It is important to know that a Bi-Polar disorder is a serious illness that can severely effect the ability of someone suffering from it to live out their daily lives. It can be destructive to relationships with family and friends and also cause the sufferer to be destructive to themselves. For those reasons it necessary to take any diagnosis or diagnosis tool for this illness seriously. There are many online sites that offer a ‘Bi-Polar Test‘ for people that believe they may be suffering from the disorder. Many of the result from these ‘quizzes’ must be taken with a grain of salt.
But before we discuss that to any depth we should lay out specifically the symptoms of the illness as it is characterized by the DSM-IV. This is the officially sanctioned medical text for diagnosing mental disorders. While it is not known specifically why this illness occurs, there are definite signs that the condition is present. Extreme mood changes are present in anyone suffering from Bi-polar. While we all have good days and bad days, do not mistake the characterizations to which we are referring to. These moods include manic euphoria that can suddenly shift to debilitating depression. These changes must be constant as well, with the changes happening in matters of hours, days, or even months. These abrupt changes in personality are typically the cause in the disruption of their daily life and personal relationships. We can further detail the two extremes in mood by discussing the common characteristics of both.
On the depressive side, the most frequently seen symptoms include suicidal ideations, weight loss or weight gain, abuse of drugs or alcohol, decreased sex drive, and long periods of sleep. Other symptoms apply that are more subtle and usually only noticeable by the person that is suffering from the disorder. On the manic side the sufferer may exhibit extreme euphoria with no apparent cause, long periods of insomnia, complete ignorance to the fact that their unusual behavior is causing any problems, or aggressive and reckless behavior.
The ‘quizzes’ and diagnostic tools of the internet can be informative, however anyone exhibiting these types of symptoms should seek immediate professional help. There is no specific test to diagnosis this disorder and normal energetic individuals or introspective personalities my mistakenly diagnose themselves, or worse, begin taking unnecessary medication. Professional psychiatrists run a battery of test to accurately diagnosis this disorder which include medical examinations, a collection of the family psychiatric and medical history, and interviews with various members of the family members of those suffering.