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Caregivers
What You Need to Know
How to Get Your Depressed or Bipolar Child an Accurate Diagnosis
Debi Mazar: How to Cope When a Family Member Has Bipolar Disorder
How to Care for and Cope With a Bipolar Spouse
Bipolar News: Children May Not Outgrow Disorder
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Mani Pavuluri, MD, Explains How to Help Your Bipolar Child
Mani Pavuluri MD, PhD
Director of the Pediatric Mood Disorders program, University of Illinois
A: First, look for severe mood swings. Then determine, through close observation, if the child is behaving in a manner that is out of character—switching from being depressed or normal to very excitable, displaying extreme irritation and not requiring sleep, exhibiting abnormally high energy. Bipolar disorder is a mood disturbance characterized by cycling episodes of mania and depression that are peppered with irritability and aggression, decreased need for sleep, constant talking, and even hypersexuality. So when you suspect that, based on these symptoms, something serious is going on, you must take your child to a psychiatrist or psychologist. In the general population, between 1% to 3% of children suffer from bipolar disorder. Read More
