To diagnose bipolar disorder, a doctor performs a physical exam, asks about your symptoms, and recommends blood testing to determine if another condition, such as hypothyroidism, is causing your symptoms. If the doctor does not find an underlying cause of your symptoms, he or she performs a psychological evaluation.
Bipolar disorder can be confused with other conditions, such as depression, schizophrenia, BPD, anxiety, and ADHD. Detecting and diagnosing bipolar disorder may take some time.
Bipolar disorder can only be diagnosed after a full episode of mania or hypomania has occurred. Therefore, people whose bipolar disorder commences with an episode of depression and/or hypomanic symptoms that do not meet diagnostic threshold may be diagnosed initially with a depressive disorder.
A team of researchers has developed a blood test to diagnose bipolar disorder by identifying certain blood biomarkers specific to the condition. This is a phenomenal breakthrough in the field of psychiatry. But why is it so significant?
Talking with a doctor or mental health professional is the first step in identifying bipolar disorder. Specific criteria for diagnosis are laid out in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
Only a mental health professional like a psychiatrist can give you a bipolar disorder diagnosis – not your GP. However, if you're experiencing bipolar moods and symptoms, discussing it with your GP can be a good first step. They can refer you to a psychiatrist, who will be able to assess you.
Bipolar disorder, especially subtypes I and II, are difficult to diagnose. In fact, during the first year of seeking treatment, only 20% of patients are correctly diagnosed. The usual time span between a misdiagnosis and an accurate diagnosis of bipolar disorder is 5-10 years.
So no, not everyone who has bipolar disorder knows they have it. There are lots of reasons why someone with bipolar disorder might not realize it—or why they might deny having it even if they do.
Bipolar Disorder is a mental illness that can inflict serious disability on patients throughout Australia.
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar is one of the most frequently misdiagnosed mental health issues. Somewhere between 1.4 and 6.4 percent of people worldwide are affected by bipolar disorder. However, it's hard to say which number is more accurate due to the frequency of wrongful diagnosis.
Many of the symptoms of a manic bipolar episode and ADHD may be similar, such as distractibility, restlessness, or impulsivity. So ADHD may go undiagnosed in a person with bipolar disorder, if a doctor mistakes ADHD symptoms for a manic episode.
Bipolar disorder is primarily a mood disorder. ADHD affects attention and behavior; it causes symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. While ADHD is chronic or ongoing, bipolar disorder is usually episodic, with periods of normal mood interspersed with depression, mania, or hypomania.
Grandiosity and overconfidence. Easy tearfulness, frequent sadness. Needing little sleep to feel rested. Uncharacteristic impulsive behavior.
Bipolar disorder can occur at any age, although it often develops between the ages of 15 and 19 and rarely develops after 40. Men and women from all backgrounds are equally likely to develop bipolar disorder. The pattern of mood swings in bipolar disorder varies widely between people.
Sometimes bipolar symptoms start in childhood or later in life. However, the most frequent range of onset is between the ages of 14 to 21 years. Childhood bipolar is relatively rare, with only up to 3% of children receiving this diagnosis.
A stressful circumstance or situation often triggers the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Examples of stressful triggers include: the breakdown of a relationship. physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
Bipolar disorder can cause a lack of empathy, but symptoms may also make it more challenging to focus on the feelings of others. While there is no medication to improve empathy, treating bipolar disorder can help. Introspection, guided emotional learning, and observing emotions in others may also help build empathy.
Bipolar disorder can cause your mood to swing from an extreme high to an extreme low. Manic symptoms can include increased energy, excitement, impulsive behaviour, and agitation. Depressive symptoms can include lack of energy, feeling worthless, low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts.
Bipolar disorder and anxiety are two mental health conditions that can look and feel similar. Some people also experience anxiety and bipolar disorder together. The differences come in the triggers behind the overarching symptoms.
Along with the immediate consequences of manic and depressive states, the long-term risks of untreated bipolar disorder can include: Significant challenges at work or school and difficulty managing responsibilities. Strained relationships, loneliness, and isolation. Increased financial instability.
A recent article by CBS News discusses a study that found that many people wait years and years after their bipolar disorder symptoms start before they finally get an accurate diagnosis. The study found that the average time people wait to be diagnosed is six years.
When Might a Mood Be a Symptom of Bipolar Disorder? A shift in mood that lasts no more than a few hours or even a day is normal. In contrast, mood episodes that last days, weeks, or even months are a defining feature of bipolar disorder, according to the American Psychiatric Association (APA).
With bipolar disorders, mood swings occur during an episode and are more random- these episodes can last for extended periods. With borderline personality disorder, symptoms can be triggered at any time, and these individuals tend to cycle through extreme mood swings faster.
Mood swings of bipolar disorder are more random and less related to events than those of borderline. Those with bipolar might have a hair-trigger kind of response during an episode, whereas the borderline person has a hair-trigger response all of the time.