Category Archives: People with disabilities being great

People with disabilities being great

Mom in wheelchair can take baby for walks with specially designed stroller

Posted on by

Sep. 29, 2015 at 11:24 PM

Terri Peters

Since being shot by another child when she was 5 years old, Sharina Jones has been a paraplegic, using a wheelchair to go about her daily activities. The now-35-year-old has made helping other wheelchair users a life mission — delivering wheelchairs to children in Third World countries through her non-profit organization, Think Beyond the Chair, and motivating others through her blog, Push Goddess.

But when the Detroit, Michigan, resident learned that she and her husband, Grover Jones III, were expecting their first child last fall, she found herself in the position of needing someone else’s help to make her dream of a wheelchair-friendly baby stroller come true.

Jones on a walk with son, Grover, using the wheelchair stroller attachment designed by Alden Kane.

Jones on a walk with son, Grover, using the wheelchair stroller attachment designed by Alden Kane. Courtesy of Sharina Jones

Jones on a walk with son, Grover, using the wheelchair stroller attachment designed by Alden Kane.
“I was thinking ahead, because you always have to think ahead. After that first doctor’s appointment, we started asking, ‘How are we going to do this? And this? And this?'” said Jones, adding that she wanted the freedom to take her baby on walks, or detach her stroller from her wheelchair and pull up to a restaurant table.

When a friend told Jones about a unique partnership between University of Detroit Mercy and University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy — the university works with high school students to give them college-level STEM research projects, some of which are designed to meet the needs of disabled individuals through engineering — she decided to give the program head, Dr. Darrell Kleinke, a call.

Alden Kane, a 16-year-old high school senior enrolled in the program, was assigned to Jones’ project. Kane was tasked with the job of creating a wheelchair stroller and baby carrier that the expectant mother could use when her baby arrived that summer.

Photos taken of the stroller wheelchair attachment when Kane presented it to Jones.

Photos taken of the stroller wheelchair attachment when Kane presented it to Jones. Courtesy of Alden Kane

What began as 15 potential designs were slowly whittled down to just one through Alden Kane’s trial and error. Here, the end result.

Kane said he worked for several hours after school every day for six months to come up with the device — drawing plans, making prototypes and testing out different materials. What began as 15 potential designs were slowly whittled down to just one through Kane’s trial and error, and with feedback from Kleinke and Jones.

The final result, made from stainless steel piping with connectors (donated by material company Creform), was ready at the perfect time — when Jones son, Grover IV, was around 2 weeks old.

“It’s not so much a stroller where you’d want to use it independently,” Kane said of his invention. “It’s designed specifically to attach to a wheelchair. In a sense, it is a stroller, but instead of a person pushing it, a wheelchair pushes it.”

Jones and Kane at a school ceremony acknowledging Kane's achievement.

Jones and Kane at a school ceremony acknowledging Kane’s achievement.

University of Detroit Jesuit High School
Sharina Jones and Alden Kane at a school ceremony acknowledging Kane’s achievement.

Jones’ son is now 10 weeks old, and the new mom says Kane’s stroller has given her a great deal of freedom, allowing her to shop at the mall, use public restrooms and go for walks with her son, all while knowing he is safe and secure.

“I love it. It makes everything so much easier,” Jones told TODAY Parents.

And, she said she can’t thank Kane enough for his hard work.

“I just love him,” Jones said. “He’s a great kid. He is going to be an amazing engineer.”

“It was extremely exciting and rewarding to see Sharina using it,” Kane said. “Throughout the project, being the only person working on this, I was always wondering if I was going to have it done by the time her child came along … but meeting the due date and having a great working design was just an extremely rewarding sight.”

Photos taken of the stroller wheelchair attachment when Kane presented it to Jones.

“I love it,” Jones said of her stroller wheelchair attachment. “It makes everything so much easier.” Courtesy of Alden Kane

Dominic Coccitti-Smith, the instructor for Kane’s high school STEM research course, said the partnership with University of Detroit Mercy has been a wonderful opportunity for his students to grow and learn.

