Comorbid is the term used when someone is diagnosed with more than one type of illness, including personality disorder, such as ADHD and bipolar disorder, or ADHD and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Comorbidity is becoming a more common diagnosis in both children and adults who are already diagnosed with attention deficit disorder.
Similarities in Bipolar (BMD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity (ADHD) Disorder
Bipolar and Attention Deficit Disorder are different psychiatric diagnoses. Determining each type of disorder is challenging because there are overlapping symptoms.
The commonly shared symptoms of both disorders is impulsivity. A person can be extremely impulsive and hyperactive and full of energy with BMD, similar to the hyperactivity associated with symptoms of ADHD.
Differences in Bipolar and Attention Deficit Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder in which a person moves from periods of depression to periods of high energy and mania. Usually the mood swings are extreme but there are many different levels in BMD. ADHD has more to do with attention and focus problems and hyperactivity.
The main identifiers in Bipolar Mood Disorder include:
- grandiosity (for example, large shopping sprees)
- being able to recognize mood swings and extreme mood shifts
- going without sleep for long periods of time
- extreme irritability: This is a tricky symptom because people with ADHD can become frustrated an irritable but a key factor in distinction is the extreme nature of bipolar disorder.
Diagnosing Comorbid Bipolar Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder
Determining comorbity of bipolar disorder and ADHD can be very challenging. There is the potential for misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis in one or both of the two disorders. Although several diagnostic factors help in distinguishing the two conditions:
- shifts in mood: being able to pinpoint distinct shifts in BMD, moving from euphoria to deep depression
- age: Most ADHD symptoms become apparent by the age of seven. This feature may be difficult to pinpoint as an adult because many people go without diagnosis or recognition of attention deficit disorders until later in life. However, increasing awareness of ADHD is making this a more recognizable factor..
- regularity: A diagnosis of ADHD includes consistency in hyperactivity symptoms. According to Edward Hallowell, MD, author of Driven to Distraction, If your child demonstrates recognized behaviors of ADHD for a six month period, a professional evaluation should be considered. The mania of BMD subsides and is replaced by depression or melancholy.
- family history: Both Bipolar Disorder and ADHD tend to run in families.
Another complication in diagnosis is the potential for current medications for bipolar disorder or ADHD to have side effect symptoms that mimic the other disorder. For instance, ADHD medication can cause depression, one of the symptoms of BMD
Treatment of ADHD and Bipolar Disorder
There is no established concrete way to treat comorbid conditions like ADHD and BMD; however, successful treatments have been shown to work. The primary factor in a successful outcome has been demonstrated when the bipolar disorder is addressed first. Once an effective mood stabilizing medication has been proven effective, the ADHD symptoms can be treated. Individual cases vary and everyone responds differently to medications. Therapy should always be considered as a viable option in addition to prescription medication.
Mood and hyperactive disorders can be very frustrating, to say the least, but are also manageable with proper diagnosis. If there is the possibility or concern that comorbid ADHD and Bipolar Disorder exist, it is best to seek the help of a professional who is experiencing in diagnosing both illnesses.
Resources: Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood through Adulthood; Edward M. Hallowell, John J. Ratey; Published by Simon and Schuster, 1995
Elizabeth Richards - Elizabeth Richards has published almost 200 articles for Suite101 since 2007 as a Contributing and Feature Writer.
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