People who have ADHD or Bipolar Disorder may display similarities in behavior or mood from time to time. Often, parents wonder if their children could have more than just ADHD and experience Bipolar Disorder. While there are sometimes concerns and causes for your questioning, most people diagnosed with ADHD do not later develop Bipolar Disorder.
What Is ADHD?
ADHD is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and occurs when a child has inattentiveness, is hyperactive, or has a combination of the two. When a child cannot sit still, has problems staying focused on chores or school assignments, is disorganized, or struggles with multi-step issues or directions, they may have ADHD.
What some do not realize is that with ADHD comes ADHD mood swings. Many children often become frustrated over forgetting things at school or home, not understanding how to do something, or following directions. This can result in mood swings that resemble violent outbursts or mood swings.
Anxiety, depression, executive functioning disorder, and sensory processing disorder are just a few comorbidities of ADHD. This often calls into question, does my child have ADHD or Bipolar Disorder.
What Is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar Disorder is a mood or brain disorder that affects 2.8% of adults in the United States. There are three types of Bipolar Disorders: Bipolar 1, Bipolar 2, and Cyclothymia. Typical Bipolar patients experience depression that lasts from a couple to several weeks, manic episodes (a period of extreme happiness) that can last for days or weeks, or a combination of the two, on and off, throughout the year. They may also experience hypomania, a less severe form of mania. Patients may be happier and have more energy than usual, but they do not realize it; people around those with hypomania (especially fetish) notice a difference.
Bipolar one is when a patient has at least one manic episode. Mania is a period of extreme happiness, similar to a high, where the person may go on a spending spree, have spontaneous alcohol or drug binges, have multiple sexual partners, or stay up for days working on a project. Patients may experience hypomania, or major depressive episodes, before and after a manic episode.
Bipolar two is more common in women and involves having at least one major depressive episode that lasts at least two weeks and at least one hypomanic episode that lasts, on average, four days. Bipolar two patients tend to be depressed more than they are manic.
Cyclothymia patients have shorter periods of hypomania and depression. They typically only have a month or two during the year, not in a hypomania or depressive cycle, and their mood is stable.
How Can I Tell The Difference Between Bipolar And ADHD?
While ADHD mood swings may mimic Bipolar Disorder, they are typically shorter periods, such as a couple of hours rather than a couple of weeks. While Bipolar patients can cycle quickly in and out of hypomania and depression, rarely does it happen within a single day.
If you are unsure whether you have ADHD or Bipolar Disorder, consult your doctor and discuss your symptoms. Since depression is a comorbidity of ADHD, you can develop ADHD and depression rather than Bipolar Disorder. Only a doctor can differentiate the two disorders.
Is Bipolar Disorder Common In Children?
Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder in children is rare. Typically, a doctor will diagnose a patient with anxiety, depression, and ADHD and watch a child as they age through puberty. After puberty, when the teenager starts to stabilize their hormones, a physician or psychologist may diagnose Bipolar Disorder if the symptomology makes sense.
Parents should note their child's mental health patterns if they are concerned their child may have Bipolar Disorder. Suppose they have periods where they are pretty excited and in an overly good mood or hyperactive, followed by a period of depression. In that case, it could be a sign of Bipolar Disorder. These dramatic mood changes are not regular after puberty but may be hard to distinguish prior.
If your child has extreme moods uncommon in your other children or schoolmates, they could be experiencing hypomania episodes. When comparing ADHD vs. Bipolar hypomania in children, it looks nearly identical. Hypomania is the most significant differentiating factor, followed by extended periods of depression. This does not mean your child is sad for a day because they failed their math test or are down because they have trouble with a friend at school. When a child is showing signs of Bipolar depression, they may not want to get out of bed, say they have no reason to get up, lay around the house with no ambitions of seeing friends or going outside to play, or say things like they would better off not being here. If your child has this behavior lasting for several days, they could either have depression or show signs of Bipolar. It is also possible that they have both Bipolar and ADHD, although once a patient is diagnosed with a mood disorder such as Bipolar, the ADHD diagnosis is no longer viewed as strongly. Again, starting to document patterns is essential, as you want this information when you speak to your child's doctor.
What Are The Causes Of Bipolar And ADHD?
The causes of Bipolar and ADHD are not clear. While a family history may have some part in both, a brain chemistry imbalance is likely the culprit. ADHD has been linked to a deficit in dopamine and an Executive Function Disorder in the brain's frontal lobe. If the area that controls a person's executive functioning skills is underdeveloped in the brain, ADHD is more likely to occur. While medications, sleep deprivation, alcohol use, or illegal substance abuse can trigger a manic or depressive cycle, these are not the causes of Bipolar Disorder. Many patients with Bipolar attempt to regulate their moods themselves, known as self-medicating, by abusing drugs and alcohol.
It is essential to recognize that ADHD and Bipolar Disorder cannot be prevented. If you are diagnosed with one of these disorders, learning about and understanding your condition is essential. Only then can you be able to begin to manage it?
Seeing a psychologist or therapist can be one of your best steps after a diagnosis. These mental health care professionals can help you understand your Disorder and provide the tools to manage it best. If you have a depressive episode, it is essential to talk to your therapist to identify if something triggered it and eventually avoid potential triggers in the future.
While mania and hypomania cannot be avoided, some things can be done to control better them and shorten the length of the cycle. However, most people do not want to end their manic episodes; they feel perfect and enjoy the feeling of mania. This can be dangerous because if excessive spending, alcohol use, or drug use takes place during manic episodes, there can be significant repercussions in the long run.
The goal with Bipolar is to reduce the number of high and low days and aim for a happy middle ground. The same is true with ADHD. The more you can help your child reduce meltdowns, the more comfortable everyone in the house will be. Most importantly, your child will be happier and healthier.
While ADHD and Bipolar Disorder can have similarities, they are different mental health diagnoses. You can start determining which you may be managing by taking our ADHD assessment test. Care must be taken not to ignore symptoms and reduce the number of high and low days the patient experiences. Discussing your concerns with a trusted healthcare professional or mental healthcare provider will help you reach a diagnosis and the best treatment plan possible.
