Are there levels of symptom severity?
There is variance from child to child in the severity of the symptoms that are displayed with bipolar disorder, and there can also be variance from episode to episode. Two children with bipolar disorder may seem very different from each other in the ways and degree that their symptoms are manifest. News media sources generally tend to use extreme cases and sensationalize their coverage of children with bipolar disorder. A parent could mistakenly conclude from such coverage that a child with less severe symptoms might not have the disorder. In reality, the symptoms can range from mild forms to severely impairing forms of the illness.
The difference might be likened to a child who has a high fever with convulsions versus a child who has a low-grade but chronic fever which doesn’t go away. Both children are sick and need medical attention, but their symptoms and presentations are very different and could be misleading. The child with the high fever may seem as though he needs the most attention, but it also doesn’t make sense to ignore the child whose symptoms are lower grade but still serious enough to indicate a problem. Similarly, bipolar disorder can have a huge impact on your child’s life even in its mildest forms. Symptoms are severe enough to seek treatment if your child’s life is being negatively impacted. Ask yourself the following questions:
Do my child’s moods:
Excerpt from The Childhood Bipolar Disorder Answer Book published by Sourcebooks, Inc.
Copyright 2008 by Tracy Anglada and Sheryl Hakala All Rights Reserved