home Audience 6 Bipolar disorder. What test can you take for bipolar personality disorder and what are the symptoms? Course of manic episodes

Bipolar disorder. What test can you take for bipolar personality disorder and what are the symptoms? Course of manic episodes

Review

Previously called bipolar disorder, manic depressive disorder is a brain disorder that causes extreme highs and low moods. These fluctuations can affect your ability to perform daily tasks.

Bipolar disorder is a long-term condition usually diagnosed later adolescence or in early adulthood. Than 10 million American adults and children will experience bipolar disorder at some point in their lives. Experts aren't sure what exactly causes bipolar disorder. Family history may increase your risk.

It is important to see your doctor if you think you may be experiencing symptoms of bipolar disorder. This will help you get an accurate diagnosis and treatment approval.

Screening test What is a test for bipolar disorder, how?

Current bipolar screening tests do not work well. The most common report is the mood questionnaire. However, these tests miss 33 percent of people with bipolar and produce a false positive rate of about 20 percent.

You can try some online screening tests if you suspect you have bipolar disorder. These screening tests will ask you a variety of questions to determine the symptoms of your manic and depressive episodes.

Symptoms of manic and depressive episodes include:

Mania or hypomania (less severe)	Depression
experiences moderate to extreme emotional highs	reduces interest in most activities
esteem	change in weight or appetite
decreased need for sleep	changing sleep habits
ability to speak quickly or speak more than usual	fatigue
low level attention	difficulty focusing or concentrating
be purposeful	feelings of guilt or worthlessness
engaging in enjoyable activities that may have Negative consequences	with suicidal thoughts
high irritability	high irritability during the day

These tests should not replace professional diagnosis. People taking the screening test are more likely to experience symptoms of depression than mania. As a result, bipolar disorder is often overlooked in depression.

Seek emergency attention immediately if you or a loved one engages in dangerous, reckless behavior or suicidal thoughts.

Example questions from the bipolar screening test

Some screening questions will ask whether you have had episodes of mania or depression and how they affected you from day to day:

During the past two weeks, have you been so depressed that you were unable to work or only had difficulty working and felt at least four of the following?
- loss of interest in most activities
- change in appetite or weight
- sleep problem
- irritability
- fatigue
- hopelessness and helplessness
- focusing problem
- thoughts of suicide
Do you have mood swings that fluctuate between high and low periods?
During your high episodes, do you feel more energetic or hypersensitive than you would during normal moments?

A healthcare professional can provide the best assessment. They will also review your symptom chart, any medications you are taking, other medical conditions, and family history to make a diagnosis.

Diagnostics What other tests will you need?

When diagnosing bipolar disorder, the usual method is to first rule out other diseases or disorders. Your doctor will:

perform a physical examination
check your blood and urine
ask about your moods and behavior for a psychological assessment.

If your doctor doesn't find medical reason, they can contact a mental health provider, such as a psychiatrist, for possible medications to treat this condition. You can also see a psychologist to help you cope with the symptoms of the disorder.

The criteria for bipolar disorder are outlined in the new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Receiving a diagnosis may take time—even several sessions. Symptoms of bipolar disorder tend to overlap with those of other mental health disorders.

The timing of a bipolar mood shift is not always predictable. In the case of fast cycling, moods may swing from mania to depression four or more times a year. Someone may also experience a "mixed episode," where symptoms of mania and depression are present at the same time.

When your mood turns into mania, you may suddenly disappear with depressive symptoms or suddenly feel incredibly good and energetic. But there will be clear changes in mood, energy and activity levels.

Even in the case of rapid cycles or mixed episodes, a bipolar diagnosis requires someone to experience:

per week for mania (less if he was hospitalized)
four days for an episode of hypomania
a distinct intervention is an episode of depression that lasts two weeks.

Your mental health may also send you home with a journal and ask you to write about your moods so they can look for patterns.

Results. What are the potential outcomes for bipolar disorder?

There are four types of bipolar disorder, and the criteria for each are slightly different. Your psychiatrist, therapist or psychologist will help you determine which type you have on exams.

Other specified and unspecified bipolar and related disorders are another type of bipolar disorder. You may have this type if your symptoms do not fit the three types listed above.

TreatmentWhat are the treatment options for bipolar disorder?

