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Diagnosing bipolar

Diagnosing bipolar is notoriously difficult.

There are no biological tests a doctor can perform to confirm a bipolar diagnosis.

Diagnosing bipolar can take up to 20 years.

However, conventional medical testing such as blood samples is still an important part of diagnosing bipolar. These tests are necessary to exclude illnesses with symptoms similar to bipolar symptoms.

For example, an EEG can exclude epilepsy and a CT scan can exclude any brain tumors or lesions. Blood tests are necessary to rule out thyroid disorders, even syphilis and several other serious diseases.

Substance abuse and drug induced psychosis can also confuse diagnosis.

Bipolar disorder can also be mistaken for other mental health conditions such as ADHD, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, or depression (that is, unipolar depression as opposed to bipolar depression).

THE BEST RESOURCE I know of in relation to diagnosing bipolar disorder is this short self-education presentation from The Black Dog Institute, a leading research foundation: see the Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis slideshow NOW.

An accurate bipolar diagnosis requires honesty, above all else. You have to report all possible bipolar symptoms and bipolar behavior, even if this is uncomfortable, and also tell your psychiatrist about any family members who may have been bipolar, whether they were ever "officially" diagnosed or not.

This short snippet from Wikipedia gives a brief but fact packed overview of the process and criteria involved in bipolar diagnosis.

Diagnosing bipolar cannot be done by a blood test, or by a

To be diagnosed as having bipolar disorder certain criteria must be met. As well as the presence of bipolar signs and symptoms, the doctor needs to know about the duration, frequency and consequences of episodes of both mania (highs) and depression (lows).

So what critical factors will help determine a diagnosis of bipolar? Experienced psychiatrists will look for the following:

1. First and foremost, the individual MUST have experienced BOTH mania AND depression as these terms are CLINICALLY defined.

2. There must be a clear onset. The "highs" of mania must lead to uncharacteristic behavior. When manic, a person with bipolar is not "themselves". The illness is episodic and shows marked differences from the person's usual personality.

3. Usually there will be a family history, even if a professional diagnosis has never been made.

The criteria most widely used for diagnosing bipolar is from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).

Even with the help of the DSM-IV, mental illnesses can take years to diagnose correctly. Research has shown an accurate diagnosis can take up to twenty years!

Diagnosing bipolar early will greatly improve the odds of a positive patient prognosis.

Taking a thorough life history, for example using the life chart method, and talking with close friends and family can be just as important in diagnosis as the patient's own self-reported symptoms.

This University of Maryland article provides a good overview of the process for ruling out similar conditions to obtain an accurate bipolar diagnosis.

A particularly difficult issue that is causing a lot of controversy is detecting bipolar disorder in teens. The explosion of diagnosis and medication for bipolar disorder amongst young people has caused much concern. The difficulties of obtaining a reliable diagnosis are set out very clearly in one of or recent 2011 Bipolar Lives Scholarship entries: see Diagnosing Adolescent Bipolar Disorder: A Difficult Task.

While it is true that diagnosing bipolar disorder can be a lengthy, painstaking process, sometimes we do "luck out". For example, I was extremely fortunate and was diagnosed by the first psychiatrist I consulted.

The good news is that once correctly diagnosed, bipolar is very treatable. Medication, therapy and self-management strategies can minimize mood swings so that episodes of either mania or depression become much less frequent and much less serious.

I am now living a wonderful life and and have been blessed with a second chance both personally and professionally.

Get an accurate diagnosis (whether it be bipolar or something else) and stick to your treatment plan and you too can live, love, and conquer.

Worried about yourself or a loved one? See the Bipolar Test

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