If you happen to notice your troubled teenager jumping from energized states to serious slumps you may be worried about him or her having a mood disorder like Bi-polar syndrome. But it is important to keep in mind that the period of adolescence brings about many changes that can be dealt with by a teenager in various ways.
Your teen may deal with physical changes with feelings of sadness or trouble sleeping at night but this does not necessarily mean that he or she is depressed. On the other hand, showing a temper or abrupt changes in mood does not necessarily mean that he or she has Bi-polar syndrome either. Teenagers have come to be known for moodiness so it may be difficult for a parent to discern when these changes in mood are just displays of normal teenage temperament or symptoms of a full-blown disorder.
Observation is a key factor.
Before you jump to any conclusions, observation is a key factor. Take time to observe your child. See if he or she is exhibiting these behaviors over an extended period of time in order to rule out chance occurrences. The next thing to consider would be if his or her behavior is affecting his or her day-to-day functioning.
A clear sign of a disorder would be when a teenager is having difficulty simply getting through the day. Most likely, your teenager may not come to you directly about his or her issues. In most cases, a troubled teenager does not open up about his or her problems initially or at least without any intervention. Because of this, you will have to keep your ears alert to hear what he or she may not be saying and your eyes open to see what he or she may be meaning behind the actions that he or she may make.
Dealing with intervention
Once you have become alert to a possible disorder in your teen, intervention can be a tricky yet necessary step to deal with. Rebellion may be the reaction you may receive from a troubled teen, but sometimes it is what you must get through in order to ensure that your teen’s possible disorder gets the treatment it needs. If your teen does not accept treatment initially after he or she has been diagnosed with a mood disorder, don’t stop there.
Do not let this initial response discourage your intervention. Getting used to the changes that treatment may bring has its own effects on your teen, and once he or she realizes the benefits of these effects your intervention will be accepted with open arms.