The best way to manage bipolar disorder and its symptoms is through long-term treatment. Doctors usually prescribe a mixture of medications, psychotherapy, and home therapy.

Medicines

Some medications may help stabilize moods. It is very important to report regularly to your doctors if you experience any side effects or do not see a stabilization in your mood. Some commonly prescribed medications include:

mood stabilizers such as lithium (Lithobid), valproic acid (Depakene), or lamaotrigine (Lamictal)
antipsychotics such as olanzapine (Zyprexa), risperidone (Risperdal), quetiapine (Seroquel), and aripiprazole (Abilify)
antidepressants (Valium, Paxil)
antidepressant-antipsychotic drugs such as Symbyax, a combination of fluoxetine and olanzapine
anti-anxiety medications such as benzodiazepines

Read more about medications used to treat bipolar disorder »

Other medical interventions

When medication doesn't work, your mental health professional may recommend:

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): electric currents pass through the brain to help reduce depression
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): regulates mood for people who do not respond to antidepressants

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is also a key part of treatment for bipolar disorder. This may be in individual, family or group treatment. Some psychotherapies that may be helpful include:

cognitive behavioral therapy to help identify the triggers of your bipolar disorder, replace negative thoughts and behaviors with positive ones, and learn to cope and better manage stress
psychoeducation to learn more about bipolar so you can make better treatment and treatment decisions
Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT) to help you create a consistent daily life for sleep, diet and exercise session
to express your feelings and discuss your problems face to face

Therapy at home

Some lifestyle changes can reduce the intensity of moods and the frequency of cycling.

They include:

abstaining from alcohol and illegal drugs
avoiding unhealthy relationships
getting at least 30 minutes of exercise per day
getting at least seven to nine hours of sleep per night
eat a healthy balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables

Talk to your doctor if your medications and treatments do not relieve your symptoms. In some cases, antidepressants may make your bipolar symptoms worse. Always is alternative medicines and treatments to help manage your condition.

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Living with a person who is susceptible to this mental pathology is unbearable for his loved ones. However, neither the patient himself nor those around him often suspect that this is bipolar depression. The disease requires serious treatment as it progresses and can take dangerous forms.

Bipolar disorder

Previously, this disease was called “manic-depressive psychosis” (MDP) or “ manic depression" Today, this diagnosis in international psychiatric practice is designated as bipolar affective disorder (BAD). Symptoms of pathology may first appear in adolescence and adolescence. If such signs develop, then by about 40 years of age a persistent disease develops.

Bipolar disorder - what is it? The essence of the pathology lies in a sharp change in two opposite (therefore bipolar) affective moods:

from euphoria to depression;
from depression to euphoria.

In psychiatry, a state of elation and inspiration on the verge of passion is usually called manic. During a less pronounced hypomanic phase (diagnosis - type II bipolar disorder), the patient is ready to move mountains. However, due to excessive activity and communication with many people, the nervous system quickly becomes exhausted. Irritability and insomnia appear. A person evaluates reality inadequately and is in conflict.

During the manic phase (diagnosis - type I bipolar disorder), the patient’s affective state sharply worsens. His thoughts become categorical, intolerant of objections, and his behavior becomes verbose and aggressive. Symptoms of mania may be combined with signs of depression. For example, euphoria - with inactivity, deep sadness - with nervous agitation.

Bipolar personality disorder

Sharp, uncontrolled changes affective states, that is, bipolar personality disorder, have a detrimental effect on the patient’s character traits. Patients often become the initiators of non-standard ideas and cases. Vigorous activity captivates them, bringing moral satisfaction. However, in the team, such colleagues are afraid and shunned, considering them people “not of this world.”

A person suffering from bipolar disorder is characterized by:

inadequate thinking;
inflated self-esteem, expectation of praise;
inability to self-criticize;
stubbornness, maximalism;
aggressive, unpredictable behavior.

Psychics

Patients with bipolar disorder type I spend approximately 10% of the time in the manic phase and 30% in the depression phase. Patients who develop bipolar II disorder are in a hypomanic phase about 1% of the time, and spend 50% in depressed state. Like the swing of a pendulum, after mania or hypomania comes depression. The patient is sad, cries, suffers.

