Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis – A Tricky Exercise

The importance of an accurate bipolar disorder diagnosis cannot be overstated. If the patient is to be prescribed the right treatment, getting the diagnosis right is vital.

For doctors, diagnosing bipolar disorder has always been tricky. If there was a laboratory test or x-ray that could give a definitive bipolar disorder diagnosis, preliminary investigations would provide a much clearer result. This lack of quantifiable analysis is part of the reason for the difficulty in determining whether the symptoms are an indication of mental illness or not.

Why Is An Accurate Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis So Difficult

Symptoms that could indicate a bipolar disorder diagnosis could also be indicative of other physical or mental conditions. This makes it even more difficult to provide the appropriate treatment. For example, prescribing pain relief for the physical symptoms instead of digging deeper to identify psychological problems could be quite disastrous for the patient.

This problem is further exacerbated when patients displaying physical signs related to a potential bipolar disorder diagnosis consult their medical doctor and not a psychiatrist. As the average general practitioner is not specially trained to easily recognize mental disease, bipolar can often remain undiagnosed until the condition is well advanced. This can result in escalated episodes involving police, ambulance and drastic treatment for the patient.

Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis Issues

There are several issues for therapists and doctors to consider when making a bipolar disorder diagnosis.

1. Ignoring international standards. Although an international standard exists for making a bipolar disorder diagnosis, many therapists and medical practitioners simply do not follow it. The result of this can be a different diagnosis from several different practitioners.

2. Self-denial. There has always been a negative connotation or stigma attached to the condition of bipolar disorder, commonly known as manic depression. This is a common reason for bipolar sufferers to hold themselves in self-denial, ignoring their symptoms with a "head-in-the-sand" approach. Instead of investigating a possible bipolar disorder diagnosis when the illness begins, the patient ignores the warning signs and does nothing about it. This approach only serves to increase the symptoms and advance the condition more than if the illness been properly diagnosed early on.

3. Limitations of some general practitioners. Some general practitioners and medical doctors are experienced and qualified only in treating medical and physical conditions. Doctors in this category are not qualified to diagnose a mental or psychological illness. This risk in consulting with this type of doctor is having the symptoms treated instead of investigating the real source of the problem.

The psychological symptoms of bipolar disorder can easily be mistaken for the symptoms of other psychological illnesses such as major depressive disorders schizophrenia, substance-induced mood disorders, or mood disorders caused by medical conditions.

Even highly experienced psychiatrists and psychologists can have difficulty reaching an accurate bipolar disorder diagnosis. It is therefore vital to seek help from a qualified mental health professional early in the piece to avoid misdiagnosis. Only then can the illness be properly managed so that the debilitating effects can be minimized.

About The Author: Jean Littman & husband Ray Hogan are co-owners of BipolarClues.com which provides quality tools and resources for bipolar disorder and manic depression. Ray was diagnosed with bipolar in his mid-twenties, and has learnt first hand the strategies which enable him to live a normal, fulfilling and stable life.