Bipolar ADHD Comorbid Disorders
and Mood Disorders
Need Some Explanation
The definition of Bipolar ADHD as a comorbid set of disorders is a little tricky. I covered the ADHD definition here. Now let’s take a look at what Bipolar is and see how it exists comorbid with ADHD. I will start by looking at Mood Disorders in general.
Definition of Mood Disorders
Bipolar is related to Depression both of which are Mood Disorders, so let’s start there. A diagnosis of a mood disorder is made by listing the core symptoms along with a timeline for how long they last. There are two important parts. The first is the duration and the second is the severity of the symptoms. Experts agree that an altered mood state should be diagnosed as a mood disorder only when it is severe enough to interfere with a person’s social and work function. Also when the person’s range of symptoms is not limited to feelings but affects their body and behavior as well. Being very down is called depressive or depression. Being very up is called manic or mania. These moods are much much more than a normal persons daily routine. If the change in mood is to feeling depressive and then back to a normal mood that might be a unipolar disorder (depression and dysthymic disorder). If the change in mood occurs between manic and depressive this might be bipolar disorder (bipolar I and II or cyclothymia). Here are the The DSM-IV criteria of the manic and depressive episodes or the ups and downs that doctors look for.
Major Depressive Episode
Has the patient experienced five or more of the following symptoms continuously at least over a 2-week period and in a way that departs from the patient’s normal functioning?
- The patient reports that he/she feels depressed or sad most of the day.
- There is a loss of interest or ability to derive pleasure from all or nearly all activities that were previously enjoyed.
- Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain or a decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day.
- There is difficulty sleeping through the night or the need for more sleep during the day.
- The patient is noticeably slowed down or agitated throughout the day.
- The patient reports feeling fatigued or a loss of energy nearly every day.
- Feelings of worthlessness or extreme or inappropriate guilt.
- The patient reports difficulties with concentration or the ability to think; this can also be seen by others as indecisiveness.
- Recurrent thoughts of death or ideas about suicide without a specific plan for doing so or a suicide attempt.
Manic Episode
I. The patient’s mood is abnormally and consistently elevated, expansive or irritable for least 1 week.II. During the time that the patient’s mood was elevated, were three or more of the following present to a significant degree? - Excessive self-esteem or grandiosity.
- Less need for sleep.
- More talkative than usual or feels a pressure to keep talking.
- The patient reports that he/she feels that his/her thoughts are racing.
- The patient is easily distracted.
- The patient is agitated and there is an increase in behaviour aimed at achieving a specific goal of his/hers.
- Impulsive acts aimed at increasing the sensation of pleasure (e.g., shopping sprees, promiscuity, etc.).
Very Big Ups and Very Big Downs
 Depression is feeling very down and Bipolar is feeling very down and then very up. The difference between cyclothymia bipolar II and bipolar I and has to do with the duration of and severity of the symptoms. This is a complicated thing to get into. Let just say cyclothymia is less severe and Bipolar I is the most severe.Bipolar has been normally thought to start in the late teens and twenties when your brain is almost mature and you have become a more rational adult like person. The diagnosis of bipolar in children is controversial. Many of the symptoms of a manic episode are not normal for an adult. In a child they are completely normal and even expected. Take excessive self-esteem or grandiosity as an example. Kids play make believe all the time. They are princesses and wizards and they live in their imagination. It is a wonderful part of being a kid. Sometime they get a little carried away especially with exposure to violence and other things on TV and in the movies. That is another problem though. In children this is not a result of mania. It is just kid being kids. The controversy on whether diagnosing Bipolar in kids continues. The Frontline documentary The Medicated Child is a is an excellent look at bipolar and medication in children. There are scary stories of real people going through very big problems with this. The truth is the doctors just don't know enough about our brains yet.
Overlap in Bipolar ADHD
There are a few symptoms of bipolar that overlap with ADHD. They look and sound pretty much the same. This makes a misdiagnosis an important thing to look out for. Here is a chart showing the similar symptoms. To a trained professional it is easy to see that they are very different conditions. | ADHD Symptoms | Bipolar Symptoms | | often talks excessively | More talkative than usual or feels a pressure to keep talking. | | is often “on the go” or often acts as if “driven by a motor” | The patient reports that he/she feels that his/her thoughts are racing. | | Impulsivity | Impulsive acts | Often ADHD is present in those who have Bipolar. ADHD Bipolar is definitely something to watch out for. It will require a more specialized treatment than ADHD on its own.
Where Do You Fit into Bipolar ADHD
Yikes!
What does all this mean?It means that more than ever you need to get a proper diagnosis by an expert in this field. If you have Bipolar ADHD then you need to get familiar with both conditions and then make a treatment plan with you doctor. Success with Bipolar ADHD will take even more hard work. With the right information you will be able to do it. There are many different ways to treat Bipolar ADHD. Please don't rely on just one. For success use as many as you can.
Like this site? Please share this ADHD site.
Return from Bipolar ADHD to ADHD Related Disorders
Return from Bipolar ADHD to ADHDaction homepage
|
