How old to diagnos bipolar child

[sadmomma4]

My bf's ex seems to think their 7 year old daughter is bipolar.  Is that old enough to be tested etc?

[taytay0308]

my best friends son is 8 and going through the same thing. he has anger issues and they think he is bipolar its like a switch is being flipped on and off constantly. they put him on other meds and told her they would have to monitor and test him for five years before they could say he was bipolar

[jimgreg]

well they told me,ive been bp all my life..but add,,and addhd carry a very fine line to bp..but the meds wont be the same..as lithiem you cant give to add..or addreall to a bp..a childs brain has to be tested before they would try to give a proper dianoses..truth to this,,is that the need to diagnose the child by mouth,,you can say things for he or she!! but those are considerd just tool for them to lean on so to speak..age 12 and up..most kids below age 12 will get a diagnoses thats (false)!! pdocs most of the time will ask if thers a learning problem,,paying attn etc..then diagnose them add,,addhd..or they do the therpy,,and this is a (waite and watch) then see what they think from there on..a pdoc mostly just prescibes meds if needed..thepist will let pdoc know progress reports,,then email the doc..

[skralysgirl]

Hearing music inside your head?? thats auditory hallucinations??? I have that all the time that does seem to match my mood or situation i didn't think that's weird. I do have a mild form of bipolar but i just thought it was a song that based on a mood or situation just kind of was brought to conciseness. to fit the mood. hmmm

[rBoulet]

I wasn't diagnosed with bipolar until I was 19, That being said, now that I know the symptoms and think back on it I was getting depressed repeatedly since the age of 8 (maybe earlier but I don't remember a thing). There is a history of bipolar in my family, and adding all this together makes me believe that what soehler has said seems to be very accurate.

[soehler]

While there is not a specific age an individual must reach in order to receive a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder, the average age of onset for Bipolar I Disorder is 20-years-old for both men and women.  That being said, onset of Bipolar Disorder can vary from childhood to after age 50.  There is growing interest, but little consensus, regarding the behavioral and affective symptoms in childhood and adolescence preceding the first onset of a clearly diagnosable Bipolar Disorder.  Early onset is generally considered to be anything under the age of 25 and it appears that the earlier the age of onset, the more likely there is a significant family history of Bipolar Disorder.  Early onset Bipolar Disorder typically begins with depression and there may be many depressive episodes before an individual experiences a hypomanic or manic episode.  Other symptoms commonly seen in individuals with early onset Bipolar Disorder include rapid cycling, mixed states, and psychotic features.  There isn't a specific test an individual can be given in order to diagnose them with Bipolar Disorder.  Rather, your ex's daughter would need to be seen by a psychologist or psychiatrist with experience in diagnosing and treating early onset Bipolar Disorder.

[Xila31]

It is possible for young children to have bipolar disorder. There is some research suggesting all of us had signs as kids. But the child would need to see a child psychiatrist to make a determination, and a physician to rule out physical causes as well.