mood swings | ADHD Information

she is not currently on any meds i was thinking along the lines of bipolar can anyone tell me symptoms of bipolar which you would not associate with adhdMy 13 year old daughter has been dagnosed with adhd but i think her mood swings are more than adhd. She goes from being so annoyingly happy and hyper to depressed and tired in a matter of minutes. She appears to be 2 totally different children with different personalities. one being happy go lucky to the extreme and the other uncoperative defient depressed and she lies all the time even when she knows i know she is lying and she never backs down. Is this all adhd please help!!!!!!!!!!doesnt sound ADHD to me. Could be hormones, 13 is quite the rollercoaster. Worth checking out further though. Seems like her ups and downs are kind of extreme. Want to r/o bipolar especially if she is taking meds to treat her ADHD.

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Depressive Episodes2

Depressive episodes are characterized by overwhelming feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and hopelessness. Symptoms may include

Sadness Excessive crying Loss of pleasure Abnormal sleep Low energy Restlessness Difficulty concentrating Irritability Loss of appetite or overeating Feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness Thoughts of death or suicide

Manic Episodes2

Manic episodes are periods of elated mood, which can include racing thoughts, extreme irritability or reckless behavior. Symptoms may include

Inappropriate sense of euphoria (elation) Racing thoughts; talking too much Extreme irritability Reckless behavior Abnormal sleep Excessive energy Out of control spending Difficulty concentrating Abnormally increased activity, including sexual activity Poor judgment Aggressive behavior

 

I did some research in this area when a psychiatrist we went to told me that he thought my son was bipolar because he threw a fit in his office (he was 6 and pulled away from the lego table to go "talk" to a boring adult!).  Anyway, once we changed doctors, I was told that bipolar in children is different because the swings between manic and depressive happen in a matter of hours, not days or weeks like in adults.  Also, the good psychiatrist told me that the number one thing he looks for is when a child keeps getting less and less sleep but still functions.  Hope that helps.  You definitely need a good psychiatrist to sort this out, especially if you're looking into medications.