagnosed until adulthood, I still have hopes of her having a stable life. As any parent of a bipolar adult can identify with, when I watch programs about missing bipolar adults, I feel for the parent because I know their lives have been in turmoil long before their adult child disappeared. I hope that parent is never me.

Natural Remedies

Coping with anxiety is something that most people face at some point in their lives.

The teenager who is stressing over final exams is facing anxiety that can often influence how well they are going to do on their tests.

Starting a new job or embarking on a new business venture can produce levels of fear about what if and other concerns.

Taking a supplement such as Omega 3 has been proven to reduce symptoms of depression and can help those who are under stress.

Most doctors do not encourage their patients to choose natural remedies for disorders like depression and anxiety but not every patient really needs a pharmaceutical fix.

Orthomolecular medicine looks for a cause behind the symptoms. Unlike modern medicine, tests are done to look for deficiencies that can cause anxiety symptoms. You may only need to take a Vitamin B supplement if you are constantly tired and lack energy. It may not be depression at all!

Herbal remedies and vitamin supplements have been coming under fire lately with warnings that they can be dangerous to use. Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist but, with so many doctors pushing pharmaceutical drugs on their patients, maybe the powers that be are concerned that people who make the choice to try a natural remedy will hurt the billion dollar pharmaceutical business that runs our healthcare system.

Sometimes with some mental illnesses, a pharmaceutical drug is the best choice for treatment. Other times, an anti-depressant can do more long-term damage. Many people can overcome anxiety and depression by the use of herbal remedies, vitamin therapy, a more natural diet, lifestyle changes and stress reduction therapy. A pill with side effects and the risk of damage to your liver is not always needed.

Explore the idea of natural remedies by getting good medical advice. If your doctor is not open to the idea, find one who is. Weighing the benefits of natural remedies versus pharmaceutical fixes is the smarter way to cope with mental illness and honestly, whatever else ails you.

Labels

Labels are for jars, not people.

You are more than your diagnosis and in order to function in spite of a diagnosis, you need to remember that.

Conditions like anxiety disorders can be overcome. When you allow yourself to be labeled with your diagnosis, you can almost fall victim to it. Anxiety disorders can paralyze you and keep you from living the life that you deserve to live.

Fear should not be a part of life. Not the kind of fear that comes with anxiety disorders.

Treatment can help a person with any kind of anxiety disorder learn how to cope and eventually even overcome the fear that rules their lives. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a method that is widely used and proven effective.

With cognitive behavioral therapy, a person is forced to face the source of their fear and confront it. This is done with a professional who acts as someone who will "hold your hand" and encourage and teach you how to find the courage to face what keeps your anxiety alive.

Yes, it takes courage to face your fears and destroy these demons that cause anxiety to dictate your life. Anyone who suffers from an anxiety disorder does get to a place in their lives where they say "enough".

It is almost like someone who is addicted to a substance. Until the substance abuser recognizes their addiction and decides to do something about it, the substance has the power over them. Once the substance abuser decides to face their addiction, they can overcome it. It isn't always easy but it is possible.

The anxiety sufferer may know that their anxiety controls them. They may feel powerless to it but eventually, they will feel desperate for help. Facing it is scary. Changing it can take time but you can learn how to free yourself from anxiety.

Labels are for jars- not for people. Once you refuse to be defined by a diagnosis and decide to rise above it the strength will appear that you can use to fight back.

Genetics and Anxiety

I remember way back when I was pregnant for the first time, someone told me that my mental state during pregnancy would be responsible for what kind of baby I gave birth to.

If you really think about that, it surely is a huge responsibility for a mother-to-be. Is there any truth in that or is it just an old wives tale? If a high-strung kind of woman worries over every little thing during her pregnancy, will her baby inherit that same tendency?

If a child is raised in a household where the adults are laid back and roll with the punches of life, will that child grow up with the strength to not let the challenges of life get them down?

Although doctors and researchers have come a long way in the study of mental illness, they still have not pinpointed the true cause of anxiety disorders or other disorders such as depression. They believe that some people are more inclined to develop depression and anxiety if there is a family history of substance abuse and/or other mental illnesses.

