What Is the Difference Between ADHD & Early Onset Bipolar Disorder?

Determining the difference between ADHD and Early-Onset Bipolar Disorder is difficult because they share a range of symptoms. Care should be taken to achieve a proper diagnosis to improve the success of treatment.

Similar Symptoms

Hyperactivity, impulsivity, and distractibility are common to both ADHD and the manic state of early-onset bipolar disorder. Irritability is another shared trait, though with bipolar is usually more chronic and results in rages.

Distinctive Symptoms

The American Academy of Pediatrics lists five symptoms used to distinguish early-onset bipolar disorder from ADHD: "elation, grandiosity, flight of ideas/racing thoughts, a decreased need for sleep, and hypersexuality (in the absence of sexual abuse or overstimulation)." A family history of mental illness may offer clues as well.

Joint Diagnosis

Early-onset bipolar disorder is frequently misdiagnosed as ADHD, but the two may co-exist. The Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation reports "85% of children with bipolar disorder also have ADHD and up to 22% of children with ADHD have bipolar disorder."

Comorbities

Conduct disorder, generalized anxiety disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder may be present alongside bipolar. Illnesses with symptoms similar to bipolar include Tourette's syndrome and seizure disorders.

Warning

ADHD medications may induce or worsen mania in a child with bipolar, though taking a mood stabilizer may help. A child psychiatrist with experience in these difficult cases is recommended.

References

• American Academy of Pediatrics DBPeds Website
• Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation
• National Institute of Mental Health