BIPOLAR DISORDER: Signs & Symptoms in Children & Teens

Signs & Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder in Teens & Children:

FROM THE VIDEO:

“I've had an unusual number of kids and teens reach out to me in the comments this past year. So many of them are struggling with symptoms and feel like no one is listening to them. I've also had a lot of parents reach out because they are having a hard time finding resources that talk about pediatric Bipolar Disorder. Specifically what signs to look for.

Psychologists are still trying to pinpoint “what Bipolar Disorder looks like in kids” because the symptoms can manifest differently than they do in adults. It's very common for children to be misdiagnosed and treated for things like ADHD or generalized depression until symptoms inevitably get worse. Keep in mind that Bipolar Disorder is progressive illness – which means it can get worse if it's not treated.

If you have any questions after watching this video and would like to talk to me, I'd love to help. There's a link at the top of all my video descriptions where you can reach me directly.

Please know that this video is very generalized and everyone experiences Bipolar Disorder in their own unique way. Just because you show a few signs from this video does NOT mean that you have Bipolar. It just means it's worth taking a deeper look at it. If you want to make a list of symptoms you experience as you watch this video, that information could be invaluable to a doctor.

Bipolar symptoms are divided into two primary groups... Symptoms of mania, and symptoms of depression. Kids who are experiencing Bipolar Disorder will typically cycle between the two major symptoms faster than most adults do. In this video, we will start with several different signs of mania because that's where much of a Bipolar diagnosis stems from.

-My channel is completely dedicated to helping individuals, families, and friends who struggle with, or know someone living with Bipolar Disorder. My goal is to provide actual tools, tips, and discuss topics that can potentially help “Polar Warriors” grow to live a more balanced, peaceful, and fulfilling life.

-Rob Whittaker, Polar Warriors: Bipolar Support

HELPFUL LINKS & ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

[PolarWarriors]

Sometimes we all need someone to talk to:
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital
Teenage Health Resources Line
888-711-TEEN
888-711-8336
Weekdays, noon to 8 p.m.
Weekends, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Answers to health-related questions

Palo Alto Medical Foundation
“We’re Talking” Web site for teens
www.pamf.org/teen
Medically accurate health information. An
“Ask the Expert” section provides an
opportunity for teens to submit anonymous
questions to physicians on a variety of
health topics.

[theprettydarkskin]

I could talk to my self and start laughing at my jokes then laugh at myself pretending to explain to someone who's not even there.

[buttorianscotch]

Regarding these “meltdowns”, mine were a bit of a paradox. I remember screaming at my parents or whoever to leave me alone many times, yet I still held an inner desire for someone to remain by my side just to show they still cared.

[lotusredd]

Overactivity
No sleep
Anxiety
More emotional
Depression turns to angry acts
Suicide and self harm will be maybe turned to house leaving plan
Sorry i just feel anxious and out of control so i just write randomly

[borleyboo]

I have bipolar 2 and I wasn’t diagnosed until 2007 age 51. As a child, I had terrible and frequent migraines, I used to cry at sad music or anything I considered sad. And I used to cry for days when me and my family returned home after seaside holidays. My teacher once wrote on my report that ‘Grace works in fits and starts’. I did, depending on my mood. I would also become obsessed by certain things. One I remember was my obsession with death and dying. Very odd but it was put down to my age at the time. I was 13/14.
And after spending time with some family members who all had ‘south of England’ accents, I returned to school speaking exactly like them and I was from the North. I did and still do tend to take on speech and mannerisms of people I’ve spent time with.
I was very emotional and I also giggled at inappropriate times.
My teens were a nightmare. My 20s, 30s and 40s not much better. Thank God my doctor decided to refer me to a psychiatrist. My dad was always saying he was ‘going to send me to a psychiatrist ‘ not in a good way though. It was a long time coming. Twenty seven years after my dad’s death.

