Bipolar Treatment for Teens and Young Adults
If you or a loved one is living with bipolar disorder, every day can feel like an unpredictable rollercoaster. Living with bipolar disorder can severely impact family and personal relationships, job or school performance, and overall well-being.
With professional treatment, however, teens and young adults can learn to manage their symptoms and build a fulfilling life. Support from mental health professionals can provide the tools needed to navigate the ups and downs, and build effective coping skills.
What Is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder is characterized by extreme ups and downs in mood and activity levels. The combination of intense emotional highs (mania or hypomania) followed by extreme lows (depression), can significantly impact every aspect of a young person’s daily life, from relationships to academic or job performance.
These symptoms typically manifest during the late teens and early 20s—between the ages of 15 and 24. That’s a turbulent time for young people. Hence, it may be difficult for them and their families to determine whether their feelings and behaviors are the result of typical emotional challenges during this stage of life—or whether they are signs of a mental health disorder such as bipolar.
Bipolar in teens and young adults isn’t as common as other mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety. However, according to the National Alliance for Mental Illness, most bipolar disorder cases—83 percent—are classified as severe. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment are crucial, because bipolar disorder doesn’t get better on its own.
Signs and Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder includes severe shifts in mood, from emotional highs (mania or hypomania) to extreme lows (depression). Let’s take a closer look at each phase and what bipolar disorder feels like in each of them.
Common Symptoms of Manic Bipolar Episodes
Generally, manic episodes last for at least one week. During that time, the following symptoms may occur every day or almost every day. Manic episodes may occur seemingly at random, with no obvious bipolar triggers and warning signs.
- Exhibiting an inflated sense of self-esteem
- Engaging in risky behaviors as a result of impaired judgment
- Appearing more motivated to accomplish goals
- Acting confused or chaotically
- Doing multiple things at once
- Speaking and moving rapidly
- Difficulty concentrating, easily distracted
- Feeling less need for sleep
- Racing thoughts
- High levels of energy and physical activity
- A sense of euphoria or heightened well-being
Common Symptoms of Depressive Bipolar Episodes
Depressive episodes in bipolar disorder are diagnosed when the depressive symptoms last for at least two weeks. Below are some of the most common signs of bipolar disorder in teens and young adults during a depressive episode.
- Extreme sadness or feeling of hopelessness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities that used to bring them joy
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Either agitation or sluggishness
- Feelings of guilt and worthlessness
- Disrupted eating—either under- or overeating—and weight changes
- Fatigue and loss of energy
- Difficulty concentrating
- Suicidal thoughts
Bipolar Episodes with Mixed Features
Teen and young adult bipolar symptoms are different depending on whether they are experiencing a manic, hypomanic, or depressive episode. In addition, some individuals with bipolar may experience what’s known as “mixed episodes” or “mixed features.”
A so-called “manic episode with mixed features” includes symptoms of both mania and depression. A mixed episode could be either a manic episode with at least three symptoms of depression or a major depressive episode with at least three symptoms of mania.
What Causes Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder is caused by a combination of environmental, genetic, and neurological factors.
Environmental
Traumatic experiences, stress, conflict, and abuse in a young person’s history and home environment may contribute to the development of bipolar disorder in adolescence or young adulthood.
Neurological
Imbalances in the levels of emotion-regulating neurotransmitters in the brain may increase the risk of bipolar. One study found that the brains of people with bipolar showed thinning of the gray matter in the areas that control inhibition and motivation.
Genetic
Research shows that bipolar disorder appears to run in families. Young people with a parent or sibling who has bipolar disorder have a 15–30 percent risk of developing bipolar—as opposed to 4–6 percent of the general population.
The Four Types of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder includes four distinct types with differences in symptoms and presentation.
Take a Quiz
If you’re experiencing mental health symptoms, or observing signs in a loved one, take a quiz and get recommendations and next steps.
What Happens When Bipolar Disorder Isn’t Treated
Untreated bipolar disorder in young people can result in emotional, behavioral, and health problems that may impact all facets of their life. Complications related to teen and young adult bipolar disorder may include any of the following:
- Substance use disorder
- Disordered eating
- Alcohol and drug misuse
- Co-occurring mental health issues, such as anxiety and/or depression
- Academic or problems at work
- Family conflicts and relationship difficulties
- Self-harm
- Suicide attempts
How to Find Out If You or a Loved One Has Bipolar Disorder
While there is no medical test for bipolar disorder, experts have determined how to diagnose bipolar disorder in young people. Consequently, a medical or mental health professional will take the following steps when assessing an adolescent or young adult for bipolar:
Physical Exam
A thorough physical will help a doctor isolate any medical issues that may be contributing to depressive or manic symptoms, such as thyroid problems.
