Teenage Bipolar Disorder Reader Comment

I just received the following email from Jan regarding her 15 year old daughter. I have included my reply in this blog:

Julie,  I don’t know how to reach you other than through this blog, but I have a 15 year old daughter, diagnosed with bipolar disorder 1 year ago, who also has sleep problems, not the least of which is affecting her ability to function in life, period.  She is in a therapeutic school but we have been told as of yesterday that they can no longer manage her and we must make other arrangements.  We are desperate for info about programs for adolescents with bipolar disorder and are wondering if you can give us any suggestions or direct us toward people who can help???   Thank you.

Hi Jan,

I suggest you visit the following website- it has information on the Parry Center inpatient psych treatment program here in Portland, Oregon. They may have [ Read More ]





Teenage Bipolar Disorder: the difference between a ‘normal’ teenager and a teenager with bipolar disorder

Bipolar Disorder and Teens

I did two newsletters on teens a few months ago. The response was amazing. There is not enough information for parents or teens with bipolar. He is a quick tip on how to distinguish ‘normal’ teenage behavior as compared to ‘bipolar’ teen behavior.

It can be difficult, but it’s not impossible.

It’s all about degrees- ‘normal’ teens and bipolar teens act in similar ways, but not at the same intensity.

For example, a teen who is angry may yell at you and run to their room and slam the door. A teenager with bipolar disorder may yell, try to hit you and then run out of the house and not come back for days. There is a big difference.  Another very important distinction- typical teens tend to calm down and go back to ‘normal’ once they have let you know how they feel. Teens with bipolar disorder can stay in certain [ Read More ]