Bipolar Disorder & Extreme Moods / Question
Published: January 21, 2004
Dear TeenHealthFX,
I went out with this boy and dumped him yesterday. Now today he tells me that he has bipolar. I have kissed him open-mouthed, and am kind of worried that by doing what I did I will now get bipolar too. Is this disease contagious? Will I get it because I kissed him?
Signed: Is Bipolar Contagious?
Dear Is Bipolar Contagious?,
Bipolar disorder is not contagious. It is a form of depression in which a person goes through extreme mood swings, from very depressed to very manic. There is no way it can be transmitted from one person to another through kissing or any other way.
For more information on Bipolar, see Info. On Bipolar Disorder.
FX hopes this boy is getting proper treatment for this disorder - he needs therapy or medication, or both. In addition, FX would recommend not spreading this information around school or even your friends. This is private information and if the boy wants people to know about it, he will tell them.
Hope this answers your question and clears up some of the confusion about this subject.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
A comprehensive review of pediatric trials conducted between 1988 and 2006 suggests that the benefits of antidepressant medications likely outweigh their risks to children and adolescents with major depressive and anxiety disorders.
