Q. I am suffering from mood swings. Kindly advice is this due to bipolar disorder.
Hello doctor,I want to get some information regarding bipolar disorder because I think I have it. I had horrible mood swings, one moment I am overly happy, and the next moment I feel depressed. My sleeping schedule is also different than usual.
Hello. Let me answer your questions via some bullets some points to make things easier to understand. 1. You are only 14 years old, and it is very unusual for a significant mood disorder like bipolar mood disorder to manifest at such a young age. However, this does not mean it is impossible but just far less likely. 2. As a young woman at 14 years of age, it can be considered completely to have mood swings and sleep disruption due to premenstrual hormonal changes. Puberty, overall, is a time of huge biological and psychological change and is not uncommon for a person to experience broad mood changes within one day. 3. I feel your mood swings and general well being should have a keen eye kept on them. If you have a severe mental health disorder, it will become clear fairly soon. 4. From your point of view, as long as you are still able to function normally at school and keep up with your academics as well as maintain relatively good social interactions you are very likely not suffering from a severe mental illness like bipolar. Also, consider the extent of your inner sense of personal distress. Sometimes things can seem like the end of the world in puberty but are much less severe when viewed from a different perspective. 5. I think it would be wise if your parents could allow you to see a psychotherapist or counselor regularly going forward for you to unload your feelings in a safe and confidential environment. Also, such a person could keep an experienced eye on you, and if any severe psychiatric symptoms appear, they can be recognized and acted on it correctly. 6. So my final suggestion is to ask your parents if they are willing to help you find a suitably qualified psychologist and counselor that you can see regularly and feel you can trust them with your feelings. Remember if you are unsure about how you feel and if it is reasonable and not something to worry about, it is always better to speak up about how you think, just as you have done here. Should see a clinical psychologist or counsellor regularly.