“Alden’s passion for his quest for innovation and improving the lives of our community members came together through this project,” Coccitti-Smith said. “As the instructor for this course, I have great confidence in the future through seeing these wonderful projects that high school students are completing.”

Kane’s plans for the future include studying biomedical engineering or aerospace in college next year. And the teen hopes to patent his design and pursue having it mass-produced by a major stroller or wheelchair company.

“That’s really the end goal here,” he said. “It’s great to have served Mrs. Jones — as one person, it’s had a great impact on her life. But imagine the impact that it could have on hundreds or thousands of lives.”

Jones said she and her husband are enjoying their first weeks as parents, adding that she, too, hopes to see the stroller design become available for more wheelchair-using mothers.

“I’m very thankful for everything that I have, and getting the opportunity to have something like this new stroller,” Jones said. “I’m just very excited about it.”

http://www.today.com/parents/mom-takes-baby-walks-special-wheelchair-stroller-t47011 04032016

Unintentional Injuries

Posted on by

Injuries are not accidents – they can be prevented.  Injuries are not random, uncontrollable events, but rather predictable and preventable incidences with identifiable causes. Unintentional injuries are events that happen which are not deliberate or done with purpose. Of the 3,178 injury deaths in Alabama in 2001, 70% were due to “unintentional” injury and 30% were due to violence, or “intentional” injury. Injuries affect everyone.

Five Leading Causes of Unintentional Injury in Alabama

1. Motor Vehicle Crashes
2. Falls
3. Suffocation
4. Fire/Burn
5. Poisoning

http://www.adph.org/injuryprevention/Default.asp?id=1053

Intentional Injuries

Posted on by

Injuries are not accidents – they can be prevented. Injuries are not random, uncontrollable events, but rather predictable and preventable incidences with identifiable causes. Of the 3,178 injury deaths in Alabama in 2001, 70% were due to “unintentional” injury and 30% were due to violence, or “intentional” injury. Injuries affect everyone.

Intentional injuries are something you do with the purpose of hurting yourself or others. These are planned actions. Homicides and suicides are the top two intentional injuries in Alabama.

Examples of intentional injuries include the following:

http://www.adph.org/injuryprevention/Default.asp?id=1054

Disability grant

Posted on by

About a disability grant

If you have a physical or mental disability which makes you unfit to work for a period of longer than six months, you can apply for a disability grant.

You get a permanent disability grant if your disability will continue for more than a year and a temporary disability grant if your disability will last for a continuous period of not less than six months and not more than 12 months. A permanent disability grant does not mean you will receive the grant for life, but that it will continue for longer than 12 months.

How do you know if you qualify?

To qualify, you must:

  • be a South African citizen or permanent resident or refugee and living in South Africa at the time of application
  • be between 18 and 59 years old.
  • not be cared for in a state institution
  • have a 13-digit, bar-coded identity document (ID)
  • not earn more than R64 680 (R5 390 per month) if you are single or R 129 360 (R10 780 per month) if married.
  • not have assets worth more than R930 600 if you are single or R1 861 200 if you are married
  • undergo a medical examination where a doctor appointed by the state will assess the degree of your disability
  • bring along any previous medical records and reports when you make the application and when the assessment is done.

The doctor will complete a medical report and will forward the report to South African Social Security Agency (SASSA).

The report is valid for three months from the date you are assessed.

Note: If you are under 18 and need permanent care due to your disability, your primary caregiver can apply for a Care Dependency Grant. If you don’t have an ID, you will be required to complete an affidavit and provide proof of having applied for the document from the Department of Home Affairs. If you have not applied for an ID, you must do so within three months of applying for the grant.

How much will you get?

The maximum is R1 420 per month.

How will you be paid?

A grant will be paid to you through one of the following methods:

  • cash at a specific pay point on a particular day
  • electronic deposit into your bank account, including Postbank (the bank may charge you for the service)
  • an institution not funded by the State – e.g. home for people with disabilities.

When may your grant be suspended?

The following may result in the suspension of your grant:

  • when your circumstances change
  • the outcome of a review
  • if you fail to co-operate when your grant is reviewed
  • when you commit fraud or misrepresent yourself
  • if there was a mistake when your grant was approved.