As any parent of multiple children knows, no two children are exactly alike. Part of this is because no parent treats each child the same. Another reason is because even if they are the same sex, they are each unique individuals. You may be raised in the same household, but you each have separate personalities.

Children may learn from what they live but they do not always grow up to be just like how their parents taught them to be.

In a family where denial of anything uncomfortable existed, not every child in the family always goes along with not facing the truth or questioning why.

Maybe if a child is too pampered and is not taught how to cope with the disappointments in life they will be more fragile as an adult. On the other hand, maybe they long to have the opportunity to make their own choices.

As a parent of a child with anxiety disorders, I often wonder how much my own genes had to do with my child's diagnosis. I re-examine my parenting and wonder what did I do that could have caused this. I recognize the uniqueness of all my same sex children. I may have four daughters but each is uniquely different.

The scary part is when I see my own insecurities in them. I can relate to each of them and can remember back when I felt the same way. Is it genetic that they and I share these simularities or is it just "normal" for milestones in life?

They didn't always react to situations the same way I did or each other. That kind of defeats the theory that they live what they learned.

Everyone is different. Every situation that arises in life may be similar to someone elses' but the difference is that it is happening to you, not someone else. We may be able to be inspired by how someone else copes with a similar situation but ultimately, it's your reality.

I still believe that we each own the power to decide how we will cope with our own reality. Where we get this strength from doesn't really matter. As long as you can find it and use it.

Anxiety, depression and even bipolar doesn't have to determine what kind of life you live. You have the power!

No matter how, why or what you have to overcome, it is ultimately in your hands to decide if you are going to let anxiety (or any other mental illness) choose what path in life you take. You can let it run your life and allow you to crumble underneath it or you can find the strength to fight it and adjust your life so you can live the life that you were meant to.

Depression Treatment

Depression is very real. Much research has been done on the best treatment for depression and studies show that the most successful way to treat depression is a combination of medication (antidepressant), talk therapy, lifestyle changes (which include a healthy diet, regular exercise and stress-reduction techniques) and support from family or friends.

Treating teenage depression is important because a teen who is not diagnosed with depression can become suicidal. A teen most likely will not ask for help; it is up to the adults in a teen's life to recognize the symptoms and intervene.

For anyone, any age, there is treatment for depression.

Fighting back against depression is more than just taking a daily pill. An antidepressant is made to be an aid that helps a person cope with the symptoms and enables them to find the "fight" to change their lifestyle in order to overcome depression.

Depression happens for many different reasons. Trauma, stress, a pre-disposition due to a genetic link, dealing with a serious illness like cancer, emotional stress and many more life challenges can trigger depression.

Depression does not happen because someone is "weak". That stigma is what keeps many people from seeking treatment for depression. It also makes people self-medicate with alcohol or illegal drugs. This only worsens their depression. Depression does not go away without treatment.

Someone who is in the depths of the darkness of depression often cannot pull themselves out of it. They need help. A change in diet, learning stress reduction techniques and the love and support of a family member or friend can help. It isn't always necessary to take a pharmaceutical "fix", many people have been helped through supplements along with therapy and lifestyle changes.

The point is that depression is real. If you or someone you know is suffering from depression; you do not need to suffer. Treatment options have improved and much is now known about what is the best treatment for depression.

Catherine Zeta-Jones opens up about her Bipolar II diagnosis

Catherine Zeta-Jones has announced that she recently checked herself into a mental health facility for treatment of bipolar II disorder. She and her husband, actor Michael Douglas, have experienced some very stressful events during the past year. Michael had been diagnosed with stage 4 throat cancer, which he has successful beaten and they also have had to deal with Michael's ex filing a lawsuit trying to receive income Michael had earned on the latest installment to a movie sequel he made. Not to mention the added stress of her stepson's addiction and jail sentence.

Yes, those challenges are enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed. Bipolar disorder is often recognized after a person goes through a stressful period in their lives. Have several stressful events happen and it can break you down physically and emotionally.

