Mental health issues impact millions of adults and adolescents each year. While mental health disorders are chronic and incurable, they are highly treatable. The earlier you receive help for a mental health disorder, the better. When signs of bipolar disorder are addressed early, you can learn to manage the condition at a teen mental health treatment center in California, without experiencing severe symptoms. Teenagers and young adults face unique problems when it comes to mental health. The brain doesn’t fully develop until the age of 26 (sometimes later), meaning that changes to your decision-making centers and pleasure and reward center continue until early adulthood. Teenagers also undergo puberty and physical changes, which many times leads to changes in hormone levels. These changes make it difficult to differentiate between typical teenage moodiness and mental health disorders like bipolar disorder. Signs of bipolar disorder typically involve significant mood changes, making it hard for even the best parents to spot in a developing young adult.
What are the Signs of Bipolar Disorder?
During adolescence, teenagers begin the process of entering adulthood. This can mean experiencing puberty, which can lead to slight behavioral changes as hormonal levels fluctuate. Sometimes this makes it hard to identify the signs of bipolar disorder in teens. The most significant difference between typical teenage emotions and bipolar disorder is that bipolar disorder can cause disruptive mood changes that worsen with time. Signs of bipolar disorder can include:
- Periods of severe depression
- Periods of mania
- Mood changes that last more than several days
- Inability to change or control emotions
- Anger, anxiety, irritability and sleep problems
Bipolar disorder causes episodes of depression and mania. Mania causes you to experience sustained periods of high energy, mixed with personality changes. Mania can cause you to engage in risky or dangerous behaviors, talk very fast, and feel like you don’t need to sleep. Depression and manic episodes last for more than a few hours or a few days. Episodes can even last several weeks. You can return to normal behavior in between episodes or fluctuate between depressive and manic episodes.
How is Bipolar Disorder Treated?
There is no cure for bipolar disorder, but it is highly treatable. If you or your loved one is showing multiple signs of bipolar disorder, it is essential to seek mental health help immediately. Depressive episodes increase suicidal ideation, while manic episodes can lead to psychosis. While signs of bipolar disorder in teens may sometimes be harder to spot, it is still best to seek an evaluation if your teen is showing troubling symptoms. Treatment typically consists of a mixture of medications, including mood stabilizers, and therapy.
Finding Help TodayÂ
Signs of bipolar disorder can become overwhelming without treatment. Cycling between depressive and manic episodes can create severe problems and mood changes. The longer you wait to seek help, the more severe symptoms become. Destinations for Teens, the best teen mental health treatment center California offers, is here to help your family get the help necessary to stabilize and recover. Call us today at 877.466.0620 to learn more about our unique, nationally recognized programs.