When may your grant lapse?

The grant will lapse when you:

  • pass away
  • are admitted to a state institution
  • do not claim for three consecutive months
  • are absent from the country.

Please note: If you are admitted to an institution that has a contract with the state to care for you, the grant is reduced to 25% of the maximum amount of the  grant. That will be done with effect from the 4th month following your admission to that institution. The reduced grant is re-instated immediately from the date you are discharged from the institution.

What you should do

  1. Complete a disability grant application form at your nearest South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) office in the presence of a SASSA officer.
  2. Submit the following:
    • Your 13-digit bar-coded identity document (ID). If you don’t have an ID:
      • You must complete an affidavit on a standard SASSA format in the presence of a Commissioner of Oaths who is not a SASSA official.
      • You must bring a sworn statement signed by a reputable person (like a councillor, traditional leader, social worker, minister of religion or school principal) who can verify your name and age.
      • The SASSA official will take your fingerprints.
      • You will be referred to the Department of Home Affairs to apply for the ID while your application is processed. If you don’t get an ID, your grant will be suspended.
    • A medical report and functional assessment report confirming your disability.
    • Proof of marital status (if applicable).
    • Proof of residence.
    • Proof of income or dividends (if any).
    • Proof of assets, including the municipal value of your property.
    • Proof of private pension (if any).
    • Your bank statements for the past three months.
    • Refugee status permit and 13-digit refugee ID.
    • Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) document (‘blue book’) or discharge certificate from your previous employer if you were employed.
    • A copy of the will and the first and final liquidation and distribution accounts, if your spouse died within the last five years.
  3. After submitting your application you will be given a receipt to keep as proof of application.

What if your application is not approved?

  • The social security office will inform you in writing whether or not your application was successful.
  • If your grant is not approved, the social security office will state the reasons why your application was unsuccessful. You can then appeal to the Minister of Social Development in writing, explaining why you disagree.
  • Appeal within 90 days of receiving notification about the outcome of your application.

How long does it take

  • It may take up to three months to process your application.
  • If your grant is approved, you will be paid from the day you applied.

How much does it cost

The service is free.

Forms to complete

Application forms are not available online, but you can get them from your nearest (SASSA) office.

Who to contact

South African Social Security Agency (SASSA)

http://www.gov.za/services/social-benefits/disability-grant

Disability Rights Awareness Month 2015

Posted on by

3 November to 3 December

South Africa commemorates National Disability Rights Awareness Month annually between 3 November and 3 December. 3 December is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and is also commemorated as National Disability Rights Awareness Day.

Disability is the consequence of an impairment that may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental, or some combination of these. A disability may be present from birth, or occur during a person’s lifetime.

Activities during the Month will

  • Provide a platform for government, civil society, business, labour and the media to celebrate, showcase and dialogue on progress made over the past 20 years in promoting and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities
  • Isolate remaining challenges that hinder the building of inclusive caring societies where the contributions of persons with disabilities are valued and ensured
  • Foster consensus on priorities to be addressed in the next five years, including re-positioning and packaging messages that promote disability as a primarily human rights issue.

The Department  of Social Development is responsible for driving the government’s equity, equality and empowerment agenda in terms of those living with disabilities.

http://www.gov.za/disability-rights-awareness-month-2015

Down’s syndrome

Posted on by

Introduction

Down’s syndrome, also known as Down syndrome, is a genetic condition that typically causes some level of learning disability and characteristic physical features.

Around 775 babies are born with the condition each year in England and Wales.

Many babies born with Down’s syndrome are diagnosed with the condition after birth and are likely to have:

  • reduced muscle tone leading to floppiness (hypotonia)
  • eyes that slant upwards and outwards
  • a small mouth with a protruding tongue
  • a flat back of the head
  • a below average weight and length at birth

Although children with Down’s syndrome share some common physical characteristics, they do not all look the same. A child with Down’s syndrome will look more like their mother, father or other family members than other children with the syndrome.

