Finding the proper diagnosis for a teen or adolescent suffering from severe mental health challenges can prove critical. Bipolar disorder is one such disorder that can cause a host of symptoms. These symptoms may prove problematic for the teen and their family.
Addressing bipolar disorder through a qualified mental health professional or bipolar treatment center can make a huge difference. Massachusetts Center for Adolescent Wellness (MCAW) offers outpatient treatment for teens struggling with bipolar disorder. With therapy and medication when needed, recovery from bipolar disorder is possible.
Bipolar disorder, classified as a type of depression, is characterized by extreme highs and lows and considerable mood swings. Mood swings in adolescents, in general, are entirely normal. Especially since adolescents are dealing with elevated hormones and high-stress levels in their everyday lives. However, bipolar mood swings go beyond the norm.
Highs, characterized by elevated mood and high energy levels, tend to be higher. While lows, which are characterized by lower energy levels, depression, and sadness or irritability, can feel considerably lower.
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All types of bipolar disorders involve a clear change in mood, energy, and activity levels. Mood swings can include periods of overly heightened moods to lowered moods.
Adolescents with bipolar disorder may have several extreme symptoms. Unfortunately, bipolar disorder can prove incredibly difficult to diagnose. It is often misdiagnosed, particularly in adolescents.
A teen with bipolar disorder may not necessarily fit all the symptoms of bipolar disorder all the time. This is particularly true since symptoms can seem vastly different between a manic episode and a depressive episode.
Signs of bipolar disorders in adolescents can include:
Often, observing symptoms in isolation can make it very difficult to diagnose bipolar disorder. A therapist may need to work with patients over a long period to thoroughly diagnose the disorder.
Treatment for bipolar disorder is often multifaceted. Medication is often the first recourse when it comes to treating bipolar disorder. Medication for this disorder includes mood stabilizers that can help normalize moods, reducing the instance of both highs and lows.
Mood stabilizers can usually treat the extremes of manic disorders and help decrease the lows associated with severe depressive episodes. Antidepressants sometimes help manage depressive symptoms but may trigger manic episodes in some patients with bipolar disorder.
In adolescents, atypical antipsychotics can sometimes help manage symptoms more effectively than the mood stabilizers used to treat adults.
Bipolar disorder may require multiple medications to manage it entirely. Many patients need to go through trial and error while finding the medications that work. It is essential to find the best way to reduce their symptoms while reducing side effects as much as possible.
In addition to medications, many adolescents with bipolar disorder benefit substantially from therapy. Therapy may include family counseling. This treatment helps adolescents and their parents or other family members learn how to effectively manage those symptoms. Through family counseling, the entire family can improve communication about the disorder in the home and individual family.
Sometimes, patients show marked improvement with cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps patients identify distorted patterns in their thinking and actions.
Bipolar disorder is a mental health disorder characterized by extreme mood swings. Bipolar consists of manic and depressive episodes that can last from several days to several weeks. With therapy and medication when needed, recovery from bipolar disorder is possible.
If your teen is struggling with symptoms of bipolar, therapy and treatment are available at Massachusetts Center for Adolescent Wellness. Contact our team today to learn more about our day treatment and intensive outpatient program and get answers to any questions you may have. We also treat a variety of other mental health disorders and are committed to supporting your teenager.
Melanie Carbonneau is the Clinical Director at Massachusetts Center for Adolescent Wellness and is a licensed counselor and certified music therapist with a Ph.D. from Lesley University. She leads MCAW with a focus on holistic care, emphasizing the importance of family and community involvement in the healing process.
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