TEEN TREATMENT FOR BIPOLAR DISORDER
RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER FOR BIPOLAR ADOLESCENTS & TEENS

MANAGING TEEN BIPOLAR DISORDER
Polaris provides a loving, safe environment to help manage all types of bipolar disorders. With support from experienced professionals, your teen will receive specialized care to ensure long-term impact. As an experienced adolescent treatment center, we understand bipolar diagnoses come with good and bad news. The bad news is that this disorder is almost always a lifetime condition. Although, with the help from experienced treatment specialists, bipolar disorders can be managed. Teens can go on to live happy, productive lives.
As an adolescent mental health condition, teen bipolar differs from adults. For example, the frequency and severity of their mood swings may be more noticeable. And, as a result, more care and attention must be given to them.

Know The Symptoms
Often, parents confuse the symptoms of bipolar disorder with other causes. Such as substance abuse or an unrelated anxiety disorder. The most common symptoms are apparent as “episodes,” which are described as:
Manic
DEPRESSIVE
MIXED
Bipolar disorder is different from the changes in mood that are typically observed in teenagers. What makes bipolar disorder distinct is the severity of these changes, the impact they have on the individual’s health, and their external and internal causes. If your teenager exhibits these kinds of behaviors systematically, they may have bipolar disorder. If you believe your teen might have bipolar disorder, you should contact a certified professional in order to receive a proper diagnosis.
CAUSES OF BIPOLAR DISORDER
SEVERAL FACTORS MAY CONTRIBUTE TO BIPOLAR DISORDER, INCLUDING:
Brain abnormalities – Usually a function of a birth defect
Anxiety disorders – Teens who have already been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder have an increased risk of bipolar disorder.
TYPES OF BIPOLAR DISORDER
Bipolar I Disorder – phases of mania combined with major depression. Bipolar 1 disorder is more severe than bipolar 2 disorder. It requires at least one observable episode of mania in order to make a proper diagnosis.
Bipolar II Disorder – major depression with phases of hypomania. Bipolar II is milder and more difficult to diagnosis that Bipolar I.
Cyclothymic Disorder – depressive and hypomanic symptoms without major depression. With regards to the other variations, cyclothymia is generally considered to be the most mild. And thus, the most diagnosable, though least diagnosed.
Rapid Cycling Bipolar – does not vary in regards to severity. Rather, the length of each manic and depressive episode is much shorter in length. Only a professional psychologist can distinguish the differences between these variations.
Bipolar Disorder NOS (not otherwise specified) – the common diagnosis if symptoms do not correlate with any bipolar disorder types listed above.
UNDERSTANDING AND EMPATHIZING
Bipolar disorder is not an easy condition to live with. It makes some tasks seem simple nearly impossible. School and work become more difficult to manage. Socialization becomes less important and isolation increases. Overall, the struggle can feel like a heavy weight on their shoulders. But with patience, kindness, and a willingness to find the best treatment options available, parents can find the help their teens need.
TEEN BIPOLAR DISORDER STATISTICS
3.4 million
3.4 million adolescents and teens in the U.S. struggle with depression. Of those, one-third may develop early onset bipolar disorder. DBSA
Highly Satisfied
Individuals with bipolar disorder who report being highly satisfied with treatment are able to cope with the illness better than those who don’t receive treatment.
AACAP.org
30%
30% of teens who have a parent with bipolar disorder are more likely to develop the disorder at some point in their life.
Nimh.nih.gov
20%
About 20% of adolescents who have been diagnosed with major depression are more likely to develop bipolar disorder within five years. Nimh.nih.gov
3.3% More Female
Bipolar disorder affects female (3.3%) adolescents more than males (2.6%). Nimh.nih.gov