How do you know if your child is bipolar....?

Question

The doctors give lists of intese questionnaires and a 10 year old cannot give proper answers. Is the parent responsible to answer for the child? Do psychiatrists have other methods of diagnosing?

Answer 1

You may not have to answer for your child, but you may want to help them complete the questionnaires of understand the questions. You can also comment on any behavior that you've observed. Meaning, we wouldn't expect you to say, "He's been feeling depressed" because you can't really know that. But you can say, "He had an outburst and punched a hole in the wall."
Parents who suspect that their child has bipolar disorder (or any psychiatric illness) should take daily notes of their child's mood, behavior, sleep patterns, unusual events, and statements by the child of concern to the parents. Share these notes with the doctor making the evaluation and with the doctor who eventually treats your child. Some parents fax or e-mail a copy of their notes to the doctor before each appointment.

Because children with bipolar disorder can be charming and charismatic during an appointment, they initially may appear to a professional to be functioning well. Therefore, a good evaluation takes at least two appointments and includes a detailed family history.

As far as the symptoms of bipolar in a child, the illness may look different in children than it does in adults. Children usually have an ongoing, continuous mood disturbance that is a mix of mania and depression. This rapid and severe cycling between moods produces chronic irritability and few clear periods of wellness between episodes.
Behaviors reported by parents in children diagnosed with bipolar disorder may include:

an expansive or irritable mood
extreme sadness or lack of interest in play
rapidly changing moods lasting a few hours to a few days
explosive, lengthy, and often destructive rages
separation anxiety
defiance of authority
hyperactivity, agitation, and distractibility
sleeping little or, alternatively, sleeping too much
bed wetting and night terrors
strong and frequent cravings, often for carbohydrates and sweets
excessive involvement in multiple projects and activities
impaired judgment, impulsivity, racing thoughts, and pressure to keep talking
dare-devil behaviors (such as jumping out of moving cars or off roofs)
inappropriate or precocious sexual behavior
delusions and hallucinations
grandiose belief in own abilities that defy the laws of logic (ability to fly, for example)

Answer 2

How can you answer for the child if you are not the one being asked the questions? You would be answering what you THINK is the right answer but not necessarily IS. What do you mean by the comment 'a ten year old cannot give proper answers' I know a lot of clever 10 year olds who speak well. I would leave it up to someone in mental health to diagnose your child, if you are unhappy with the way doctor's diagnose. However you should never assume a child has a disorder, I find it horrific that so many children are diagnosed with this that and the other yet have really nothing wrong with them. Only recently have doctors started saying that not all people who hear voices have a mental problem. What makes you believe your child may have bipolar disorder?

Answer 3

I'm not to sure what types of tests they do to make a diagnosis. Also, i understand that many are hesitant about testing/diagnosing, young children.
as far as the questionnaire, (ask dr of course,) Iwouldnt think they expect a ten y.o. to be capable of answering ALL of the things that they are asking, (many adults are not capable). So you GO FROM THERE!
\
Good Luck!

Answer 4

Wow how painful this would desire to be. regrettably, your brother seems to be a threat on your infants. As a parent you will desire to guard your infants, besides the indisputable fact that plenty it hurts to distance your self out of your brother. you may desire to describe on your mom and dad which you do no longer experience your infants are risk-free simply by his habit. possibly after your brother is taken care of he would be waiting to be a factor of your loved ones. sure, he's ill yet it is not an excuse would desire to some thing severe take place. What excuse would take transport of would desire to he truly harm somebody. He habit needs to be addressed now whilst he's youthful. It would desire to be under pressure actual touch and throwing issues isn't tolerated. a lot of people have led effective lives with ADHD and bipolar. It probably does no longer harm to have a protracted communicate with a counselor, and discover the thank you to speak on your infants approximately your brother. you do no longer prefer to scare them yet on the comparable time in the event that they're going to be around him they'd desire to observe. it would desire to be stable to discover a help team which you and your mom and dad can attend. this is crucial which you realize your thoughts are frequent and you have a superb to them. this would be a protracted street your loved ones is embarking on and there is not any elementary restoration. stable success.

Answer 5

Bipolar disorder is intense mood swings. If you notice your child is depressed or goes off to be by his/her self at times and at other times is hyper or manic, that's bipolar. There are fantastic meds out today. You know your child best, just tell the doc how your child behaves. Good luck.

Answer 6

Bipolar: Psychology Relating to a major affective disorder that is characterized by episodes of mania and depression.

It is pretty simple.
Does your kid go from one extreme to the other? I mean is the child really happy excited, then go straight to not saying anything and closed off?

Does there seem to be no middle-ground? Just Highs and Lows?

Answer 7

You need to talk to a Pediatric psychiatrist. There are so many different things that can be going on with a child...and don't be afraid to get more than one opinion!! Best wishes & good luck.