Mood stabilizers are used to treat children with mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder. Children with bipolar disorder have extreme mood swings (manic or depressed states).
When children are in the "manic" state, they may be very active, talk too much, have a lot of energy, and sleep very little. They may also be angry, irritable, or feel overly self-important.
Children in the "depressed" state may:
- Feel hopeless or helpless
- Have a loss of energy
- Have changes in appetite
- Gain or lose weight
- Not enjoy activities the child used to enjoy
- Have thoughts of suicide