[joleneterkla]

WHO IN THE F*** could dislike a video helping kids live a better life? There are scary parents out there who are in total denial about what their child is going through. YOU CAN'T REASON WITH SICK PEOPLE - something I learned from your videos ;)

[MadderKeener]

I thought bipolar was people who snapped and went into fits of rage, after only seeing doctors when i was so depressed it hurt to my core, the meds sending me out of control, they diagnosed "bipolar"after all these years, so i research bipolar and found your channel and there it is YOU telling my whole life with your words I can hardly contain myself i want to scream "i told something was wrong" im now 50 years old my life seems a waste but hey let the healing begin before the darkness sets in again . Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[happypiranha]

I was diagnosed with Bipolar 1 at 14yrs old. That’s nice your parents noticed your symptoms and actually asked what was wrong. I was always left on my own to deal with the symptoms. They just thought I was a horrible child with anger issues and blamed everything on me. Never acknowledging it was the illness. Recovery was a long road and the struggle always continues. I’m in my mid 30’s now and still feel I’m left dealing with it alone. Living alone isn’t always good when you get depressed. Especially when no one takes your suicidal thoughts seriously. Mental illnesses are a hard thing for many to grasp. Those who don’t experience them personally just can’t relate. Also, I have problems reaching out. However I was lucky in a sense to have the worst part of the illness as a kid/teen instead of an adult. The fight always continues.

[destreestutzman]

This sounds just like me. I grew up thinking that it was just my environment. My environment was traumatic with a narcissistic mother and a violent home, i always thought it was PTSD and ADD. Thank you for the information.

[michella]

I always got into trouble for talking in school and cried over homework every night. Flipping out over small things... I remember my mom took a pillow out of my room and moved it to another room. I had a meltdown over that. Crying and yelling. I wanted that pillow in my room! Being disappointed also caused a lot of pain. When things didn't work out how I thought they should, I would affect me for days. It still does.

[kendlyn.mercedes]

I'm 10, and I noticed 2 years ago how un-normal I act compared to other people. I would have mood swings, cry for no reason, have suicidal thoughts, get happy for no reason, and get obsessed with random things. The "sad sessions" would go on for 2-7 days. I've been trying to find out what's wrong with me, and I just discovered bipolar disorder. I'm gonna talk to my therapist about it soon.

[katiearmstrong]

I'm going to show my mom this video. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 19, and she thinks it developed when I was in high school, or it just happened. She thinks I was just a brat when I was little, but I feel like I was showing signs since I was 6.

[dragonflyer]

every time I run across your videos I stop everything to watch them... I also share with my email so I can save them... I am that child, that teenager, that new mother, that mother, that companion, that coworker, that friend... I pray that more and more people could be educated about this dreaded disease (Yes, it is a disease... it can be controlled only by proper medications and talking with a proper physician/ psychiatrist... thank you for making these videos... you are doing a great thing for people...)

[takemehome]

I was diagnosed in ‘07 at age 17. Growing up I was treated for ADHD and depression.
This hit home. Once I got my diagnosis, everything fell into place.

[Cortisoulm]

Reminds me of some painfully dark and confusing episodes at high school. As a teacher with BPD2, this video is very helpful. I want to be there for any students with mental illness. Thank you Warrior 1 👍🏼

[SukeveClips]

My depression hit me last night and college starts in a week I just hope it doesn't last long

[shannongoad]

Thank you out of my four kids two of them have Bi-Polar they are in their 20's now ....i was diagnosed at 31 and i'm 45....I appreciate all of your time that you put into making these awesome videos :)

[baileymoran]

