Saturday, January 6, 2007

Bipolar Symptoms

Quite contrary to ADHD symptoms, children with ADHD bipolar disorder can be aggressive, anti-social, confrontational, and ill tempered. Rather than waking up bright and ready in the morning, they take extraordinary amounts of time to rise, and then spend most of the day trying to wake up. They may not be good in school, and probably don’t get along well with others; if they walk into a wall, they mean to do it. Moods can change intermittently, and “intermittent rage disorder,” yet another personality disorder, is sometimes mistakenly diagnosed. So, while parenting a child with ADHD Bipolar disorder, it is necessary to medicate the mood disorder first, then the ADHD. Mood disorders can be controlled, as can ADHD, although behavior modification therapy and strong counseling are recommended for the continued health of the patient.

ADHD Symptoms

Children with ADHD are hyperactive and always moving. Because of this, they tend to be careless—walking into walls, tripping on their own feet. They wake up in the morning wide-awake and ready to go—and often don’t stop until the collapse of exhaustion at the end of a very busy day. Children with ADHD don’t understand discipline—they do not understand why they can’t walk on the edges of the sofa or around the rim of the coffee table. They are usually very social, although in a sensory-overload situation, such as recess or gym, they may sit or stand by themselves, away from others. While children with ADHD can’t stay focused without medication, children with bipolar symptoms can become fixated on a TV program or an event. A diagnosis of ADHD bipolar disorder might find the child interacting cruelly or aggressively with others, while being overcome with feelings of sensory over-stimulation.

Childhood Dual Diagnosis: ADHD Bipolar Disorder

Testing
Testing for ADHD begins with several questionnaires—to adult family members, teachers, paraprofessionals, and school personnel who interact with the child. In addition, the child will be “monitored” by a trained professional who sits in the back of the class and views how the child interacts with others in his or her social structure. A child psychiatrist will spend time with the child (alone and with parents), and at the end, will collect data and draw an opinion based on information gathered. If there is a question of ADHD bipolar disorder, the testing may be similar, as both require observation and information to diagnose.

Diagnosis
A diagnosis of ADHD can be a relief to parents, especially if their child responds well to medication. In fact, it is often stated that if the medication is going to work, there will be a significant change in the child within the first five hours after taking it. While ADHD can be very tiring for the child and parents, the addition of a mood disorder, specifically bipolar disorder, can be incredibly frustrating. ADHD can be successfully treated with medication that needs to be taken for life. ADHD Bipolar disorder can be infuriating, especially because it is believed the mood disorder (bipolar disease) must be addressed first. The same is true for adults with the dual diagnosis, but many have a clearer focus of their own treatment and recovery.