Bipolar Child Questionnaire:

(Please check any that fit your child)

Difficulties in infancy (such as being overactive in the womb, reduced need for sleep).

Separation anxiety (as if the child was still attached to the umbilical cord)

Precociousness (doing everything early, with extra enthusiasm, "early adults")

Night terrors (not just bad dreams but vivid bloody. Not waking up just before being stabbed, but actually witnessing the blood, guts and gore, mutilation)

Fear of death and annihilation

Rages

Oppositional behavior (first reaction is "no," deliberately breaking rules)

Rapid cycling (definite cycles sometimes in days, sometimes within the day between high energy and depressed)

Oversensitive to stimulation (colors, noises, clothes intolerance - especially collars, labels, and things that don’t feel right)

Out of sync (unable to adapt to changes or "go with the flow")

Problems with peers

Temperature regulation problems (including taking clothes off because of heat intolerance)

Craving carbohydrates and sweets

Bed-wetting and soiling.

Abrupt onset of "excessive" and/or inappropriate "happiness"

Increased sexuality (sexually inappropriate behavior - particularly for age)

Hallucinations (hearing voices, seeing things that aren’t there)

Suicidal thoughts

Breaking things out of anger.

Sadistic impulses (wanting to see others hurt)

Staying angry for hours

Extraordinary speaking and artistic skills.

Having no memory of tantrum

"Regression" when angry (baby like, disorganized thinking and language, etc.)

Raging when told "no"

Morning irritability

Morning fuzziness

Morning physical symptoms (like headaches and tummy aches)

Being a bully

Depression a major symptom

Intentional misbehavior

Deliberately seeking risk

Signs of AD(H)D instead of (or in addition to) bipolar:

Breaking things carelessly instead of with anger

Calms down within 30 minutes after a rage

Remembers all the spells of anger

Anger triggered by lots of stimulation like noises, colors, and emotions

Gets up relatively quickly in the morning, but seems disorganized

Misbehavior often accidental, usually caused by attention problems

Engages in potentially risky behavior without being aware of the danger

Source:- The Bipolar Child" by Dr. Papolos.

omg almost everything up there is true for me when i was a child.

oh my .......That's my oldest son Josh and add about 50 other things............but I also see alot of those symptom in my
4yr old son Chally, but his father is bipolar too, oh boy i'm in trouble

I'm in trouble too then.. My middle kid shows most of those signs. I always knew she was, and I really feel for her cos I know what it's like. She's a carbon copy of me!

Purplesusi

my eleven year old daughter has experienced some of these symtoms, she doesn't sleep very well, as a result she misses much school and is lagging behind. last night she told that she always feels sad when she is at home, this really makes me feel awful, I love her so much, I would give my life for her or any of my kids. my fifteen year old is experiencing the same, but she sleep ok. I talked to the school counselor, she agrees with me that she should have home studies since she also misses much school. at times I feel overwhelmed, my wife is either afraid to confront this or she really doesn't understand what's going on right in front of her, she says that they are just being stubborn, don't want to go to school, etc. any suggestions? Frank