Dedicated to serving a diverse population of students, Chamberlain International School welcomes adolescents and pre-adolescents between the ages of 11 and 22. The staff at Chamberlain International School draws on experience in supporting students with a range of challenges, including bipolar disorder.
While shifts in mood are normal for all adolescents, some experience these transitions to such a severe degree that they interfere with daily functioning. This can indicate the development of bipolar disorder, a mental health issue that features intense swings between major depression and a highly elevated energy state known either as mania or hypomania, depending on its severity.
Both mania and hypomania involve an increased need for activity, reckless behavior, and a decreased need for sleep. When individuals transition into a depressive episode, however, they begin to feel a loss of interest and pleasure in activity, trouble concentrating, and general feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness.
While in adults either of these states may last for weeks or even months, for adolescents they may shift within hours or days. The change may at first seem like an ordinary teenage mood swing, but the resultant feelings and behaviors are notably more severe.
For example, while it may be seen as typical for teenagers to threaten to do something reckless, the teenager with bipolar disorder may actually engage in the act. Likewise, while any teen might be nervous and uncertain about the future, those with bipolar disorder might feel hopeless and paralyzed by the thought of making any decision. Concerned parents can talk with their children about their experiences and feelings, and seek out professional intervention if necessary.
While shifts in mood are normal for all adolescents, some experience these transitions to such a severe degree that they interfere with daily functioning. This can indicate the development of bipolar disorder, a mental health issue that features intense swings between major depression and a highly elevated energy state known either as mania or hypomania, depending on its severity.
Both mania and hypomania involve an increased need for activity, reckless behavior, and a decreased need for sleep. When individuals transition into a depressive episode, however, they begin to feel a loss of interest and pleasure in activity, trouble concentrating, and general feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness.
While in adults either of these states may last for weeks or even months, for adolescents they may shift within hours or days. The change may at first seem like an ordinary teenage mood swing, but the resultant feelings and behaviors are notably more severe.
For example, while it may be seen as typical for teenagers to threaten to do something reckless, the teenager with bipolar disorder may actually engage in the act. Likewise, while any teen might be nervous and uncertain about the future, those with bipolar disorder might feel hopeless and paralyzed by the thought of making any decision. Concerned parents can talk with their children about their experiences and feelings, and seek out professional intervention if necessary.
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