There are many similarities between these two disorders. I’d like to address their differences to give a better perspective between the two (generally speaking):
• A child with ADHD is more likely to stumble accidentally into a fight, as opposed to a child with bipolar who may pick the fight, enjoying the feeling of control and feeling invincible.
• Children with bipolar are more likely to exhibit danger-seeking behavior and hyperawareness of sexuality even at a very young age persisting into older years, where as a child with ADHD may not.
• Continuous effects of bipolar without treatment can worsen, whereas with ADHD, though there may be times where it appears worse, generally the child will show positive progression with age.
• Misbehavior between the two disorders may show the ADHD child as more accidental and careless, whereas the bipolar child will more likely be deliberate about their actions.
• Bipolar children are more likely to have nightmares of grotesque nature. They may also get up several times in the middle of the night. ADHD kids can have problems going to sleep but are likely to remain sleeping through the night.
• Temper triggers in an ADHD child may be set off by sensory over stimulation where a bipolar child may feel challenged by authoritative correction.
• Tantrum durations differ between the two kinds of disorders. The amount of time and the intensity of the tantrum tend to be less with a child with ADHD. They may calm down within a half hour. On the other hand, bipolar children can carry on for hours sometimes!
ADHD and bipolar have similar characteristics such as: hyperactivity, frequent changes behaviorally and emotionally, impulsivity, inattention, physical energy, a hard time going to sleep. Both disorders can have genetic histories of mood disorders. It can be difficult to tell these two disorders a part.
Please check out this informative related article on Childhood Bipolar: “I Wish I Were Never Born.” Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder in Children
My information was gathered thanks to the work of Dr. Charles Popper which was posted on ADHDNews.com.
(Melissa is a Families.com Christian Blogger. Read her blogs at: http://members.families.com/mj7/blog)