I was diagnosed with ADHD. It was the 90s. Then depression. Both my GP and my therapist mentioned that I should get evaluated as a teenager. My mom thought ‘this is how teenagers are, ’ so she didn’t force me to see a psych. It runs in the family. I had tons of hobbies. Sometimes I wanted to do more hobbies. Then I would randomly just not want to go for a week or so. I had a very warped sense of danger. I also have social anxiety issues, so I’d be afraid of talking to someone but no fear of standing up in the bed of a moving truck, or bungee jumping without my parents present at 15, under false pretenses about my age. I told the guy that my best friend and I were 18. She had it as well. We would feed off each other’s reckless ideas. I’d also cry about things that upset me in my room, because I knew it would be misunderstood because it was always something weird. I would cry about how my absence would affect a former friend, even if they had done something fucked up. I’d also just suddenly have some trait or feature that I hated. I wanted to die because I got fired from my first job for accidentally cursing with the headset on (fast food). I was convinced sometimes that everyone hated me. This would show up in mania, and depression, and mixed episodes. Those are the worst. I’d either not sleep at all for close to a week, or I’d sleep 10+ hrs. I thought this was all normal. Other people thought I was on drugs. I dabbled but never any serious use. Just trying things or doing them because I felt like it. Then I’d move onto something else self destructive. Despite this I was an overachiever. I would still get my homework done even if teenage manic me spent the night breaking into abandoned buildings and burning old things of mine that reminded me of someone or something traumatic. I’d sneak back into the house at 3am and just do my homework until I had to get ready, then finish it on the bus or in home room. I totaled my car senior year because I was going roughly 20 over the speed limit while stoned, in January… on a very narrow mountain road. No reason. This is just how I drove sometimes because it was fun. I have a metal plate in my head now and the knees of an old man who was once a professional athlete. I’m in my early 30s and can only imagine how my knees will be when I’m older. My spine is so messed up from the accident and the years of dangerous stunts and physical hobbies that I had a chiropractor say ‘wow… oh my god… and you are so young’ when examining my X-Rays, before asking me how I was going to work. I told him ‘I need money.’ I also have severe Crohn’s disease. I was accused of faking it until the last 5 years when it got severe, and honestly I gave up trying to get diagnosed because it wasn’t going anywhere. My mood affects it a lot. When doctors did say that I should get tested because it was causing internal bleeding, I didn’t have insurance, so I ignored how bad it was until it almost killed me. Again, I don’t have an accurate sense of danger. Looking like a failure and being judged by strangers, new people, and lifelong friends and family scared me more than throwing up blood. I’ve had multiple surgeries and I’m on an infusion based medication now, but it’s under control. So is my mental health, but I fear the day that’s not controlled. Not for me but for other people. Because of my anxiety and now CPTSD, I’m not pleasant in a manic or mixed episodes. I’m not abusive or violent, but I am argumentative and unpleasant. I’m reckless and while I never mean to burden people, it happens because they are closer and more involved than I think in those times. Then when I’m down, I kind of stop doing anything that is not mandatory, and those things take literally all of my mental energy. I will argue myself into getting ready and leaving the house for work or if my husband needs me to do something for him, and I will grunt through it because I thrive off of looking more functional than I feel. It’s the overachiever in me. Nobody knew I was thinking of suicide when I graduated with honors, and nobody knows I was basically dead inside already at work. I have caused a lot of trauma in my own life, hence the CPTSD diagnosis. But I worry so much about the impact o have on others. I actually try not to get close to people because I don’t want them involved when I finally self destruct. Nobody owes me understanding. If I had no mental health issues my unregulated mental state would be unacceptable and anything beyond the basic respect we have for human life is owed to me. My unmitigated and unmedicated self is a nightmare and is better off not anywhere near the general public. I hate the fact that I will always run the risk of being a terrible person and even when my symptoms are mild/sub clinical/ not enough to concern my therapist, I hate myself, at least for that.

[ameliapaine]

Thank you. I feel like people won’t believe me when I open up about my struggles, partially because they haven’t in the past and partially because I’ve internalized a lot of mental health stigma. This video makes me feel so seen. Just, thank you.

[VanLyfe]

You're helping me understand myself so much, to the point of realization that I need help. I am now working up the courage to start my search for a doctor and therapist, in hopes that I can start feeling normal. I've struggled my whole life, until I accidently found your videos and from there you've explained nearly everything since I was young. Thank you for reaching out to so many people!