Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder

Being able to properly diagnose bipolar disorder is extremely important. A failure to do so can result in all manners of problem, the most significant one being that a person does not get the help that they need. If a person is experiencing symptoms of bipolar disorder but ends up not having it, it will be vital that they are properly diagnosed and then receives the treatment that they need. If however, a person does have bipolar it will be equally important they receive treatment as well. One of the reasons that individuals may not get the treatment that they need, is because they may not have been properly diagnosed.

When bipolar or manic depressive disorder is not treated, a person is risk of developing a number of issues and experiencing a myriad of problems as it relates to their personal and business relationships. A person may also be at risk physically if they get too high or too low.

When a person experiences signs of mania, they are more prone to engage in risky behaviors such as driving extremely fast or taking drugs. Behaviors like these can result in very harmful outcomes. If an individual becomes very depressed, the other side of the mental disorder, they may feel tempted to commit suicide or may even become homicidal.

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

It can be difficult to diagnose bipolar disorder because its symptoms might mimic those of physical diseases. Examples of some of these diseases include diabetes, brain trauma or tumor, Multiple Sclerosis, lupus and lyme disease are a few. Often times, to properly diagnose a person with bipolar disorder, it is important to rule about diseases such as these. Whenever a test can be used to rule out some of the aforementioned or whatever other disease(s) a doctor might believe a person has, it might be utilized. Besides ruling out other illnesses, a physician will also take a close look at the symptoms a person is experiencing.

Individuals that are having extreme mood swings might in fact have manic depressive disorder. If they are characterized by intense highs and lows, then there is a decent chance that this is what a person has. If a doctor believes that this is the correct diagnosis, they will attempt to treat the condition. This will likely involve some sort of medication regimen. Mood stabilizers, such as lithium, are commonly prescribed. If a person is experiencing extreme bouts of depression, they may be given an anti-depressant to help lift their mood. Persons who have already begin to experience hallucinations or who have become delusional may be good candidates for antipsychotics. Those with a history of these may also be given these kinds of medications. Calcium channel blockers and anticonvulsants might be prescribed to manage the person’s mood and also to temper mania.

Diagnosing bipolar disorder can sometimes be difficult. This is because the disorder can mimic other diseases and conditions. It will often be necessary to rule out these other illnesses before doctor is able to determine with relative certainly that bipolar disorder is the proper diagnosis. Once they do, they can begin to properly treat the patient.