For those with children that have ADHD or BIPOLAR?

which of the criteria do you think most differentiates the two disorders?

Bipolar is more of the manic phases, where ADHD is more hyper activity.

*ADHD vs. Bipolar Disorder


The primary difficulty for those with Bipolar Disorder is with mood regulation. Both disorders tend to run in families.


Some symptoms of ADHD include:

鈥?Poor follow-through
鈥?Poor listening skills
鈥?Task avoidance
鈥?Disorganized
鈥?Inconsistent
鈥?Easily overwhelmed
鈥?trouble changing activities
鈥?poor eye contact
鈥?Forgetfulness
鈥?Fidgetiness
鈥?Annoys others easily
鈥?Interrupts others
鈥?Often acts as if he or she is being driven by a motor
鈥?Rejection from peers and adults
鈥?Trouble thinking before they act 鈥?live in the 鈥渘ow鈥?br> 鈥?Difficulty falling or staying asleep


Some symptoms of early onset of Bipolar Disorder include:

鈥?Temper tantrums generally triggered by limit-setting (i.e., a parental "NO") and conflict with authority figures
鈥?Oppositional
鈥?Mood swings
鈥?Racing thoughts
鈥?Aggressive behavior
鈥?daredevil acts
鈥?Pressured Speech
鈥?Prolonged Rages
鈥?Grandiose thinking
鈥?Depressed or elevated mood
鈥?oversensitivity to emotional or environmental triggers
鈥?Lethargy
鈥?Difficulty getting out of bed
鈥?Social anxiety
鈥?Hyper sexuality
鈥?Decreased need for sleep
鈥?suicidality with plan or intent


Symptoms that are seen in both ADHD and Bipolar disorder, but with subtle differences include:

鈥?Hyperactivity
鈥?Distractibility
鈥?mood instability
鈥?oversensitive to stimulation
鈥?overreaction to stress
鈥?irritability
鈥?Impulsive
鈥?Low Self-Esteem


Treatment: Stimulants are the primary treatment for those with ADHD while Mood Stabilizers are the primary treatment for Bipolar disorder. For those with both disorders it is important to note that mood stabilizers don鈥檛 seem to make ADHD worse, but stimulant medicines (and antidepressants) can make bipolar disorder worse. However, stimulants and mood stabilizers can be used simultaneously in many cases for those with both disorders.

The main difference between the two disorders appears to be the grandiosity and the elated mood seen in Bipolar disorder, which does not appear in ADHD. What makes diagnosis even harder is the overlap between the symptoms and the fact that 50 to 80% of those with bipolar disorder also have ADHD.

*These Mental Disorders ARE Genetic

I don't have kids with either, but I am a teacher. ADHD is hyper-activity which leads to attention difficulties. Bipolar is episodes/behaviors of opposite sides of the spectrum. The criteria that is the biggest difference between the two are you know (for the most part) how a person with ADHD is going to act/react. With Bipolar, you never know what can trigger an episode or behavior change.

I wonder whether doctors are jumping onto the ADHD/BIPOLAR bandwagon too quickly. We are so ready to prescribe medications and, now, even 6 year-olds are being given medication for bipolar. I do know that ADHD people can have super-sensitivities which translate into mood problems, sensitivities to outward stimulus and more. They also can and often do have sensitivities to foods that manifests in temper outbursts, silliness and irritability all in a very short period of time. For anyone wondering what it might mean, I would highly suggest reading a book called, "Allergies and the Hyperactive Child", by Dr. Doris Rapp, or any of her books, online used booksites. This book gives lots of information that can help sort things out, dietary suggestions, and shows symptoms.

Bi-Polar could be natural, and ADHD could be triggered by the chemicals in vaccines, or poor diet, like too much aspartame (which some vaccines contain also) and other artificial sweeteners like HFCS.