A person feels undeservedly offended, unrecognized, deprived of respect and attention. In very severe depressive states, thoughts arise about one’s worthlessness and even suicide. Between these two phases of bipolarity, intermediate states of relative calm arise, and then the patient’s psyche normalizes, but only temporarily.

Bipolar disorder - symptoms

How to verify the presence of pathology? There are criteria for a depressive episode. Bipolar syndrome is obvious if at least 3 symptoms from the following list persist for two weeks:

depression, tearfulness;
loss of interest in life;
weight loss;
insomnia;
headaches, stomach pains;
absent-mindedness;
a feeling of worthlessness of existence.

The manic phase of bipolar disorder, which lasts more than 1 week, is characterized by aggressiveness and excessive irritability. At the same time, patients consider themselves completely healthy, even when they experience night terrors and hallucinations. While many people around the patient pay attention to the manifestations of the manic phase, the signs of a hypomanic state often go unnoticed.

Causes

It is important to distinguish bipolar disorder from similar mental disorders. Manic-depressive syndrome, as a rule, is not a consequence of any somatic (physical) illness. Almost anyone can get bipolar disorder. In bipolar disorder, the causes of which are varied, the main risk factors are:

Diagnostics

Recognizing this disease is often not so easy. The diagnosis of bipolar disorder is difficult to make because there are no precise assessment criteria. Conversations between the psychotherapist and the patient, conducting a series of tests, and monitoring the affective episode are important. Required differential diagnosis so as not to confuse bipolar disorder with depression, neurosis, psychosis, mental retardation, or schizophrenia.

Treatment for Bipolar Disorder

BAR can be treated. The main goal of psychotherapy is to bring a person out of an affective state. The difficulty is that the patient has to take a lot of medications with many side effects. Treatment for bipolar affective disorder is carried out using:

Do you communicate more with people in this state?

Do you make risky decisions more often?

Are you coming up with more new ideas?

When the mood rises, it intensifies sexual attraction?

Do you feel sorry for yourself when you're depressed?

When you're sad, do you feel like a failure?

IN bad mood Are people around you annoying?

Are you experiencing a breakdown?

Do you often think about the worthlessness of your existence?

Video

Bipolar disorder was formerly called manic-depressive disorder. It is a brain disorder that causes extreme highs and lows in mood. These fluctuations can affect your ability to perform daily tasks.

Bipolar disorder is a long-term condition usually diagnosed in late adolescence or early adulthood. More than 10 million American adults and children will experience bipolar disorder at some point in their lives. Experts aren't sure what exactly causes bipolar disorder. Family history may increase your risk.

It is important to see your doctor if you think you may be exhibiting symptoms of bipolar disorder. This will help you get an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Screening test

What is a bipolar disorder screening test?

You can try some online tests if you suspect you have bipolar disorder. These screening tests will ask you a variety of questions to determine the symptoms of your manic and depressive episodes.

Symptoms of manic and depressive episodes include:

Mania or hypomania (less severe)	Depression
experiences moderate to extreme emotional highs	reduces interest in most activities
change in weight or appetite	decreased need for sleep
changing sleep habits	ability to speak quickly or speak more than usual
fatigue	low level of attention
be focused	feelings of guilt or worthlessness
engaging in pleasurable activities that may have negative consequences	with suicidal thoughts
high irritability	high irritability most of day
These tests should not replace professional diagnosis. People taking the screening test are more likely to experience symptoms of depression than mania. As a result, bipolar disorder is often overlooked in depression.	My advisor acknowledged behavior and signs that were not consistent chronic depression; she saw bipolar disorder. The psychiatrist confirmed the diagnosis of bipolar disorder and began a treatment regimen appropriate for the illness. I attend therapy weekly and would probably give up many times without this support. - Jane, originally diagnosed for chronic depression before accepting a bipolar diagnosis

Seek emergency attention immediately if you or a loved one engages in dangerous, reckless behavior or suicidal thoughts.

Example questions from the bipolar screening test

Some screening questions will ask whether you have had episodes of mania or depression and how they affected you from day to day:

During the past two weeks, have you been so depressed that you were unable to work or only had difficulty working and felt at least four of the following?

loss of interest in most activities

change in appetite or weight
- sleep problem
- irritability
- fatigue
- hopelessness and helplessness
- focusing problem
- thoughts of suicide
- Do you have mood swings that fluctuate between high and low periods?
- During your high episodes, do you feel more energetic or hypersensitive than you would during normal moments?
A healthcare professional can provide the best assessment. They will also review your symptom chart, any medications you are taking, other medical conditions, and family history to make a diagnosis.
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Diagnostics

What other tests will you need to take?

