Bipolar Affective Disorder (Manic Depressive Disorder)
 

Vocabulary
· Mania-n. madness, violence, excitement, extreme enthusiasm
· Hypomania-n. severe enough to cause marked disability, but not to cause hospitalization
What is it?
· A mood disorder
· Major change in mood, up-mania, down-depression, mood swings much more extreme than normal
· Different combinations of mania and depression, i.e.-half mania/half depression, more of one than the other, both simultaneously

Types
· Bipolar I
-episodes of mania and depression, longer periods between episodes, more time depressed than manic
· Bipolar II
-depression with occasional Hypomania but no mania, long episodes of depression with almost no wellness time.
· Cyclothymia
-many episodes of Hypomania, occasional episodes of mild depression
· Mixed States
-signs of depression and mania at the same time, mood is depressed, thoughts of suicide and hopelessness
· Rapid Cycling
-many cycles of mania and depression each year

Causes
· Exact cause unknown
· Can be inherited, can carry gene and not be affected
· If both parents have a mood disorder nearly all children will have one, if one parent has a mood disorder ¼ of the children will be affected
· Some drugs cause mania: steroids, some street drugs
· Some antidepressants cause mania
· Too much thyroid hormone
· Triggered by traumatic/life-changing events
· Single mistake in nervous system, causes a chain reaction of abnormalities
· Circadian Rhythms

Symptoms
· Different in children because they are not finished developing physically and emotionally
· Disruptive behavior worsens
· Extreme moodiness
· Irritability
· Insomnia
· Angry/aggressive-remorse/guilt
· Decline in academic performance
· Swing from happiness to anger suddenly
· Want to sleep all the time/full of energy
· Episodes of delusional thinking

Consequences
· Disability during episodes of mania
· Difficulty making or keeping friends
· Difficulty getting along with family
· School problems worsen
· Interruption of psychological development
· Suicide and other self injurious behaviors
· Miss large chunks of school-no higher education-limited job opportunities
· Slow thinking, difficulty working through problems, errors with comprehension
· Resistant to treatment

Treatment
· Goals- treat acute symptoms, prevent relapse, promote growth and development
· Some medical, some non-medical
· Mood stabilizers- change the chemical balance in the brain, reduce number of cycles
· Require frequent blood tests
· Ex.’s Lithium, Risperidone, Oeanzapine, Quetiapine
· Side effects: weight gain, stiffness, restlessness, tremor, kidney, thyroid, or brain damage
· Relapse prevention, involves working with and teaching families about the illness
· Integrating sufferer into the community

Resources
· www.klis.com
· www.bpkids.com
· www.bipolarparents.virtualwave.net
· www.bipolarchild.com
· Waltz, Mitzi. Bipolar Disorders: A Guide to Helping Children. Sebastobol: O’Reilly and Associates, 2000.
· Harrington, Richardson. Depressive Disorder in Children and Adolescence. West Sussex: John Wiley and Sons, 1993
· Mandel, Harvey P. Conduct Disorder and Underachievement. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1997