It is often asked in relation to any teen suffering from bipolar disorder, if the teen can be suffering from other problems at the same time.

The answer is yes! Several other problems can co-exist alongside the bipolar illness or manic depression as it is sometimes called. Some of these other troubles can be—

Use of Illicit Substances. Problems can exist in sufferers of the bipolar illness associated with the use of drugs or alcohol.

Anxiety Disorders. Any teen who suffers from both the bipolar disorder along with anxiety or separation anxiety disorders may require more types of hospital treatment.

Often some other kinds of mental illness can be confused with manic depression, and a doctor should be consulted to talk about the symptoms the teen is suffering, so that a correct diagnosis can be made for treatment purposes.

Diagnosis of Teenage Bipolar Disorder.

a). There are no tests currently available for the immediate diagnosis of the illness, no brain scans or blood tests will reveal its presence.

b) The doctor will need to be well experienced on psychiatric problems, and will thoroughly examine and question the teenager, to ascertain his/her feelings and mental condition.

c).Questions will be asked as to the teens motivation, energy and lifestyle.

d).The parent will be asked about family mental problems or any alcoholism in the family.

e). Further tests may be carried out to be sure that the illness is truly manic depression and not some other kind of mental illness.

Currently there is no direct cure for this kind of mental condition, but ongoing treatment is recommended of the following nature, primarily consisting of both medicine and therapy working together.

Medicine. The type of medicine will depend upon the individual teen and the severity of the bipolar illness, some teens may need more than one type of medicine to overcome complex symptoms.

To help treat the symptoms it is always best to take as small amount as is necessary to improve the symptoms, “ start low, go slow” is always a good method to follow in the giving of the medicine, never stop giving the medicine without consulting the doctor, and the teen should be made aware of possible side effects.

Therapeutic Treatment.

For teens suffering from the bipolar illness, very often ‘talk therapy’ is beneficial, it can begin on a one on one basis, and develop into group therapy as the teen improves.

The ‘talk therapy’ will consist usually of trying to open the mind of the teenager, and encourage her/him to discuss there innermost thoughts and feelings.

With treatment the teen with bipolar disorder can recover over time, but it will require the combined action of the medicine and therapy along with the understanding and cooperation of family and friends

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