People with Down’s syndrome also vary in personality and ability. Everyone born with Down’s syndrome will have a degree of learning disability, but the level of disability will be different for each individual.

Screening for Down’s syndrome

In some cases, babies with the condition are identified before birth as a result of screening for Down’s syndrome.

Screening tests can’t tell you for definite if your baby has Down’s syndrome, but they can tell you how likely it is. If screening suggests there is a chance your baby does have Down’s syndrome, further tests can be carried out during pregnancy to confirm it.

If testing indicates your child will be born with Down’s syndrome, you should be offered genetic counselling to allow you and your partner to discuss the impact of the diagnosis.

You may also be offered an appointment to meet a doctor or other health professional who works with children with Down’s syndrome, who can also tell you more about the condition and answer any questions you may have.

What causes Down’s syndrome?

Down’s syndrome is caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21 in a baby’s cells.

In the vast majority of cases, this isn’t inherited, and is simply the result of a one-off genetic mistake in the sperm or egg.

There is a small chance of having a child with Down’s syndrome with every pregnancy, but the risk increases with the age of the mother. For example, a woman who is 20 has about a one in 1,500 chance of having a baby with the condition, while a woman who is 40 has a one in 100 chance.

There is no evidence that anything done before or during pregnancy increases or decreases the risk of having a child with Down’s syndrome.

Life with Down’s syndrome

Although there is no “cure” for Down’s syndrome, there are ways to help children with the condition develop into healthy and fulfilled individuals who are able to achieve a level of independence right for them. This includes:

  • access to good healthcare, including a range of different specialists
  • early intervention programmes to provide support for children and parents
  • good parenting skills and an ordinary family life
  • education and support groups to provide information and help for parents, friends and families

Improved education and support has led to more opportunities for people with Down’s syndrome. These include being able to leave home, form new relationships, gain employment and lead largely independent lives.

However, it is important to remember that each child is different and it is not possible to predict how individuals will develop.

Associated health conditions

There are a number of disorders that are more common in people with the condition. These include:

Your child may be checked by a paediatrician more often than other children to pick up developing problems as early as possible. If you have any concerns about your child’s health, discuss them with your GP, health visitor or paediatrician.

Down’s Syndrome Association

If you would like more information about Down’s syndrome, you can visit the Down’s Syndrome Association or call their helpline on 0333 121 2300.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Downs-syndrome/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Polio and prevention

Posted on by

Polio is a crippling and potentially fatal infectious disease. There is no cure, but there are safe and effective vaccines. The strategy to eradicate polio is therefore based on preventing infection by immunizing every child until transmission stops and the world is polio-free.

The disease

Polio (poliomyelitis) is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis in a matter of hours.

 

polio-prevention-01 15102015

An Indian boy’s legs are shrunken from paralysis caused by polio WHO/T. Moran

Who is at risk?

Polio can strike at any age, but it mainly affects children under five years old.

Transmission

Polio is spread through person-to-person contact. When a child is infected with wild poliovirus, the virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. It is then shed into the environment through the faeces where it can spread rapidly through a community, especially in situations of poor hygiene and sanitation. If a sufficient number of children are fully immunized against polio, the virus is unable to find susceptible children to infect, and dies out.

Young children who are not yet toilet-trained are a ready source of transmission, regardless of their environment. Polio can be spread when food or drink is contaminated by faeces. There is also evidence that flies can passively transfer poliovirus from faeces to food.

Most people infected with the poliovirus have no signs of illness and are never aware they have been infected. These symptomless people carry the virus in their intestines and can “silently” spread the infection to thousands of others before the first case of polio paralysis emerges.

For this reason, WHO considers a single confirmed case of polio paralysis to be evidence of an epidemic – particularly in countries where very few cases occur.

Symptoms

Most infected people (90%) have no symptoms or very mild symptoms and usually go unrecognized. In others, initial symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck and pain in the limbs.

Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP)

One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis, usually in the legs. This is caused by the virus entering the blood stream and invading the central nervous system. As it multiplies, the virus destroys the nerve cells that activate muscles. The affected muscles are no longer functional and the limb becomes floppy and lifeless – a condition known as acute flaccid paralysis (AFP).

All cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) among children under fifteen years of age are reported and tested for poliovirus within 48 hours of onset.

Bulbar polio

More extensive paralysis, involving the trunk and muscles of the thorax and abdomen, can result in quadriplegia. In the most severe cases (bulbar polio), poliovirus attacks the nerve cells of the brain stem, reducing breathing capacity and causing difficulty in swallowing and speaking. Among those paralysed, 5% to 10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized.

000000 4637 PHOTO-CD-1

In the 1940s and 1950s, people with bulbar polio were immobilized inside “iron lungs” – huge metal cylinders that operated like a pair of bellows to regulate their breathing and keep them alive. Today, the iron lung has largely been replaced by the positive pressure ventilator, but it is still in use in some countries.

Post-polio syndrome

Around 40% of people who survive paralytic polio may develop additional symptoms 15–40 years after the original illness. These symptoms – called post-polio syndrome – include new progressive muscle weakness, severe fatigue and pain in the muscles and joints.

Risk factors for paralysis

No one knows why only a small percentage of infections lead to paralysis. Several key risk factors have been identified as increasing the likelihood of paralysis in a person infected with polio. These include:

  • immune deficiency
  • pregnancy
  • removal of the tonsils (tonsillectomy)
  • intramuscular injections, e.g. medications
  • strenuous exercise
  • injury.

Treatment and prevention

There is no cure for polio, only treatment to alleviate the symptoms.  Heat and physical therapy is used to stimulate the muscles and antispasmodic drugs are given to relax the muscles. While this can improve mobility, it cannot reverse permanent polio paralysis.

Polio can be prevented through immunization. Polio vaccine, given multiple times, almost always protects a child for life.

– See more at: http://www.polioeradication.org/Polioandprevention.aspx#sthash.QxJcGYNx.dpuf

http://www.polioeradication.org/Polioandprevention.aspx

History of Polio

Posted on by

In the early 20th century, polio was one of the most feared diseases in industrialized countries, paralysing hundreds of thousands of children every year. Soon after the introduction of effective vaccines in the 1950s and 1960s however, polio was brought under control and practically eliminated as a public health problem in these countries.

It took somewhat longer for polio to be recognized as a major problem in developing countries. Lameness surveys during the 1970s revealed that the disease was also prevalent in developing countries. As a result, during the 1970s routine immunization was introduced worldwide as part of national immunization programmes, helping to control the disease in many developing countries.

In 1988, when the Global Polio Eradication Initiative began, polio paralysed more than 1000 children worldwide every day. Since then, more than 2.5 billion children have been immunized against polio thanks to the cooperation of more than 200 countries and 20 million volunteers, backed by an international investment of more than US$ 11 billion.

There are now only 2 countries that have never stopped polio transmission and global incidence of polio cases has decreased by 99%.

There has also been success in eradicating certain strains of the virus; of the three types of wild polioviruses (WPVs), the last case of type 2 was reported in 1999 and its eradication was declared in September 2015; the most recent case of type 3 dates to November 2012.

However, tackling the last 1% of polio cases has still proved to be difficult. Conflict, political instability, hard-to-reach populations, and poor infrastructure continue to pose challenges to eradicating the disease. Each country offers a unique set of challenges which require local solutions. Thus, in 2013 the Global Polio Eradication Initiative launched its most comprehensive and ambitious plan for completely eradicating polio. It is an all-encompassing strategic plan that clearly outlines measures for eliminating polio in its last strongholds and for maintaining a polio-free world.

Use this interactive timeline to trace the history of polio from 1580 B.C. to the present.

  • 1580–1350 BC            1789                   1840           1894
  • 1907                            1908                   1916           1931
  • 1938                            1948                   1955           1961
  • 1974                            1970-80              1985           1988
  • 1990                            1991                   1994           1995
  • 1996                            1997                   1998           1999
  • 2000                            2001                   2002           2003
  • 2004                            2005                   2006           2007
  • 2008                            2009

1580–1350 BC

An Egyptian stele portrays a priest with a withered leg, suggesting that polio has existed for thousands of years.

