Fact, tools & valuable resources on bipolar disorder.
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It is only in the past two decades bipolar and depression in children has been taken seriously. Testing for bipolar in children has now become more common, following research which revealed that depression and associated bipolar is occurring earlier in life today than in past decades.
In his very informative article about this subject, Arthur Buchanan reports that “NIMH researchers are developing and testing various interventions to prevent suicide in children and adolescents. Early diagnosis and treatment, accurate evaluation of suicidal thinking, and limitations on young people’s access to lethal agents including firearms and medications may hold the greatest suicide prevention value”.
Teen bipolar and mood disorder, also known as manic depression, is a mental illness where the teenager swings through extreme moods of mania and sadness, generally in a short period time.
The depressive phase of teen bipolar and mood disorder usually requires substantial professional help, as well as support from the teen’s family and loved ones.
Steven Ross explains:
How To Treat Depression In Teens
Depression in teens is a very serious subject. Each year, 4% of teenagers will suffer serious depression, and need professional help.
It is healthy to feel sad, but depression is prolonged sadness without recovery. And if your teen suffers from depression, you will likely find their school grades will suffer, the relationship with their friends and family will be strained, and they will engage in more harmful behavior like unprotected sex and drug usage.
However, with the proper resources, depression in teens can be treated. With that said, most depression in teens in the United States goes untreated. This is unfortunate, because depression that is untreated will only get worse, and be harder to treat if treatment does take place.
Bipolar disorder and reactive depression are the two most common forms of depression in teens. Reactive disorder deals with prolonged states of sadness and feelings of unworthiness in teens. Bipolar disorder, once referred to as manic depression, is a depression where the teenager goes through extreme moods of mania and sadness, usually in a short period time.
The evaluation of depression in teens can be made when you observe a certain number of different symptoms. Prolonged sadness, and no feeling of relief from crying are the two most important signs of depression in teens.
Another sign is unnecessarily feeling guilty and having low self-esteem. Finally, other indicators you should consider are indecisiveness, they pessimistic view of life, sleep patterns that are irregular, an intense irritability, and so forth.
The first step a teenager needs to take if they feel depressed is to communicate with somebody they trust can help them. There are many different options for it teenager to discuss their problems with, such as their parents, their family doctor, somebody they trust in their church, and school counselor, or professional psychologists.
Depression in teens is typically treated with psychotherapy and/or medication. Typical psychotherapy sessions for depression in teens revolve around talking about how they feel with a trained psychotherapist, and trying to understand the root cause of the depression. Most often, depression is caused by a faulty understanding of reality, which can be easily corrected under the proper guidance of a professional.
In more severe cases of depression in teens, medication is also often prescribed. Depending upon the level of depression, medication might be required first before progress is made.
To sum it up, consider the facts I’ve offered in this article as they relate to depression in teens. This information can be used for you to help determine the best course of action, and to make sure your teen is not suffering unnecessarily because of depression.
About the author: Steven Ross is a long-time Positive Mental Health enthusiast and can help you with all your depression needs. For Positive Mental Health advice visit his new site at DepressionandAnxietyReport.com
So, although depression in young people with teen bipolar and mood disorder can be very serious, there is plenty of help at hand. With a combination of medication, professional help and family support, teens suffering with bipolar disorder and depression can live normal and fulfilling lives.
Some medical practitioners and mental health practitioners are now finding that there can be benefits from the use of hypnotherapy in bipolar disorder. In particular, the depressive symptoms of the bipolar cycle can respond well to hypnotherapy sessions.
This article from Christine Woolfenden explains:
Depression Hypnotherapy
Depression, as understood within depression hypnotherapy, is not a passing low mood, nor is it a sign of personal weakness or a condition that sufferers can spontaneously “snap out of”. It can destroy lives – not only the life of the sufferer themselves, but also the lives of those close to them.
Depression comes in many different forms, and from a wide range of causes. Some types of depression run in families, indicating genetic pre-disposition or psychosocial conditioning.
