More Talkative Than Usual Or Pressure To Keep Talking
For children who have a communication disorder this symptom would not seem to apply. However, many children and adults with autism and Bipolar Disorder show an increase in their speech and vocalizations during a manic cycle. I have had many parents report the “good news” that their child is suddenly more verbal only to later report that the child is driving them crazy with the accompanying manic behavior. Children with autism may use more words, talk/vocalize faster than normal, be difficult to stop or interrupt, and/or may talk through the night.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Many children have trouble with thinking before they act, sitting still and focusing. But in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , these behaviours can be extreme and have a big effect on their daily lives. The behaviours usually happen together, although some children can be mainly inattentive.
How common is ADHD in autistic children? Autism and ADHD share some common characteristics like not seeming to listen when people speak, interrupting, or intruding on other peoples personal space. Many autistic children have behaviour thats very similar to ADHD.
How is ADHD treated? Theres no cure, but children and teenagers can learn to manage ADHD;using behaviour strategies, taking medication, or a combination of the two.
Find out more
Let’s Get The Basics Out Of The Way: What Are Autism And Bipolar Disorder
Autism spectrum disorder is a lifelong neurological condition characterized by:
- Differences in social communication and interaction. These can include trouble understanding and applying the unspoken rules people without autism have for spoken and nonverbal communication, and challenges in initiating and maintaining social relationships.;
- What the DSM-5 describes as “restricted, repetitive;patterns of interest, behavior, and activities”. A strong need for sameness and routine and deep passions for certain subjects often to the exclusion of almost everything else are part of this. So are;distress when faced with change, “stimming” , and an over- or under-sensitivity to stimuli like light, sound, pain, temperature changes, and smell.;
Autism can be diagnosed with and without speech and intellectual impairments. While people on the spectrum may need varying levels of support to function well in a world that they struggle to understand and that certainly doesn’t understand them, autism is, at heart, a divergent neurological profile an inherent part of a person’s identity.;
Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression, is an entirely different beast. A complex and debilitating mood disorder, it’s core features are periods of mania or hypomania that alternate with periods of depression.;
To be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which has four distinct subtypes, a person has to “cycle” through both manic and depressive episodes unless they are receiving treatment.
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Why The Problem With Misdiagnosis
With such glaring differences in the two diagnoses, one might ask why then the problem with CPTSD being misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder? The answers are unsettling, but the truth needs to be told.
Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals in the United States are paid using diagnosis codes from the DSM-5 that lists each mental health disorder and the criteria to meet them. Currently, complex post-traumatic stress disorder is not in the DSM-5 so mental health professionals are left in a quandary, they cannot diagnose their patients with CPTSD and get paid for treating them. This leaves doctors and therapists no choice but to choose bipolar disorder or some other mental health challenge as their clients diagnosis.
Another challenge to receiving the diagnosis of CPTSD over bipolar disorder is that many mental health professionals either do not have any knowledge of CPTSD or refuse to believe in its existence even in the growing evidence that it does. Indeed, research conducted by the National Libraries of Medicine, National Institutes of Health showed that the World Health Organization is adding complex post-traumatic stress disorder to its upcoming eleventh edition of its International Classification of Diseases . ;Even the National Center for PTSD, a government-run website, has a page dedicated to CPTSD.
Managing Bipolar Disorder & Autism In Adults
In autistic adolescents and adults, bipolar disorder can lead to extreme behaviors that can put the safety of the individual and those around them at risk. It can also cause further social isolation, withdrawal, and difficulties maintaining friendships. Comorbid bipolar disorder and autism can greatly interfere with a persons ability to perform daily tasks and therefore function within society.
Education, medication, therapies, and support groups can help. Awareness is key for managing symptoms of both disorders. When a person is more able to understand why they might be feeling the way they do and are reacting in kind, they are also more apt to be able to regulate themselves and control these behaviors.
Support and social skills groups can provide healthy social outlets. They can teach methods for managing daily life, creating positive habits, and learning and practicing coping mechanisms.
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Can You Be Autistic And Bi
Posts: 93
I know Autism is a ‘spectrum disorder’. So you might be a ‘little’ or a ‘lot’.But can you have Bi-Polar disorder as well at the same time?Do any of you with a diagnosis have both?I wouldn’t imagine Bi-Polar is a spectrum disorder, but I might be wrong.I could research it, but what the hell, I just thought I would ask here.Reason being, I have been diagnosed with having ‘Hypomania’ by a past doctor andprescribed Olanzipine – quickly binned thankyou….But never diagnosed with Bi-Polar. I seem to have the ‘Up’ phase of it, but never the ‘Down’. Though I do get very depressed sometimes.Anyway.
Location: Seattle, WA
I have a triple diagnosis – Asperger’s, Avoidance Personality Disorder, Bipolar Disorder. With my BPD I’m usually more in the down phase than up.
