Around3% of adolescents in the US suffer from teen bipolar disorder. Teenagers with BPD have a higher suicide death rate, signifying the importance of prompt treatment of teen bipolar disorder. At Nexus Teen Academy, we offer tailored treatment plans and therapy for teenagers and their families battling with teen mental health disorders and substance abuse addiction.
In this article, we will discuss the early signs and symptoms of teen bipolar disorder. We will go into the different signs and symptoms of girls and boys suffering from BPD. We will also discuss Nexus Teen Academy’s role and treatment options for BPD among teens and adolescents. That said, if you need immediate assistance, contact our team today, and we will provide expert advice.
Common Signs of Bipolar Disorder in Teens & Adolescents
Teen bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that affects a teenager’s perception of self. It can cause extreme mood fluctuations, trigger fears of abandonment, and cause an identity crisis.
It is not unusual for teenagers to experience mood swings or identity crises in their day-to-day lives. But how do you differentiate between normal teen mood swings and teen bipolar disorder? Some of the early signs to be on the lookout for include:
Mood Swings
Teenagers with BPD often exhibit extreme mood fluctuations, which can be categorized into manic and depressive episodes. During their manic episodes, they appear delighted, excited, and energized. They may show unusual cheeriness, impulsive decision-making, and willingness to engage and try new hobbies. The manic episodes can last between a few days to months. They are quickly replaced by depressive episodes, where teenagers express intense feelings of hopelessness and anxiety. They no longer find joy in the activities they once enjoyed and prefer being alone. You may also notice the massive changes in their appetite and sleeping patterns.
Impulsive Behavior
BPD may trigger impulsive behaviors among teenagers, including reckless driving, day drinking, or abandoning family and friends. They may resort to substance abuse, dangerous driving, or unsafe sexual behaviors as a coping mechanism, especially during their depressive episodes.
Low Self Worth
BPD affects a teenager’s perception of self and may lead to an identity crisis. This may influence teenagers to develop self-loathing tendencies and behaviors. Such tendencies may lead to greater mental health conditions, such as teen cutting as a form of coping mechanism.
Interpersonal Relationship Strains
Teenagers dealing with BPD have mood fluctuations, which may culminate in isolation. When undergoing depressive episodes, they may be compelled to isolate themselves from their friends and families. Failure to attend family events or fun activities with friends or peers may eventually sever bonds.
Difficulty with Focus and School Performance
Bipolar teens may struggle with concentration, especially during mood shifts. This can impact their academic performance and lead to low grades and other academic struggles. With isolation as a symptom of BPD, teenagers may start playing truant, missing classes and important school events.
Early Signs of Bipolar Disorder in Teens
Bipolar disorder in teens can often resemble typical teenage behavior and mood swings, making them difficult to identify. However, recognizing persistent or extreme patterns can help. Here are some early indicators:
Intense mood swings: Teenagers may experience emotional dysregulation and manic and depressive episodes.
Shift in sleeping patterns: Your teenager may have insomnia or trouble staying awake.
Harmful behaviors: Teenagers may start engaging in destructive behaviors such as excessive drinking or overspeeding. They may punch through walls, blurt hurtful comments, or engage in high-risk sports without training.
Unusual irritability and aggression: Teenagers may express intense and persistent frustration and anger and blow things out of proportion.
Academic struggle: Teenagers may shift from being high performers to struggling with their grades and school attendance.
Social isolation: Conflicts in their relationships due to avoiding engagement with friends or peers.
Fear of abandonment: Social struggles may manifest through conflicts, failure to make friends, and withdrawal from existing friendships.
If your teenagers display and persist in these signs, you need to enroll them in a mental health institution. Seek a professional evaluation to confirm if it is bipolar disorder or another mood disorder. Early intervention can promote treatment outcomes and prevent co-occurring mental health disorders from exacerbating.
Gender Differences of Bipolar Disorder Signs in Teens
Signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder are mostly the same across all genders. However, there are gender-specific signs due to various biological, psychological, and social factors. Here’s a closer look at how these signs may vary by gender:
Signs of Bipolar Disorder in Teen Boys
Substance abuse as risky behavior: According to research, teen boys are more likely to engage in substance abuse as compared to girls.