– See more at: http://www.polioeradication.org/Polioandprevention/Historyofpolio.aspx#sthash.9ns6usff.dpuf

Mental Health: Depression

Posted on by
Depression is a dysregulation of the brain function that control emotions (or moods). It is a mood disorder characterized by intense and persistent negative emotions. These emotions negatively impact people’s lives, causing social, educational, personal and family difficulties.

Depression is different than feeling sad or down. It is a medical condition affecting the way mood is controlled by the brain. Someone with Depression can’t just “snap out of it.” Depression affects the way he or she thinks, feels and acts. It becomes a negative lens through which he or she sees and experiences the world. 

When Depression happens, it often lasts for many months and then sometimes gets better. This is called an episode of Depression. Most people who get Depression will experience many episodes during their lifetime. Depression is often called Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).

Sometimes a negative event (such as the loss of a loved one, or severe and prolonged stress) will trigger an episode of Depression but often episodes will occur spontaneously. Depression is not caused by the usual stresses of life. Depression is often accompanied by feelings of anxiety and causes significant problems with family, friends, work or school. 

How can you tell if someone you know might have Depression?*

Depression, and other mental disorders, should only be diagnosed by a medical doctor, clinical psychologist, or a trained health provider who has spent time with the teenager and has conducted a proper mental health assessment. Diagnoses are complicated with many nuances. Please do not attempt to diagnose someone based on the symptoms you read about in magazines or on the internet. If you are concerned, speak to a trained health professional.

It can be confusing when people use the word “depression” to mean different things. We should try to save the word “depression” to mean the mental disorder of Depression, and use other, more exact words to describe the negative emotions that we feel. 

Use the Right Words!
USE RIGHT WORDS
There are 3 types of depressive disorders:
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Someone with MDD will experience episodes of intense depression (lasting weeks to years), separated by periods of relatively stable mood. When people refer to Depression, they usually mean MDD.

Persistent Depressive Disorder (formerly Dysthymia) 

People with Persistent Depressive Disorder will experience depressive episodes that are less intense than in MDD but last much longer. For teenagers, these depressive episodes last at least one year and for adults, they last two years or more

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder

Children up to 18-years-old can be diagnosed with Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder if they have persistent irritability and frequent episodes of unreasonable verbal and physical aggression.

To determine if someone you care about may be at risk for Depression, consider the following questions:

  • Does the person feel sad or low most of the time?
  • Has the person lost interest in activities he or she usually enjoys?
  • Does he or she have trouble concentrating?
  • Does he or she feel fatigued or tired much of the time?
  • Does he or she feel hopeless or worthless?
  • Does he or she experience much less enjoyment in life?
  • Has this behaviour lasted at least two weeks, and been present every day for most of the day?

There are three areas of symptoms that often present in youth experiencing depressive episodes. Here are some things to watch for:

Mood
  • Feeling persistently depressed, sad, unhappy or something similar
  • Feeling a loss of pleasure, or a noticeable disinterest in all or almost all activities
  • Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness or excessive and inappropriate guilt
Thinking
  • Diminished ability to think, concentrate or make decisions
  • Suicidal thoughts/plans or preoccupation with death and dying

Body Sensations
  • Excessive fatigue or loss of energy
  • Significant sleep problems (difficulty falling asleep or sleeping excessively)
  • Physical slowness or, in some cases, restlessness
  • Significant decrease or increase in appetite that may lead to noticeable weight change

If someone in your life has five of the above symptoms (with at least one of them being a mood symptom) present every day for most of the day during the same two week period, then he or she may be experiencing Clinical Depression (MDD). Talk to your family doctor about your concerns. This behaviour cannot be due to a substance, medicine or another illness and must be different than the individual’s usual mood state.

*In accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition.

