The adolescent years can be full of ups and downs. Your son or daughter might be over the moon with happiness because they scored a date with their latest crush… and an hour later, an argument with a friend can have them down in the dumps and moping around. When mood swings are severe and…
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Bipolar disorder (bi meaning two) is characterized by the swing of moods between mania and depression. In fact, a teen’s levels of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephine are often so chaotic, it is difficult for them to remain emotionally stable throughout the day. For instance, an adolescent might wake up in the morning with such a…
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Bipolar is a mood disorder that affects mood, emotions, and perception. The main characterizing symptom of this disorder is a swing in moods from depression to mania. Typically, euphoria, elation, racing thoughts, irritability, and substance use are common symptoms of a manic episode. The symptoms of depression that certain imbalances in the brain…
Read MoreApproximately 5.7 million adult Americans, or about 2.6 percent of the U.S. population 18 years or older are affected by bipolar disorder each year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. March 30 is World Bipolar Day, a day devoted to raising awareness of bipolar disorder to help eliminate the stigma. March 10th…
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The National Alliance on Mental Illness, otherwise known as NAMI, is a well known grass roots type of organization that is dedicated to assisting teens and adults who have a mental illness. What’s great about the organization is that it is both national and local. In other words, there is a national presence as…
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There are a number of adolescents who experience mental health symptoms and who likely have a diagnosis. However, they are not getting the treatment they need. The common forms of teen mental illness, such as Bipolar Disorder and Depression, can lead to suicide or other forms of harm if they go untreated. In fact,…
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This is the second of two articles providing psychological and medical terms on teen bipolar disorder, which you might need when having conversations with professionals in the mental health field. You might particularly need this if you’re just learning about a bipolar disorder diagnosis, either for yourself, or if you’re a caregiver, perhaps for a…
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When you’re making your way through the mental health field, there are many medical terms that might throw you off. If you’re helping a teen with bipolar disorder or if you’re attempting to wade through the world of psychological health yourself, the following terms and their definitions might be useful. Acute – relatively…
Read MoreTeen bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is a serious mental illness that causes extreme shift in mood, energy, and functioning. This infographic exhibits a breakdown of the basic facts. If you are reading this on any blog other than Paradigm Malibu or via my RSS Feed, it is stolen content without credit. You…
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Everyone has their own way of balancing their internal states. Perhaps on the way to school, you pick up a Starbucks latte, which blocks the chemical in the brain called Adenosine causing drowsiness. Or another way you might start your day is going for a run, pumping up the shots of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephine…
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