How Bipolar Is Diagnosed

The first step in getting a proper diagnosis is to talk to a doctor, who should conduct a physical examination, interview, and lab tests to rule out any other illnesses. If the problems are not caused by other illnesses, he or she should be asked for a referral to a trained mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist, to conduct a mental health evaluation. He or she should discuss any family history of bipolar disorder or other mental illnesses and get a complete history of symptoms. If possible the mental health professional may want to get the input of family members.

People with bipolar disorder are more likely to seek help when they are depressed than when experiencing mania or hypomania. Because of this and the fact that many of the symptoms overlap with other illnesses it sometimes takes a long time to be properly diagnosed. Many people go for up to ten years before being diagnosed bipolar. Therefore, if a person thinks they may have bipolar it is important to be completely honest and upfront during the evaluation and provide an honest history of depression and manic or hypomanic behavior.