Remember, you cannot diagnose someone with Depression without a proper mental health assessment conducted by a properly trained health provider.

http://teenmentalhealth.org/learn/mental-disorders/depression/

Mental Health: Bipolar Disorder

Posted on by
Bipolar Disorder is a type of mood disorder. However, unlike in Depression, the problem in Bipolar Disorder is in the brain’s regulation of the usual ups and downs of normal mood. In Bipolar Disorder, people cycle between periods of Mania (i.e., feeling really elevated or irritable) and periods of either normal mood or Depression (i.e., feeling really sad and low). These cycles (sometimes called episodes) of Depression and Mania may be frequent (daily) or infrequent (years apart). Although adults in a manic episode can act euphoric and grandiose, young people in a manic episode can sometimes appear more irritable and grandiose.

Someone with Bipolar Disorder will usually experience a depressive episode before experiencing a manic episode, and may even have several depressive episodes prior to a manic episode. This is why some people with Bipolar Disorder are originally diagnosed with Depression.

How can you tell if someone you know might have Bipolar Disorder?*

Bipolar Disorder, and other mental disorders, should only be diagnosed by a medical doctor, clinical psychologist, or other trained health provider who has spent time with the teenager and has conducted a proper mental health assessment. Diagnoses are complicated with many nuances. Please do not attempt to diagnose someone based on the symptoms you read in magazines or on the internet. If you are concerned, speak to a trained health professional.

There are two types of Bipolar Disorder: 

  1. Bipolar I Disorder: The teenager must experience at least one manic episode, although he or she will likely also experience depressive episodes.
  2. Bipolar II Disorder: The teenager must experience at least one depressive episode and one hypomanic episode. A hypomanic episode is a less-severe version of a manic episode. See below for further details.
Depressive Episodes

These look similar to the depressive episodes experienced when someone has Depression. They occur nearly every day for at least two weeks and can include:

  • Feeling sad and low most of the day
  • Losing interest and pleasure in most activities
  • Losing or gaining a considerable amount of weight
  • Eating a lot more or a lot less than usual
  • Difficulty sleeping or sleeping all the time
  • Restlessness or a sense of moving in slow motion that is noticeable to others
  • Fatigue or lack of energy
  • Feeling worthless or guilty for no reason
  • Difficulty thinking or concentrating
  • Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
Manic Episodes

These occur most of the day, nearly every day for at least one week. They can include:

  • Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity (e.g., acting like he or she is superior to others)
  • Little need for sleep (e.g., feeling rested after only 3 hours of sleep)
  • Need to continue talking – rapid and sometimes confused speech
  • Having too many thoughts at once, feeling a pressure of thoughts in his or her head
  • Acting distracted or unable to focus
  • Increase in goal-directed activity (e.g. either socially, at school or work) or restlessness, although the goal he or she is working toward may not make sense or be logical
  • Excessive involvement in risky activities with painful consequences (e.g., expensive shopping sprees, foolish business investments, drug use, sexual promiscuity)
  • In severe cases, people can experience hallucinations (i.e., hearing or seeing something that isn’t actually there) or delusions (i.e., believing something that isn’t true even when confronted with proof)
Hypomanic Episodes

These are similar to manic episodes and last for four consecutive days or longer, but don’t significantly interfere with the person’s ability to live his or her life. Because hypomanic symptoms are less severe, they don’t always seem problematic to the person, even though they’re an obvious departure from his or her usual behaviour. Although a person may be very productive and accomplish many tasks when experiencing Hypomania, he or she also may become involved in risky behaviour or activities that result in painful consequences.

These symptoms are much more severe and last longer than the regular ups and downs of life. Although most people’s moods change when they experience positive or negative events, the moods swings of someone with Bipolar Disorder occur without any external provocation and are not easily controlled by the person. Some individuals will experience a ‘mixed state’, which is Mania and Depression at the same time.

For many people with Bipolar Disorder, there may be periods of time (lasting from days to years) where the mood is under better control and more likely to stay within “usual” limits. This is especially true if the person is being successfully treated for the illness.

* Statistics are sourced from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition.

Remember, you cannot diagnose someone with Bipolar Disorder without a proper mental health assessment conducted by a properly trained health provider.

http://teenmentalhealth.org/learn/mental-disorders/bipolar-disorder/