Some critics of mental illness say that disorders such as bipolar disorder and depression are over diagnosed. People who are not personally touched by a mental illness either by experiencing it first-hand or dealing with a family member are ignorant to how real mental illness is.

It cannot be controlled by your will and if you are diagnosed with a mental illness it does not mean that you are a "weak" person. It takes a strong person to admit that they cannot cope and need help with their lives.

Bipolar II is similar to Bipolar I. In bipolar II patients, the low moods last longer. There is an episode of mania or elated mood but patients have longer periods of deep depression. Bipolar or as it was more commonly known, manic depression is a mood disorder where patients cycle between periods of elated mood (called mania) and periods of deep depression.

Treatment for bipolar II is a combination of mood stabilizers such as Lithium and therapy to help the patient learn how to cope with the extremes in their moods. Bipolar I and II can be successfully treated. Although most people do not have the luxury of checking themselves into a mental health facility to get properly diagnosed and start treatment as Catherine Zeta-Jones did, her speaking about getting treatment will help to reduce the stigma attached to mental illness.

Bringing bipolar II into the mainstream is a good thing. The average person may learn about this disorder and those who are suffering may feel more comfortable about seeking help for this very treatable disorder.

Personally I love it when a celebrity is open about being human. I am sorry for Catherine and her family. Bipolar II (and all kinds of bipolar) is a life-long disorder that can be challenging to treat. Anyone who has been diagnosed or loves someone who has bipolar disorder can learn how to live with bipolar disorder .

There will be highs and lows as the patient learns how to cope. Sometimes it does feel hopeless. There are many who live successfully in spite of their diagnosis. I hope that Catherine Zeta-Jones will be one of these people. It will only encourage those who have bipolar to believe that life after your diagnosis can be good.

When is sadness not a good thing?

Life isn't all happiness and sunshine. There are days, for whatever reason, that you just don't feel happy. You deal with it and hope tomorrow is a better day. Sadness is necessary sometimes. It makes you stop and appreciate what is good in your life and it also can make you reflect upon your feelings.

You can even get stuck in a period, maybe after a break-up, where you feel like you will never be happy again. Even this can be normal. One day, the sun will shine again and the sadness you felt will have melted away. Then there is the sadness that does not go away.

Is it sadness or something more serious?

We can get so busy living our lives that we may look the other way to someone's depression or even our own. It takes time to notice that something is off in the behavior of someone else. When a friend experiences something in life that normally can cause sadness, such as a death, job loss, a serious illness or financial setback, you expect them to be sad.

When the sadness progresses and doesn't get better and the person's behavior totally changes; it may be time to worry. Everyone experiences grief in a different way. It takes time for people to process and how they return or accept their new normal may not be the same as the way you handle life.

You do not need to be a mental health professional to know when a friend or family member is in "trouble" and in need of some kind of intervention.

They may have isolated themselves from friends. Perhaps they have started acting in ways that are totally uncharacteristic for them. Drinking too much, being late for work or appointments, disregard for personal hygiene or maybe angry outbursts that are out of character.

Would you suggest psychological help to a friend who seems to be in need of professional advice?

Genetic Links to Mental Illness and Substance Abuse

Back in my grandparents' day, people didn't know much about mental illness. In fact, patients with bipolar disorder, or manic depression as it was more commonly referred to, were locked away in insane asylums. Some were even given lombatomies.

Anyone who suffers from depression, anxiety or any mental disorder eventually starts to look for a "reason" why they have the disorder. They may look for the genetic link by looking back on the behaviors of their relatives.

Many of us can trace the cycle back generations. If we look at how there was a high incidence of alcohol abuse, that in itself is a precursor to future generations having a mental illness. Back in grandma's day, self-medicating was how you dealt with undiagnosed (and unspoken) mental illnesses. It was just accepted that someone drank too much. No one would think about talking to a doctor about it and the term "psychiatric" help- well that was only whispered about.

Every family has their "skeletons". There is the family member that either secretly took "tranquilizers" or drank too much. Fast-forward to the present and because the times have changed, these descendents are now diagnosed and treated for their "demons".

