Making an appointment

The easiest place for someone to find out if they have bipolar disorder is with their primary care doctor. Even though there are no tests to detect bipolar disorder, a doctor may perform a physical examination and lab tests to rule out other possibilities, like stroke or a brain tumor. The doctor may then make a referral to a trained mental health specialist, such as a psychiatrist, who is experienced in diagnosing and treating the disorder. A full diagnostic evaluation should be performed and the doctor should discuss the patient’s family history of bipolar disorder or other mental illness.

In order to correctly guide or diagnose a patient, the doctor will ask a series of questions. Possible questions are:

When did you or your loved ones first begin noticing your symptoms of depression, mania, or hypomania?
How frequently do your moods change?
Do you ever have suicidal thoughts when you’re feeling down?
How severe are your symptoms? Do they interfere with your daily life?
Do you have any blood relatives with bipolar disorder?
What other mental or physical health conditions do you have?
Do you drink alcohol or use street drugs?
How much do you sleep at night? Does it change over time?
Do you go through periods when you take risks you wouldn’t normally take, such as unsafe sex or unwise, spontaneous financial decisions?
What seems to improve your symptoms?
What appears to worsen your symptoms?