Juvenile bipolar still misunderstood

A nine year old boy was misdiagnosed for 3 years during which time he alternated between being active and confident to becoming nervous, confused, suicidal, threatening, fearful and prone to hallucinations. He was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder which is difficult to diagnose in children particularly. Some doctors believe that undiagnosed bipolar disorder may actually be the reason that some children on antidepressants to treat depression may become suicidal. 4% of children on antidepressants are though to suffer from suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Bipolar sufferers who are treated with antidepressants alone may suffer from rapid cycling between mania and depression or can activate a manic or depressive phase. Basically, the drugs can results in a patient experiencing manic phase symptoms and depression symptoms at the same time thus making them feel sad and depressed as well as full of energy, agitated and racing thoughts which could prompt suicidal tendencies. Research results indicate that more than 1% of the population has bipolar and many more are misdiagnosed with depression or other psychiatric illnesses. Misdiagnosis is common because depressive symptoms often occur years before the manic phases start to appear. Other experts believe that undiagnosed bipolar is not the reason for increased suicidal tendencies brought on by antidepressants but that the drug itself is the cause.

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by The Boston Globe

Related Disease Topics:

• Juvenile bipolar disorder
• Bipolar disorder
• Depression
• Suicide
• Psychiatric illness
• Mental illness

Related Symptom Topics:

• Nervous
• Confused
• Suicidal thoughts
• Threatening behaviour
• Fearful
• Prone to hallucinations
• Manic phase
• Depressive phase
• Mania
• Sadness
• High energy
• Agitated
• Racing thoughts

Article Source Details

About: Juvenile bipolar still misunderstood

Date: 21 December 2004

Source: The Boston Globe

URL: http://www.boston.com/news/globe/health_science/articles/2004/12/21/lost_childhood/

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• Medication
• Medication and juvenile bipolar disorder
• Medication and bipolar disorder
• Medication and depression
• Medication and suicide
• Medication and psychiatric illness
• Medication and mental illness
• Medication and nervous
• Medication and confused
• Medication and suicidal thoughts
• Medication and threatening behavior
• Medication and fearful
• Medication and prone to hallucinations
• Medication and manic phase
• Medication and depressive phase
• Medication and mania
• Medication and sadness
• Medication and high energy
• Medication and agitated
• Medication and racing thoughts
• Cause of suicide
• Cause of suicidal thoughts
• Risk and suicide
• Risk and suicidal thought
• Risk and depression
• Risk and mania
• Risk and bipolar disorder
• Misdiagnosed
• Misdiagnosed and juvenile bipolar disorder
• Misdiagnosed and bipolar disorder
• Misdiagnosed and depression
• Misdiagnosed and suicide
• Misdiagnosed and psychiatric illness
• Misdiagnosed and mental illness
• Misdiagnosed and nervous
• Misdiagnosed and confused
• Misdiagnosed and suicidal thoughts
• Misdiagnosed and threatening behavior
• Misdiagnosed and fearful
• Misdiagnosed and prone to hallucinations
• Misdiagnosed and manic phase
• Misdiagnosed and depressive phase
• Misdiagnosed and mania
• Misdiagnosed and sadness
• Misdiagnosed and high energy
• Misdiagnosed and agitated
• Misdiagnosed and racing thoughts
• Undiagnosed
• Undiagnosed and juvenile bipolar disorder
• Undiagnosed and bipolar disorder
• Undiagnosed and depression
• Undiagnosed and suicide
• Undiagnosed and psychiatric illness
• Undiagnosed and mental illness
• Undiagnosed and nervous
• Undiagnosed and confused
• Undiagnosed and suicidal thoughts
• Undiagnosed and threatening behavior
• Undiagnosed and fearful
• Undiagnosed and prone to hallucinations
• Undiagnosed and manic phase
• Undiagnosed and depressive phase
• Undiagnosed and mania
• Undiagnosed and sadness
• Undiagnosed and high energy
• Undiagnosed and agitated
• Undiagnosed and racing thoughts

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