Lab Tests
Should a physical indicate any medical problems, a doctor may order lab tests to confirm or rule out contributing issues.
Psychological Evaluation
A physician or psychiatrist will ask about mood swings, lifestyle habits, and behaviors.
Healing is closer than you think
Our Bipolar Treatment Centers for Youth and Young Adults
In Newport Healthcare’s nationwide residential treatment programs for teens and young adults with bipolar disorder, we’ll help you or your loved one peel back the layers of trauma and negative coping mechanisms. Our treatment helps young people dismantle the barriers that are preventing them from living life to the fullest.
Our clinical model is based in authentic connection and compassionate care. By uncovering root causes and providing tools to manage symptoms, change negative thought patterns, and regulate emotions, we help young people move forward in life with self-worth and resilience.
Supporting sustainable wellness and balance
What Our Bipolar Treatment Includes
Psychiatric and Clinical Care
- Psychiatric care, medication recommendations, and ongoing medication management
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help teens and young adults reframe the patterns of thinking that accompany different mood states and monitor their activity levels during episodes
- DBT-Informed Skills to help clients decrease the stress associated with bipolar disorder symptoms, and better manage emotional fluctuations
- Attachment-Based Family Therapy to rebuild disrupted family relationships so young people can rely on their parents for support in recovering from bipolar
- Group psychoeducation to create a sense of connection, and counteract feelings of isolation associated with bipolar
Experiential
Modalities
- Mindfulness and meditation to help balance the nervous system and give young people tools for “riding the wave” of emotions during bipolar episodes
- Creative art therapies, including music therapy and art therapy, to enhance self-expression and process trauma related to or underlying bipolar disorder
- Adventure therapy to empower young people to handle challenges and master new skills
- Community service, as doing good for others is proven to increase life satisfaction and well-being
Academic, Career, and Life Skills Support
- Accredited academic component for teens, and assistance with college applications and admission
- Support with career planning, resume building, and planning next steps
- Life skills training, including daily skills for independent living
- Executive functioning support, to enhance emotional regulation, organization skills, and self-awareness
Are you or a loved one struggling with bipolar disorder?
Get in touch today to schedule a complimentary call with one of our admissions experts and explore next steps.
Our Team of Experts
Newport Healthcare’s team of industry experts provides results-driven treatment for bipolar disorder, delivered with compassion and led by personal experience. Many of our clinical professionals at our bipolar treatment centers for teens and young adults bring their own stories of recovery and healing to their work.
Our staff includes psychiatrists, therapists, nurses, registered dietitians, teachers, and more. The Newport Healthcare team is passionate about making a positive difference in the lives of young people and their families.
From Our
Chief Clinical Officer
Our staff’s clinical expertise is matched only by their compassion and desire to see lives changed. They offer unconditional love that supports clients’ self-worth and self-acceptance as they do the work of healing.
Barbara
Nosal
,
PhD, LMFT, LADC
Where to Find Our Bipolar Treatment Centers
Our treatment centers are located across the United States. We treat ages 7–11, 12–18, and 18–35 (depending on location) from all 50 states and abroad, providing a full continuum of care.
Newport’s residential treatment centers offer serene environments, within beautiful natural settings, where young people can find long-term healing from bipolar disorder and co-occurring issues. Our outpatient programs are located in major metropolitan areas, with easy access for young people and families.
Our programs are located in Northern and Southern California, Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington State, Utah, and Wisconsin. More programs are in development in areas where youth and young adult mental health and substance use treatment are most needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
To have Bipolar I, a person needs to meet criteria for at least one manic episode, which may or may not be accompanied by depressive episodes. To have Bipolar II, a person needs to meet criteria for either a manic or hypomanic episode as well as at least one major depressive episode.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder mania include inflated self-esteem, rapid or incessant speech, racing thoughts, little or no sleep, and an increase in risk-taking behaviors. Symptoms of bipolar depression include hopelessness, fatigue or insomnia, irritability, apathy, and thoughts of death or suicide.
Bipolar depression looks the same as a major depressive episode, but it may follow or be preceded by episodes of mania or hypomania.
The average age of onset for bipolar disorder is age 24, but bipolar disorder may also emerge during the teen years.