Antisocial personality: Boys with BPD are prone to disregard the wellbeing of others. They may not care about how their condition affects others and are unwilling to talk about it. They may exhibit behaviors that may often lead to conflicts.
Hyperactivity: Teenage boys are more likely to need constant stimulation, especially during high-energy manic episodes.
Explosive disorders: Explosive disorders are characterized by sudden bursts of anger and irritation. Such episodes may occur frequently, with varying intensity.
Decreased focus and academic performance: Bipolar disorder may cause difficulty with concentration, leading to sudden declines in academic performance.
Signs of Bipolar Disorder in Teen Girls
Eating disorders as a risky behavior: Studies revealed that teenage girls with BPD are likely to struggle with eating disorders. Teenage girls might either binge eat or starve themselves in an attempt to cope with the extreme mood fluctuation and identity crises.
Mood Changes: Girls with bipolar disorder may display high emotional sensitivity. They may switch from a happy mood to a depressive mood, especially during manic or depressive states.
Anxiety: Teenage girls may suffer from anxiety, which often exacerbates the intensity and frequency of mood episodes. It can heighten both manic and depressive phases, making them more challenging to manage.
Posttraumatic stress disorders: Teenage girls with BPD are likely to exhibit signs of PTSD, including hypervigilance and heightened emotional responses. This can complicate diagnosis and treatment.
Bipolar Disorder Treatment at Nexus Teen Academy
At Nexus Teen Academy, our treatment approaches are tailored and designed to provide comprehensive care for long-term stability. Teenagers go through a thorough assessment to determine whether they have PTSD or another mood disorder. After diagnosis, we tailor and personalize treatment approaches and develop an effective medication plan at our teen mental health treatment center in Arizona.
We offer several therapeutic approaches, such as individual andgroup therapy. Therapy encourages teenagers to learn important skills and build a community based on shared experiences. We recognize theimportance of family involvement in therapy. Therefore, we include family in the treatment program and dedicate time daily for family phone and video calls. During family therapy, we work on communication strategies and teach the family how to support their teenager during and after treatment and help mend any frayed or broken family bonds.
We also offer complementary therapies such as mindfulness, art therapy, equine therapy, and music therapy, which promote holistic healing among teenagers dealing with BPD and any other co-occurring disorders. Such therapies teach teens to express themselves creatively, relieve stress, and engage in healthy outlets.
Finally, we offer ongoing support and aftercare planning. We have a detailed aftercare plan to ensure teens are supported after their treatment ends. Our plans ensure that teenagers do not relapse, and if they do, they contain strategies for post-relapse. This may include outpatient therapy, support groups, and regular check-ins with a therapist.
Bipolar disorder in teens often brings intense mood swings, impulsive actions, and social difficulties, varying between boys and girls. Recognizing early signs and seeking help is essential for effective management. At our residential treatment program for teens, we offer comprehensive, personalized treatment for teens and families. If your teen displays these symptoms,contact us today for a professional evaluation and support.
Common Signs of Bipolar Disorder in Teens
Published By nexus_admin
Published On November 25, 2024
Table of Contents
Around 3% of adolescents in the US suffer from teen bipolar disorder. Teenagers with BPD have a higher suicide death rate, signifying the importance of prompt treatment of teen bipolar disorder. At Nexus Teen Academy, we offer tailored treatment plans and therapy for teenagers and their families battling with teen mental health disorders and substance abuse addiction.
In this article, we will discuss the early signs and symptoms of teen bipolar disorder. We will go into the different signs and symptoms of girls and boys suffering from BPD. We will also discuss Nexus Teen Academy’s role and treatment options for BPD among teens and adolescents. That said, if you need immediate assistance, contact our team today, and we will provide expert advice.
Common Signs of Bipolar Disorder in Teens & Adolescents
Teen bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that affects a teenager’s perception of self. It can cause extreme mood fluctuations, trigger fears of abandonment, and cause an identity crisis.