We have come a long way in how we treat mental illness. Still there is stigma attached. That is sad but sadder when it keeps someone feeling shame because they have one of these ailments and that keeps them from seeking help. I prefer to think of it as a challenge. We all go through our lives with some kind of challenge. Diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions are challenges. Chronic depression, bipolar and even substance abuse should be seen as just another challenge we have to overcome.

As a parent of a child with a mental illness and a challenged person myself, I looked for where to place the "blame". When I studied my family tree and that of my child's, I had an "a ha" moment.

I also re-lived what my pregnancies were like with each of my children. My mental state at the time did affect my baby, more than I ever could have realized. I do not blame anyone for my "issues" or for my childrens.

The diagnosis is just a challenge and it is one that we can overcome by our own personal strength, drive and understanding of why. We each learn what we need to be able to cope with these personal challenges and if we do not let these challenges define us, we can live a better life without feeling shame.

Bipolar - Could it just be a phase?

Some children come into the world being more high-strung than others. They are at times overly dramatic, quick tempered and their moods are always shifting. Sometimes it is just the personality and other times, a parent knows that it is something more.

The mood swings become more frequent and the sometimes the sweet child you knew is gone. This continues on and just gets more extreme. Their anger is as intense as their sadness. They can switch from absolute giddiness to deep sadness and back again, often "cycling" through many moods in a 24 hour period.

Their rage can be so intense and a parent who tries to argue back will only make the child get more violently angry. Screaming, yelling, throwing things, and sometimes even cursing are the norm for the child who is in a bipolar rage. A parent can feel like they have raised a brat.

You contemplate your parenting skills and you may wonder if indeed you did "spoil" your child. Yes, it may just be a phase but it also may be bipolar disorder. You start to replay their life so far from infancy to the present.

The infant who was impossible to settle and rarely napped grew up to continue to have sleep issues . Getting your child to sleep at night is hard because he/she seems to have boundless energy. In the morning, even after getting the correct amount of sleep, the child is impossible to get out of bed. Mornings are a battle and yet another chance for their anger to come out.

Bipolar disorder affects adults but it also can be diagnosed in children. The difference in bipolar disorder in a child or a teen is that the mood swings are more frequent. In an adult with bipolar disorder, there will be long periods, weeks or many days of deep depression. This period will follow with a period of mania. During a manic episode (which can last days) an adult will exhibit a very high mood. They will feel invincible, they may engage in risky behavior and have little need for sleep.

In a child or pre-teen, the moods cycle frequently in a 24 hour period. A parent cannot keep up with what mood the child is in because it is always changing. The disruption to the household puts a strain on everyone. The child will show a pattern of misbehaving in school and may even show a lack of interest in school. They may have trouble keeping friends and fight with their siblings at home.

Getting your child or teen evaluated can be a frustrating process. First you need to find someone who deals with a child, adolescent or teen. Then an evaluation is done and hopefully, the diagnosis is correct.

Diagnosing any mental illness in a child is tough. Children (and teens) often do not open up and tell a doctor just how they are feeling. Especially with an angry teenager, misdiagnosis often occurs. Conduct disorder or ADHD is often more easily diagnosed.

I once had a doctor tell me that he did not want to "label" my teenager with the diagnosis. There is always the doctor who is quick to diagnose and then there are the ones who happily prescribe medications without giving the parent a definitive diagnosis.

The parent just wants help at this point. The child or teen is disruptive in school and at home. The parent can see that the child is suffering. Having your child experience anxiety or depression and ask you for help can break your heart. You want to take all of this away but as much as you reassure them, they still experience these symptoms. You want to hug it away but it isn't that easy.

Bipolar disorder is real. If it is just a phase, a hug will work.

It isn't easy to face the truth that your child has a mental illness. For your child, you must face it. Until you get your child the help that he needs, he will not be able to cope. Bipolar disorder is a life-long disorder but it can be successfully managed.

Many people live with bipolar disorder and have happy, healthy relationships and a good life. The sooner your child/teen is diagnosed, the faster they can begin treatment.


The Bipolar Child: The Definitive and Reassuring Guide to Childhood's Most Misunderstood Disorder -- Third Edition is a great book to help parents.