When diagnosing bipolar disorder, the usual method is to first rule out other diseases or disorders. Your doctor will:

perform a physical examination

check your blood and urine

ask about your moods and behavior for a psychological assessment.
If your doctor does not find a medical cause, they may contact a mental health provider, such as a psychiatrist, for possible medications to treat the condition. You can also see a psychologist to help you cope with the symptoms of the disorder.
The criteria for bipolar disorder are outlined in the new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Receiving a diagnosis may take time—even several sessions. Symptoms of bipolar disorder tend to overlap with those of other mental health disorders.

Teenagers and young adults. More than half of diagnosed bipolar cases occur between the ages of 15 and 25. But according to the National Institute of Mental Health, bipolar disorder can be diagnosed at any age.

When your mood turns manic, you may suddenly experience depressive symptoms or suddenly feel incredibly good and energetic. But there will be clear changes in mood, energy and activity levels.

Even in the case of rapid cycles or mixed episodes, a bipolar diagnosis requires someone to experience:

per week for mania (less if he was hospitalized)

four days for an episode of hypomania

a distinct intervention is an episode of depression that lasts two weeks.
Your mental health may also send you home with a journal and ask you to write about your moods so they can look for patterns.
AdvertisingAdvertising

results

What are the potential outcomes for bipolar disorder?

There are four types of bipolar disorder, and the criteria for each are slightly different. Your psychiatrist, therapist or psychologist will help you determine which type you have on exams.

Type

Manic episodes

Depressive episodes	Bipolar I	last for at least seven days at a time or are so severe that you need immediate health care
at least two weeks and may be interrupted by mania	Bipolar II	less extreme than bipolar I disorder (hypomania)
, often severe and alternating with hypomania	Cyclothymic	occur frequently and fall under hypomanic periods alternating with depressive periods
alternate with periods of hypomania for at least two years in adults and one year in children and adolescents	Other specified and unspecified bipolar and related disorders are another type of bipolar disorder. You may have this type if your symptoms do not fit the three types listed above.	Advertising

What are the treatment options for bipolar disorder?

The best way to manage bipolar disorder and its symptoms is through long-term treatment. Doctors usually prescribe a mixture of medications, psychotherapy, and home therapy.

Medicines

mood stabilizers such as lithium (Lithobid), valproic acid (Depakene), or lamaotrigine (Lamictal)

antipsychotics such as olanzapine (Zyprexa), risperidone (Risperdal), quetiapine (Seroquel), and aripiprazole (Abilify)

antidepressants (Valium, Paxil)
antidepressant-antipsychotic drugs such as Symbyax, a combination of fluoxetine and olanzapine
anti-anxiety medications such as benzodiazepines
Read more about medications used to treat bipolar disorder »
Other medical interventions

When medication doesn't work, your mental health professional may recommend:

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): electrical currents are passed through the brain to help relieve depression

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): regulates mood for people who do not respond to antidepressants

Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is also a key part of treatment for bipolar disorder. This may be in an individual, family or group setting. Some psychotherapies that may be helpful include:

cognitive behavioral therapy to help identify the triggers of your bipolar disorder, replace negative thoughts and behaviors with positive ones, and learn to cope and better manage stress

psychoeducation to learn more about bipolar so you can make better treatment and treatment decisions

interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT) to help you create a consistent daily routine for sleep, diet and exercise sessions
to express your feelings and discuss your problems face to face
Therapy at home
Some lifestyle changes can reduce the intensity of moods and the frequency of cycling.

They include:

abstaining from alcohol and illegal drugs

avoiding unhealthy relationships

getting at least 30 minutes of exercise per day
getting at least seven to nine hours of sleep per night
eat a healthy balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables
Talk to your doctor if your medications and treatments do not relieve your symptoms. In some cases, antidepressants may make your bipolar symptoms worse. There are always alternative medications and treatments that can help manage your condition.

Bipolar personality disorder may manifest itself sudden changes moods.
For example, in the morning you feel uncomfortable and depressed, and in the evening your mood changes dramatically. And during periods of love, on the contrary, a person is ready to “flutter”.

