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Why There is Not a Bipolar Test
Most mental illnesses cannot be diagnosed with a test. It is also true that there is no such thing a bipolar test. In fact, there are not even any standard tests such as blood work, x-rays or brain scans that can be used as a bipolar test. For this reason, a bipolar disorder diagnosis must be made in a different way.
A Bipolar Test Cannot Take the Place of a Doctor's Exam
There is no way around the fact that there is a need for a doctor's exam to be done 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 looked at. When it comes to symptoms, a doctor is typically looking for 2 things.
First, 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. 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.
A Bipolar Test Can be Altered by a Patient's Perspective
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 also 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.
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