How can bipolar disorder affect my teen?

Bipolar disorder can have very negative affects on the life of the sufferer. It can cause problems at school and contribute to poor academic performance as well as behavior issues. Bipolar teens often feel isolated, and may separate themselves from others when depressed. It can also cause social problems during a mania, when the bipolar teen will act inappropriately in social situations and alienate those around them with their behavior. They are more prone to run away from home or attempt suicide.

Some teens will try to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol. At first this “works”, but over time it only aggravates their mood swings and can lead to addiction. Because bipolar affects the way they think, act, and feel, they cannot be expected to just snap out of it. The people in their lives most likely will not understand their behavior, and this can be very frustrating to the teen, leading them to feel even further isolation and exacerbating their disorder. Bipolar disorder will affect almost every aspect of their life, and treatment of some kind, whether medical or therapeutic, is most likely necessary for them to lead a normal life.