It is not unusual for teenagers to experience mood swings or identity crises in their day-to-day lives. But how do you differentiate between normal teen mood swings and teen bipolar disorder? Some of the early signs to be on the lookout for include:
Mood Swings
Teenagers with BPD often exhibit extreme mood fluctuations, which can be categorized into manic and depressive episodes. During their manic episodes, they appear delighted, excited, and energized. They may show unusual cheeriness, impulsive decision-making, and willingness to engage and try new hobbies. The manic episodes can last between a few days to months. They are quickly replaced by depressive episodes, where teenagers express intense feelings of hopelessness and anxiety. They no longer find joy in the activities they once enjoyed and prefer being alone. You may also notice the massive changes in their appetite and sleeping patterns.
Impulsive Behavior
BPD may trigger impulsive behaviors among teenagers, including reckless driving, day drinking, or abandoning family and friends. They may resort to substance abuse, dangerous driving, or unsafe sexual behaviors as a coping mechanism, especially during their depressive episodes.
Low Self Worth
BPD affects a teenager’s perception of self and may lead to an identity crisis. This may influence teenagers to develop self-loathing tendencies and behaviors. Such tendencies may lead to greater mental health conditions, such as teen cutting as a form of coping mechanism.
Interpersonal Relationship Strains
Teenagers dealing with BPD have mood fluctuations, which may culminate in isolation. When undergoing depressive episodes, they may be compelled to isolate themselves from their friends and families. Failure to attend family events or fun activities with friends or peers may eventually sever bonds.
Difficulty with Focus and School Performance
Bipolar teens may struggle with concentration, especially during mood shifts. This can impact their academic performance and lead to low grades and other academic struggles. With isolation as a symptom of BPD, teenagers may start playing truant, missing classes and important school events.
Early Signs of Bipolar Disorder in Teens
Bipolar disorder in teens can often resemble typical teenage behavior and mood swings, making them difficult to identify. However, recognizing persistent or extreme patterns can help. Here are some early indicators:
If your teenagers display and persist in these signs, you need to enroll them in a mental health institution. Seek a professional evaluation to confirm if it is bipolar disorder or another mood disorder. Early intervention can promote treatment outcomes and prevent co-occurring mental health disorders from exacerbating.
Gender Differences of Bipolar Disorder Signs in Teens
Signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder are mostly the same across all genders. However, there are gender-specific signs due to various biological, psychological, and social factors. Here’s a closer look at how these signs may vary by gender:
Signs of Bipolar Disorder in Teen Boys
Signs of Bipolar Disorder in Teen Girls
Bipolar Disorder Treatment at Nexus Teen Academy
At Nexus Teen Academy, our treatment approaches are tailored and designed to provide comprehensive care for long-term stability. Teenagers go through a thorough assessment to determine whether they have PTSD or another mood disorder. After diagnosis, we tailor and personalize treatment approaches and develop an effective medication plan at our teen mental health treatment center in Arizona.
We offer several therapeutic approaches, such as individual and group therapy. Therapy encourages teenagers to learn important skills and build a community based on shared experiences. We recognize the importance of family involvement in therapy. Therefore, we include family in the treatment program and dedicate time daily for family phone and video calls. During family therapy, we work on communication strategies and teach the family how to support their teenager during and after treatment and help mend any frayed or broken family bonds.
We also offer complementary therapies such as mindfulness, art therapy, equine therapy, and music therapy, which promote holistic healing among teenagers dealing with BPD and any other co-occurring disorders. Such therapies teach teens to express themselves creatively, relieve stress, and engage in healthy outlets.
Finally, we offer ongoing support and aftercare planning. We have a detailed aftercare plan to ensure teens are supported after their treatment ends. Our plans ensure that teenagers do not relapse, and if they do, they contain strategies for post-relapse. This may include outpatient therapy, support groups, and regular check-ins with a therapist.
Bipolar disorder in teens often brings intense mood swings, impulsive actions, and social difficulties, varying between boys and girls. Recognizing early signs and seeking help is essential for effective management. At our residential treatment program for teens, we offer comprehensive, personalized treatment for teens and families. If your teen displays these symptoms, contact us today for a professional evaluation and support.