Early warning signs of bipolar disorder in children and adults

Bipolar disorder or manic-depressive illness is a serious brain disorder with unusual mood changes. The people with bipolar disorder often go through the up and down episodes. When they feel extremely happy or up, they can be much more active than usual. This action is called mania. On the contrary, it is called depression if they feel quite sad or down and less active than usual. It can become more dangerous in children than teens and adults when they try to hurt themselves or suicide. Children and teens can often develop bipolar disorder and can last a lifetime. Some factors that can lead to bipolar disorder are genes with its familial character, abnormal brain structure and brain function, anxiety disorders. However, the causes of this disease are not often clear. Let’s see the early warning signs of bipolar disorder in children and adults in order to know more about this disease. The knowledge of this topic is really very necessary for the health.

Early Warning Signs Of Bipolar Disorder In Children And Adults You Should Know

Normally, the people with bipolar disorder will have extreme mood swings from mania to depresion. They are the typical warning signs of bipolar disorder. This phase can last all the life. Here are the specific early warning signs of bipolar disorder in children and adults you should know:

1. Great Mood:

signs of bipolar disorder-great mood

The main character of bipolar disorder is the up-and-down episodes of depression and mania. During a manic period, some patients can break from reality totally. However, hypomania that is a high-energy state is also an expression of great mood. With this state, the patients can feel exuberant but diverge from the reality. A side of bipolar disorder is the up episodes. It means that the mood may be elevated with much more energy and creativity. According to some experts, the people with bipolar disorder often feel to have boundless energy. They can rush around and take part in some new projects but ill-advised. Most of projects are the half-completed ones. It means that they often do the tasks or unrealistic projects unfinishedly and move on to other tasks.

On the contrary, they can be in a depressed episode when they lack the energy for doing daily activities. Low energy can lead to abnormal sleeping habits that affected on the sufferer’s life and health.

2. Racing Thoughts And Speed-talking:

signs of bipolar disorder-racing thoughts and speed-talking


Speaking quickly and changing ideas rapidly are also the warning signs of bipolar disorder. The people in this phase are easy to be distracted. They can have the ideas, emotions or even inspiration that is difficult to deal with. The disease is often mistaken for ADHD that can lead to the mistakes in treating bipolar disorder and can trigger severe symptoms. You need to have knowledge of two diseases in order to analyze their behaviors’ changes, since then, avoid ADHD misdiagnosis.

Read more: what are the symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder?

3. Feelings Of Guilt:

signs of bipolar disorder-feelings of guilt

This is one of warning signs of bipolar disorder. The people with bipolar disorder can feel guilty about their condition in general. Sometimes, they can be very bad when putting the pressure about their condition on the others. Even they cannot control their emotion that will make them feel guilty. Or anything can make them feel that. Most of us know that they should not. However, it is very difficult to avoid this feeling.

Read more: top 18 common childhood diseases, conditions and disorders

4. Angry For No Reason:

signs of bipolar disorder-angry for no reason

The anger and rage also express the frustration at being depressed. They often happen because the patient has no ability to control it. Even the smallest problems may be put into a rage. Sometimes, the people with anger may not understand why they feel angry. They only know that they are very angry. And you can realize that this angry can become a deep sorrow quickly. This is also an action that makes them feel guilty about themselves.

5. Impulsive And Self-destructive Behavior:

signs of bipolar disorder-impulsive and self-destructive behavior

The more severe action than uncompleted tasks is the impulsive and self-destructive behavior from the patients. The impulsiveness can lead to the irresponsible actions of the bipolar individual like playing truant, taking part in the dangerous activities. Or they may have spending sprees, risky investments or flagrant affair in which overspending is typical. They can go shopping when they feel very good about themselves. Their spending can rely on their emotion not their reasons. These actions can be the warning signs of bipolar disorder that you need to pay attention to. They can lead to serious financial repercussions.

6. Less Time For Sleep:

signs of bipolar disorder-less time for sleep

Less time for sleep may be a sign of bipolar disorder or symptoms of depression or anxiety. In order to identify which disease it belongs to, you must know well about the difference. For the patients with the sign of typical insomnia, they will feel quite tired during the day while the patients with bipolar disorder in manic episode often feel full of energy. So, one of the treatments for bipolar disorder is to regulate the sleep cycle for the patient.

7. Trouble At Work:

signs of bipolar disorder-trouble at work

The patient will often have trouble at work because the above signs interfere them to express themselves and work productively. They feel difficult to complete the tasks. Besides that, they also have difficulty in sleeping, an inflated ego and irritability. All these things can lead excessive sleeping and additional mood problems.

Read more: what is autism spectrum disorder? – definition, symptoms & cures

8. Alcohol Or Drug Abuse:

signs of bipolar disorder-alcohol or drug abuse

This is a sign that a person might have bipolar disorder. A half of the patients have alcohol or drug abuse problems, especially alcohol abuse. The reason for them to have alcohol or drug abuse is to improve their mood whenever they feel depressed. Or when they are stressful about their jobs, life or anything can make them lose their control.

9. Suicidal Thoughts:

signs of bipolar disorder-suicidal thoughts

Suicidal thought is one of the most serious warning signs of bipolar disorder. This is a manifestation of “down” episode. The reason for this thought is that they can feel disappointed about themselves. Even they are being treating with medication, this thought may also exist. In some cases, it may be an unfortunate side effect of treating with medication. That is why the people with bipolar disorder have suicidal thoughts should be taken care of much more than usual.

The people with bipolar disorder often have other problems that can affect seriously on their health and life like substance abuse, attention deficit or ADHD, anxiety disorders, other mental illnesses. Its corollary is rather severe. The children with bipolar disorder can result in damaged relationships, bad school performance, more seriously, they can try to suicide. Hence, if your friends, children or anyone you know that have the following signs of bipolar disorder, you should lead them to visit to the doctor.

The above include 9 warning signs of bipolar disorder that we want to show you. If you have any question or idea for this topic, you can write your comment in the following part of this website. We will reply for you as soon as possible.

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