¤ Bipolar Disorder ¤

Why There is Not a Bipolar Test

September 12th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

bipolar test There is no test that can conclusively tell you that you have Bipolar Disorder. This is actually not that unusual, mental illnesses typically cannot be diagnosed with a test, so it’s no surprise that there is no such thing as a test for bipolar disorder. There is nothing specific to this disorder that will show on any blood work, x-ray, or brain scan that a tester could look for. The diagnosis for bipolar disorder must then be made in another way.

No Replacement for A Doctor’s Exam

There is no way around the fact that there is a need for a doctor’s exam in order to diagnose bipolar disorder. This is because a person’s symptoms, the course of their illness and family history all need to be examined. When it comes to symptoms, a doctor is typically looking for 2 things; firstly, they are looking for a depressive episode that consists of 5 or more of symptoms of depression lasting most of the day, nearly every day, for 2 weeks or longer, and secondly, they are looking for a manic episode, which is diagnosed as an elevated mood that occurs along with 3 or more of the other symptoms of mania that last most of the day, nearly every day, for 1 week or more.

The Patient’s Perspective is Critical

Quick Facts about Bipolar Disorder

Most symptoms don’t emerge until early adulthood, although childhood cases aren’t uncommon.

Bipolar Disorder is the 6th leading cause of disability in the world.

You may be eligible for disability benefits if you have bipolar disorder. Click here for more information.

People with bipolar disorder often give descriptions that provide doctors with valuable insight into the various mood states that are associated with their illness. For instance, if you are depressed, you may say that you completely doubt your ability to do anything well. You may even say that your mind seems to have slowed down to the point of being virtually useless. It is also possible that you may tell your doctor that you feel as though you can no longer move, think or care.

When it comes to the hypo-mania and mania stages of bipolar, a bipolar test will not accurately show how you feel here either. This is because it will not allow you to describe the fact that you feel as though you are on a tremendous high, that your ideas are coming to you really fast, that you feel as though you are no longer shy, and that things that you use to find no interest in are now very interesting. Herein your doctor will be able to get the idea that you are getting overwhelmed by confusion and memory loss because you simply cannot keep up with everything. We certainly hope you’ve found this information useful. Please make sure and check back often as new information is being added often.

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Tags: bipolar disease, bipolar disorder, bipolar symptoms, bipolar depression, bipolar test