Test for bipolar disorder

To diagnose and determine the specific direction of treatment for bipolar disorder, a person is asked to take a special test, which contains questions, the answers to which determine what kind of treatment will be required.

The questions may seem primitive at first glance, but at the same time they are good at understanding the source of the disorder and further courses of action.

But such questionnaires will in no way replace professional help psychotherapist.

Test questions:

Are you much more energetic when you're in a better mood?
Do you communicate more with people in this state?
Do you make risky decisions more often?
Are you coming up with more new ideas?
Does sexual desire increase when your mood rises?
Do you feel sorry for yourself when you're depressed?
When you're sad, do you feel like a failure?
When you are in a bad mood, do others irritate you?
Are you experiencing a breakdown?
Do you often think about the worthlessness of your existence?

If you answered 4 times - YES! You may have bipolar personality disorder, consult a psychotherapist.

At such moments, people experience a state of spiritual inspiration and are ready to “move mountains” on their way.

What is this pathology?

At one point, completely unpredictable reactions to ongoing events may occur. When a person is in a manic-depressive mood, such mood swings go beyond the usual and generally accepted norms of behavior. This is the first sign of illness.

With this disease, the wave of mood changes ranges from mild depression to manic behavior.

Causes of the disease

Anyone can experience bipolar disorder under certain conditions.

What are the reasons for the tendency to this type of mood change is still not completely clear.

Although, it is believed that with the correlation of certain factors, the disease begins to progress.

Genetic disorder

Although this disorder is not one of the hereditary diseases, there is still some probability of a strong genetic element. For them to begin to appear and dominate, it must be a whole set of genes, and not just a single one.

This group of genes should be responsible for impulses and regulation in the brain. First of all, the disease at the genetic level affects first-degree relatives, that is, brothers and sisters.

However, life events that arise can greatly affect a person’s subconscious and cause disturbances. It is important how upbringing occurs in the family, the absence of violence, rigid imposition of one’s principles and life position, which can lead to stress.

Adopted children are almost seven times more susceptible to this disease. The statistics are also disappointing for twins, one of whom has experienced this disease.

The chance that the other twin will also have the disorder is too high, about 60 to 80 percent. But the rest can remain healthy, despite the development of identical twins, which means that there are other factors affecting the brain and its disorders.

Sometimes genetic inheritance begins to manifest itself under the influence of external factors.

Heredity factors and external stimuli, stress can complement each other, contributing to the development of bipolar disease.

Change in nerve cells

The human brain contains active chemical elements at the biological level, they are called neurotransmitters. They are responsible for transmitting signals between all nerve cells.

Scientists and doctors suggest that during periods of stress, the level of this substance decreases, due to which there is poor transmission of signals and impulses along nerve cells. But this is only during periods of depression; in a manic mood, on the contrary, the number of neurotransmitters increases.

Stress and life events

Stress can later turn into the most different shapes manifestations. So, for example, for one person a wedding is a joyful event, but for another it is a real disaster, full of nervous tension.

Such reasons include stress that occurs when changing jobs, financial or family problems. This, combining into a whole picture, along with a person’s impressionability, develops into this disease.

The brain and nervous system become vulnerable and perceive repeated stress much more often than usual. Constant use leaves a clear imprint alcoholic drinks, narcotic substances.

Video

Symptoms of mental illness

Main symptoms:

unjustified aggression;
irritability;
lack of sleep;
skeptical views on life and what is happening around;
inexplicable cheerful mood;
private changes in behavior.

TO specific features bipolar disorder involves loss of time. It constantly seems to the patient that his depression and other largely contrived troubles last forever.

This state never seems to leave him. From what period all this began is completely unclear; only relatives can clarify the situation.

Even before the patient begins to experience unhealthy symptoms, they are preceded by some disruptions:

constant fatigue, loss of strength;
feeling of oppression, loss of meaning in life;
the need for constant rest, vacation, etc.;
uncertainty about own strength, life position;
sleep disturbance;
fright, nervous tension, irritability;
lack of responsibility for daily duties;
decreased interest in sex.

If suddenly the first signs listed apply to you or your loved one, you need to start treatment.

It seems to the patient that he is an “empty place” for those around him, his life has no meaning.

