Bipolar Disorder Children – Care and Treatment

In the past, bipolar disorder was a condition only associated with adults while children who are essentially bipolar kids, were consistently and incorrectly said to be suffering from attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Only recently have pediatricians, psychologists and psychiatrists established that bipolar in children, is in fact just as prevalent as it is in adults.

Early Treatment of Bipolar Disorder Children

The benefits of early diagnosis of bipolar in children are many, but perhaps the most important fact is, their chances of being successfully treated and living normal lives are greatly improved. However, being children, providing treatment for them can be an extremely sensitive issue as parents and doctors often don't agree. In many cases, doctors favor medication as the primary treatment and recommend therapy only to augment the medication bipolar kids receive. On the other hand, a large percentage of parents and an increasing number of psychologists don't believe this to be the ideal course of action.

Of course it's understandable for parents to feel this way when one considers the effects which these medications can have on a child's personality traits. In fact, it's not only children, but adults as well that are vulnerable to the effects of bipolar medication. Many parents claim that such medications tend to deprive their kids of their unique individuality, often causing them to become increasingly despondent and in some cases, almost disconnected in a sense. With these effects having been reported on so many occasions, one cannot help but to wander if these kids would be better off without medication.

Therapy Treatment

One alternative treatment for bipolar disorder children, known as play therapy, has enjoyed much success in helping kids with this condition to enjoy happy childhoods. During this therapy, bipolar kids are put in various hypothetical situations and they are then encouraged to respond in an acceptable manner and to find solutions which are emotionally well balanced. One must however also realize that some bipolar children symptoms, such as mood swings, can be so severe that play therapy may well prove to be ineffective. In cases where the symptoms are this severe, the child may in fact have little or no control over their actions or even their emotions.

A relatively new line of therapy which involves teaching patients how to recognize the symptoms of bipolar disorder, as well as factors that could trigger mood swings, is known as cognitive behavioral therapy. Furthermore, patients are also taught how to avoid bouts of depression and how best to manage such episodes when they do occur. Adults in particular can benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy, with or without medication.

Cognitive Therapy

One drawback of cognitive behavioral therapy is that it most often requires a relatively high degree of problem solving and lines of thinking which a child doesn't have, hence the reason why this form of therapy is not frequently used when treating bipolar kids. There is however those who feel that if the techniques were altered accordingly, this therapy could prove to be beneficial for treating bipolar in children but of course, there are others who argue that this is easier said than done.

Essentially, it's fundamental that absolutely everyone who is in some way involved with a bipolar kid, gets together in order to discuss the various treatment options. This includes not only the parents, but also psychologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, and even teachers. If parents or even a teacher becomes concerned with regards to the effect any treatment may be having on a child, it should be discussed as soon as possible and the necessary action taken, even it that means a change of doctor.