Other forms can be triggered by organic causes, as a reaction to medication, a chemical imbalance, or result from past experiences and interpretations of those experiences. The cost of depression in human suffering cannot be over stated.
People with depression typically demonstrate persistent sad or anxious moods, experience low self-confidence, negative thoughts, feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, emptiness, guilt and worthlessness. They often display a loss of interest in both activities that were once enjoyed, and in life more generally, demonstrate increased fatigue, have difficulty concentrating, remembering and making decisions. In extreme cases, depression can result in thoughts of death or suicide.
At a physical level, the sufferer can be left feeling exhausted; depression often affects sleep, either difficulty in getting to sleep, early-morning awakening, or a desire to oversleep. It can also affect the appetite leading to weight loss or weight gain. Long term depression tends to lower the immune system and typically results in persistent symptoms such as headaches, digestive disorders and even chronic pain.
But much of this suffering is unnecessary. Appropriate treatment can help most people who suffer from depression. In Western societies, 7 to 12 per cent of men experience diagnosable depression, and 20 to 25 per cent of women. But, many people with depression do not recognise that it is a treatable illness, and so endure life without being diagnosed or receiving help.
The first step to getting appropriate treatment is to seek medical advice. Treatment choice will then depend on the outcome of that medical evaluation.
Depression hypnotherapy, a very specific and enduringly effective form of ‘talking therapy’, has been shown to be a highly effective treatment for overcoming depression and helping people find lasting emotional well-being.
Christine Woolfenden employs depression hypnotherapy to help individuals understand the source of their own unique emotional difficulties. Hypnosis is used to encourage relaxation, to focus the attention and then to identify and explore the causes, de-sensitise memories of the past, address the symptoms, and control the physical, emotional and cognitive responses to the triggers as they present themselves in the individual’s life.
Depression hypnotherapy offers people the opportunity to identify and develop their own inner resources to lead a more positive, emotionally fulfilling life, counteracting the negative physical side effects of depression, rationalising self-defeating thoughts and beliefs, re-programming the mind and body to respond positively to situations, people and events, turning problems into goals, building self-confidence and feelings of self-worth and self-acceptance along the way.
About The Author: Christine Woolfenden DCH DHP reg GHR http://www.echelonasociates.co.uk clinical hypnotherapist of Echelon Associates Hypnotherapy Practice, Oxfordshire|Oxford. Chris responds to her clients with integrity and respect, taking a compassionate yet goal directed approach to applying depression hypnotherapy to facilitate lasting emotional health.
Those with bipolar who are particularly susceptible to their depressive mood swings might discover positive benefits from the use of hypnotherapy in bipolar disorder treatment plans. One thing is for certain, there is nothing to be lost and plenty to gain by giving it a try!
A recent study by Course and Outcome of Bipolar Illness in Youth COBY found that children and teen-agers with bipolar disorder suffer from the illness differently than adults do with their symptoms lasting longer and changing more swiftly from hyper to lethargy and depression.
In this first major study by COBY psychiatrist conducted a study of over 400 patients some for over five years to determine the effects of bipolar in young people and children.
Dr Martin Keller a front liner in designing and conducting long-term studies of major psychiatric disorders says “Bipolar disorder severely impairs functioning and has a high rate of related psychiatric and physical health issues, such as anxiety and substance abuse,”
Pediatric bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is a mental illness that presents itself in patients as mood swings or mood cycling.
Pediatric bipolar type one patients tend to experience episodes of mania alternating with periodic episodes of depression. Pediatric bipolar type two patients tend to experience episodes of depression interspersed with periodic episodes of mild mania.
Depression symptoms include anger, extreme sadness, sleeping too much, and feelings of worthlessness.
Manic symptoms include bursts of rage, extreme happiness, increased energy, hyperactivity, distractibility, sleeping too little, and obsessive behaviors.