Those around him do not perceive him as a person, they show all sorts of opposition, taking on the appearance of enemies. In relation to himself, a person is torn between opposing moods and opinions.

Complex treatment of pathology

At correct selection methods of treatment, patients even with the most running form disorders can be cured, lead nerve cells back to normal. Since the disease can have relapses, constant medical supervision and regular interviews with a psychiatrist are required.

It is necessary to create an appropriate atmosphere in home environment. Leave nervous work, do not communicate with people who cause stress or negative emotions.

Only qualified psychiatrists with the required experience can prescribe medications called “mood stabilizers.” They have a beneficial effect on general state, psychological and have a calming effect on a person.

Electroconvulsive therapy is recommended only for those who do not respond to either medication or consultation with a doctor. In addition, such therapy is used only for repeated advanced episodes.

If you suspect this mental disorder, you need to undergo comprehensive examination and begin treatment immediately. Delaying this over time will lead to a constant course of the disease, only in a more severe form.

The disease requires serious treatment as it progresses and can take dangerous forms.

Bipolar disorder

Previously, this disease was called “manic-depressive psychosis” (MDP) or “manic depression”. Today, this diagnosis in international psychiatric practice is designated as bipolar affective disorder (BAD). Symptoms of the pathology may first appear in adolescence and young adulthood. If such signs develop, then by about 40 years of age a persistent disease develops.

Bipolar disorder - what is it? The essence of the pathology lies in a sharp change in two opposite (therefore bipolar) affective moods:

from euphoria to depression;
from depression to euphoria.

Bipolar personality disorder

Sharp, uncontrollable changes in affective states, that is, bipolar personality disorder, have a detrimental effect on the patient’s character traits. Patients often become the initiators of non-standard ideas and cases. Vigorous activity captivates them, bringing moral satisfaction. However, in the team, such colleagues are afraid and shunned, considering them people “not of this world.”

A person suffering from bipolar disorder is characterized by:

inadequate thinking;
inflated self-esteem, expectation of praise;
inability to self-criticize;
stubbornness, maximalism;
aggressive, unpredictable behavior.

Bipolar mental disorder

Patients with bipolar disorder type I spend approximately 10% of the time in the manic phase and 30% in the depression phase. Patients who develop bipolar II disorder are in a hypomanic phase about 1% of the time, and spend 50% of the time in a depressed state. Like the swing of a pendulum, after mania or hypomania comes depression. The patient is sad, cries, suffers.

Bipolar disorder - symptoms

How to verify the presence of pathology? There are criteria for a depressive episode. Bipolar syndrome is obvious if at least 3 symptoms from the following list persist for two weeks:

depression, tearfulness;
loss of interest in life;
weight loss;
insomnia;
headaches, stomach pains;
absent-mindedness;
a feeling of worthlessness of existence.

Bipolar disorder - causes

Diagnosis of bipolar disorder

Recognizing this disease is often not so easy. The diagnosis of bipolar disorder is difficult to make because there are no precise assessment criteria. Conversations between the psychotherapist and the patient, conducting a series of tests, and monitoring the affective episode are important. Differential diagnosis is necessary so as not to confuse bipolar disorder with depression, neurosis, psychosis, mental retardation, or schizophrenia.

Treatment for Bipolar Disorder

How to live with bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder cannot be cured completely, but the disease can be suppressed. In addition to taking medications, it is important:

following all medical instructions;
belief in improvement;
autogenic training;
patience, commitment to lifelong treatment.

Test for bipolar disorder

With 4 or more “Yes” answers, the likelihood of bipolar disorder can be assumed. It is a good idea to discuss the test results with a psychotherapist:

Are you much more energetic when you're in a better mood?
Do you communicate more with people in this state?
Do you make risky decisions more often?
Are you coming up with more new ideas?
Does sexual desire increase when your mood rises?
Do you feel sorry for yourself when you're depressed?
When you're sad, do you feel like a failure?
When you are in a bad mood, do others irritate you?
Are you experiencing a breakdown?
Do you often think about the worthlessness of your existence?

Video: What is bipolar disorder

The information presented in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials of the article do not call for self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and make recommendations for treatment based on individual characteristics specific patient.

Test for bipolar disorder (manic depressive psychosis)

Today, on the psychological consultation website Psychoanalyst-Matveev.RF, you can take a test for bipolar disorder online (previously this mental pathology called “manic-depressive psychosis”).