Interesting. Thanks.I would probably be more down than up too.But I have not been ‘diagnosed’.
Posts: 112
Location: Ontario
schizophrenia or bipolar? Asperger Fact SheetThey even wanted to branch out beyond the coastlines of America and expand their market to include the more rural and interior parts of America. So now some young kid, who may just be a little nerdy, geeky, or plain weird, will now be tagged with the autism label, and subjected to whatever “help” is deemed necessary by the elite coastal types. Do people here really believe that over 1% of children are truly autistic? Or is it just another power grab by the psychological profession?
Comparison Of The Degree Of Alts Among The 7 Subgroups
All the clinical subgroups, whether subjects were remitted or unremitted, except for the remitted MDD subgroup, had significantly higher total and social communication and autistic mannerisms subscale scores on the SRS-A compared to the HC group . The remitted MDD subgroup scored significantly lower overall and on the social cognition and social communication subscales relative to the unremitted SZ group, and scored lower on the social motivation subscale than did the unremitted MDD subgroup .
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Excessive Involvement In Pleasurable Activities That Have A High Potential For Painful Consequences
Examples involve unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indiscretions, or foolish business investments in an adult context. As above, sexual activity/interest may be taken to the extreme. The child may sleep excessively, self-stimulate excessively, eat excessively, toilet excessively, or engage in any other pleasurable behavior with more frequency and intensity.
Can You Be Hypomanic Without Losing Control
Copyright, Stuart L. Kaplan, M.D. 2014
Stuart L. Kaplan, M.D., is the author of Your Child Does Not Have Bipolar Disorder: How Bad Science and Good Public Relations Created the Diagnosis. available at Amazon.com
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Is There A Connection Between Autism And Bipolar Disorder
Some symptoms of bipolar disorder overlap with ASD but are there a real connection between the two? Research indicates that these two brain conditions . But the presence of both the conditions together is not prevalent. According to one study, a significant minority of ASD patients also suffer from bipolar affective disorder.;
So, co-existence of the two conditions is possible but it doesnt indicate that a person with ASD will also have bipolar disorder or vice versa. The similarity between the symptoms of the two conditions might make it difficult to diagnose and differentiate one from the other particularly if BD is apparent from childhood.;
Generally, red flags for autism are evident in the child before the appearance of bipolar disorder. In the case of pediatric bipolar disorder, the symptoms may become evident as early as 5 years of age of the child.;
That said, one study found, as much as 30% of youth with bipolar disorder also had ASD. Interestingly, BD appeared earlier in presence of ASD comorbidity.
;One gene sequencing study of bipolar disorder identified significant associations between the genes of autism and bipolar disorder indicating a genetic overlap which might also support the overlapping of the symptoms of the two conditions. Autism shares brain signature with both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.;;;;
The latest findings on the co-occurrence of the two conditions are disparate and demand more research to arrive at any conclusion.;
Treatment Of Autism And Bipolar Disorder
Healthcare professionals or psychiatrists usually suggest;psychoactive medications for bipolar disorder treatment.; One of the most common treatments for bipolar disorder is Lithium.
However, Lithium has some side effects such as excessive drinking, thirst, life-threatening toxicity, bedwetting, and shaky hands.
These side effects became a major concern for those autistic people who face communication difficulties. They will not able to even communicate their problem to others in case of life-threatening situations.
There are some other medications such as anti-seizure and mood-stabilizing medications like Valproic acid. It is a much safer option for the treatment of autistic people with bipolar disorder.
Doctors also prescribe a combination of a low dose of antipsychotic medication and mood-stabilizing medicine. Some of the medications combinations are aripiprazole and risperidone .
But there is some risk in consuming these medicines such as diabetes and weight gain with some of the antipsychotic drugs. Therefore, caretakers or doctors carefully monitor children.
Especially for children, some of the doctors use a combination of therapy and education. This combination not only controls excessive mood swings but also improve their behavior and reduces the stress level.
The Goal Of Long-Term Treatment
Consult the doctor and ask him about the support groups.
Read more:-
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How To Recognize Mania In An Autistic Person
If you think you or a loved one may have both bipolar disorder and autism, its important to understand how the conditions appear together. The symptoms of comorbid bipolar disorder and autism are different than if either condition appeared by itself.
Depression is often obvious and easy to identify, while mania is less clear. Thats why recognizing mania in an autistic person can be difficult.
If the behaviors have been a constant since symptoms associated with autism appeared, theyre unlikely to be the result of mania. However, if you noticed a sudden shift or change, these behaviors may be the result of mania.
Selected Correlation Measures In The An+ Group
provides a pictorial synthesis of the correlation between BMI and YMRS total scores in the AN+ and AN- groups.
Figure 1
Essential correlation metrics in the AN+ and AN- groups are reported in .
