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How Bipolar Disorder Impacts Teen Boys

Picture of Stonewater Recovery By   ·  2 minute read
Bipolar disorder is a medical condition that causes the individual to shift between thoughts of depression and feelings of mania rapidly. The battle of emotional highs and lows takes its toll, especially on teenage boys. When someone is suffering from a manic episode, they enter a euphoric state where they feel like they have unlimited energy. Unfortunately, this can also lead to poor decision-making and risky behavior, especially in teens. Manic episodes can bring on reckless behavior like excessive spending, drug use, and reckless sexual decisions. It is critical for teens who have behavioral outburts to seek bipolar disorder treatment program as quickly as possible. At Stonewater Adolescent Recovery Center, we are here to help. Contact us at 662.373.2828.

What Is Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness causing extreme mood changes. It can cause your teen to experience manic as well as depressive episodes. For doctors to diagnose the mood changes as bipolar disorder, episodes must last for at least two continuous weeks. The shifts between depression and mania make bipolar disorder difficult to diagnose, but getting treatment early is essential. Rapid cycling is an extreme form of bipolar disorder. It can cause your teen to go from mania directly to depression, or vice versa. This problem can cause insomnia and very erratic behavior. Bipolar disorder can also cause:
  • Anger and aggression
  • Anxiety and restlessness
  • Rapid speech
  • Suicidal thoughts
  • Behavior and personality changes
Experts suggest that bipolar disorder may stem from several factors, including nature (genes, chemicals in the brain) and nurture (living environment). It can also develop because of other medical complications, such as an injury, chronic illness, or disease. Substance use can also contribute to depressive moods caused by the disorder. Teens struggling with substance use along with their bipolar disorder will result in a dual diagnosis. Our dual diagnosis treatment program can help overcome both their substance use problem and their bipolar disorder.

Treatment of Bipolar Disorder

At Stonewater, we recognize that this disorder can make life challenging for teens, even beyond the typical challenges that go along with puberty. In fact, bipolar disorder affects all areas of their life and can last a lifetime. However, through treatment, your son can regain his hope for a bright future. Learning the symptoms of both depressive and manic episodes is essential. Our team will work with your teen to make a plan that works for them, based on their symptoms. In addition, we recognize the significant role that medicine can play in boys' bipolar disorder treatment. This could include mood stabilizers, antidepressants, and antipsychotics. Mood stabilizers treat symptoms of mania. Antidepressants can help combat depression but can also cause a manic episode. Therefore, we work with each resident to manage the medication combinations to treat the lows and the highs without any adverse effects. Antipsychotics may be necessary to treat the symptoms of both mania and depression when other medicines prove ineffective. As a caretaker or a loved one, you should be aware that it's common for teens to think that they can stop taking prescribed medication if they feel fine. Supervision at our boys' bipolar disorder treatment program ensures the treatment continues unabated so that teens don't make the mistake of hindering their treatment and lifelong recovery.

Contact Stonewater Adolescent Recovery Center

At our boys' bipolar disorder treatment program, our specialists work with each teen to determine their treatment needs. Your teen has a primary role in shaping his individualized treatment plan. In addition to managing the disorder with medication, we also offer a range of counseling services that allow the teen to understand their behaviors. Our therapies include:
  • Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
  • Trauma therapy
  • Nature therapy
  • Art therapy
If you are looking for expert treatment for your teen and their bipolar disorder, contact Stonewater Adolescent Recovery Center at 662.373.2828 today.