Table 2
YMRS items 2 and 5 correlated significantly with AN+: rs = 0.452 and rs = 0.406 , respectively. YMRS item 5 also correlated with AQ-test total score in AN: rs = 0.353 . The strongest and most significant correlation in the AQ-test subset was found between AQ-test attention switching and EDE-Q shape, in the AN+ group only .
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Symptoms Or Differences In Autistic People
Experts consider autism to be a spectrum disorder because there is such a large variation in the differences people experience and their severity. The American Psychiatric Association diagnose ASD by looking at these potential differences:
- repetitive behaviors
- restricted interests in the external environment
- trouble interacting and communicating with others
- symptoms that impact someones ability to function normally
- trouble making or maintaining eye contact
- long lasting, intense interest in special topics
- reacting negatively to changes in routine
Autism And Psychosis Can Co
The previous post claimed that the diametric model of mental illness fits the finding that people who suffer from both bipolar disorder and autism show relatively better overall functioning.
But what I did notand at the time could notexplain was exactly how or why. After all, according to the model, psychotic and autistic disorders are opposites, and so should never be found as pathologies in the same person!
As Abu-Akel and colleagues point out in the report on which my previous post was based, even though schizophrenia spectrum disorders and autism spectrum disorders are considered distinct conditions, there is evidence for an overlap between ASD and BD:
To date, the majority of reports of ASD-BD comorbidity are in ASD samples, with prevalences ranging from 6% to 21.4% . Only two studies have assessed ASD in BD samples: in youths , 30% met diagnostic criteria for ASD ; and in a small sample of adults , 50% had high levels of autistic traits as measured with the Social Responsiveness Scale .
Indeed, a self-report which illustrates the indisputable co-occurrence of ASD and BD was included in my book, The Imprinted Brain:
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The Connection Between Asperger’s And Bipolar Disorder
Guest Author:Jennifer Scott knows how difficult it can be to live with anxiety and depression. She has experienced both since she was in her teens. Today, she writes about the ups and downs of her mental illness on SpiritFinder.org. The blog serves as both a source of information for people with mental illness and a forum where those living with anxiety and depression can come together to discuss their experiences.
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What To Expect From Treatment
The goal of treatment for bipolar disorder is to stabilize moods and prevent broad shifts in mood. This can help stop manic or depressive episodes. With proper treatment, someone with bipolar disorder may be able to regulate their own behavior and mood more easily.
Typical treatment for bipolar disorder includes lifestyle changes, psychotherapy, and medications, such as antipsychotic drugs and mood stabilizers.
Some psychiatrists may also prescribe a family treatment intervention, especially with children. This combination of education and therapy may help improve behavior and decrease severe shifts in mood.
Antipsychotic drugs include risperidone and aripiprazole .
Lithium is the most commonly prescribed mood stabilizer. It can cause significant side effects, including toxicity.
For people with communication difficulties, which is common for people on the autism spectrum, this is a serious concern. If they arent able to communicate about their side effects, the toxicity may not be discovered until too late.Therefore, this medication should be taken with close supervision by ones caregivers and doctor.
Valproic acid is also an example of a mood stabilizer.
If other medications and interventions havent worked and the challenges are quite severe, autistic children may be prescribed one or more antipsychotic or mood-stabilizing medications.
Diagnosis Of Bipolar Disorder
Flux is the fundamental nature of bipolar disorder. Both within and between individuals with the illness, energy, mood, thought, sleep, and activity are among the continually changing biological markers of the disorder. The diagnostic subtypes of bipolar disorder are thus static descriptions snapshots, perhaps of an illness in continual change. Individuals may stay in one subtype, or change into another, over the course of their illness.
There are currently four types of bipolar illness. The DSM-IV-TR details four categories of bipolar disorder, Bipolar I, Bipolar II, Cyclothymia, and Bipolar Disorder NOS . The behavioral manifestations of bipolar disorder are often not understood by patients nor recognized by mental health professionals, so people may suffer unnecessarily for many years before receiving proper treatment.
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Could I Be Autistic And Misdiagnosed As Bipolar
I’m a little concerned that I have been misdiagnosed as bipolar II when I may actually be autistic .
Most of my time is either 1. very depressed and very anxious or 2. somewhat content and somewhat less anxious. Currently I’m very depressed and have been having panic attacks daily for about a week.
I rarely have hypomanic episodes but when I do they last less than a day, but they’re extremely enjoyable. I have never had a full blown manic episode.
This seems to me like it fits bipolar. My doctor has used the terms dysphoric and mixed state with me, but he most commonly refers to my symptoms as anxiety and/or depression rather than depression and mania.
However, I also just did several autism spectrum tests online and scored 42/50 and around that mark on each test. Could autism also be a reason I have? I never thought I was autistic and apparently showed no signs of autism in childhood as I was never diagnosed.
I know they’re just diagnoses , but I’m worried that I now may be autistic too as this has never came to my attention or the attention of medical professionals.
Should I bring this up with my family doctor, psychologist or psychiatrist this week or am I just being paranoid?