The essence of bipolar affective personality disorder (BID) is periodic mood swings. From euphoria (mania phase) or constantly elevated (hypomania phase), to the polar - low, depressed, up to complete despondency (depression phase). Read more about BAR.

So, take the bipolar affective disorder test online

Answer the test questions honestly, as quickly as possible, and don’t overthink it. Even if you are now in a low mood, choose the answers “Yes” or “No”, remembering the moments when you had an emotional uplift (euphoria, high mood)

Remember that for accurate diagnosis bipolar disorder, a test is not enough; a direct conversation with a psychiatrist or psychotherapist is necessary.

This online test for bipolar disorder will give you a high probability of having this mental illness or not.

Ready? We started taking a test for manic-depressive psychosis, also known as bipolar affective disorder.

When you are in a state of emotional highs, you... (you...)

Psychological help online Make an appointment

All site tests HERE

Similar tests for mental disorders:

Psychological assistance, online consultation with a psychologist: psychoanalysis, psychotherapy

What test can you take for bipolar personality disorder and what are the symptoms?

Bipolar personality disorder is a mental disorder of an endogenous nature, which is characterized by affective states, accompanied by alternating depressive and manic phases. Several decades ago, psychiatrists designated this pathology as manic-depressive psychosis. But since the course of the disease is not always accompanied by manifestations of psychosis, modern classification The disease is usually referred to as bipolar affective personality disorder (BAD).

BAR: two facets of one disorder

With bipolar personality disorder, two poles of emotional tension and differences between them are formed; these are a kind of emotional “swing” that raises a person to a feeling of euphoria and just as quickly drops them into the abyss of despair, emptiness and hopelessness. Mood changes occur periodically in all people, but in people suffering from bipolar disorder, such changes can reach extreme manic and depressive tension, and such emotions can persist for a long time.

Affective states expressed to an extreme degree are debilitating nervous system and often become a cause of suicide. IN classic version Manic and depressive phases alternate, and each of them can last several years. At the same time, there are also mixed states, when the patient experiences a rapid change of these phases, or symptoms of mania and depression appear simultaneously. The variants of mixed states are very diverse, for example, pathological anxiety and irritability are combined with melancholy, and euphoria is accompanied by lethargy.

With bipolar affective disorder, a sick person may be in one of 4 phases:

calm emotional condition(norm);
manic state;
depression;
hypomania.

A balanced emotional state is observed during the calm period between phases. This is the so-called intermission, when the human psyche returns to normal.

Main phases

In the manic phase, the patient is euphoric, experiences a surge of strength, can go without sleep, and does not experience fatigue. New ideas constantly come into his head, his speech speeds up, unable to keep up with the flow of thoughts. A person gains confidence in his exclusivity and omnipotence. Behavior in this phase is poorly controlled, the patient switches from one project to another and does not complete anything, and shows a tendency to impulsiveness, dangerous and risky actions. IN severe cases may experience auditory hallucinations and experience delusional states.

Hypomania manifests itself with symptoms of mania, but they are less severe. Regardless of the circumstances, a person is in high spirits, is active and energetic, makes decisions quickly, and effectively copes with everyday problems without losing a sense of reality. Ultimately, this condition also gives way to depression after some time.

Phases or episodes of the disease can replace each other or appear after long light periods (intermissions), when the patient’s mental health is completely restored. The prevalence of bipolar disorder in the population ranges from 0.5 to 1.5%, and the disease can develop between the ages of 15 and 45 years. The pathology most often debuts in youth, with the peak incidence occurring between 18 and 21 years of age. BAD has gender characteristics. Thus, in representatives of the stronger sex, the first symptoms of the disorder are manic manifestations, and in women, the disease begins to develop with depressive states.

Causes of the disease

Scientists have not yet identified the exact reasons that contribute to the development of bipolar personality disorder. Although latest research I confirm that in almost 80% of cases the genetic factor predominates, and the remaining 20% is due to the influence of the external environment.

Heredity

Researchers believe that in most cases, bipolar disorder is hereditary. The risk of developing a mental illness in a child increases to 50% if one of the parents in the family suffered from a mood disorder. Detect specific dominant genes transmitting the disease is extremely difficult. Most often, they form an individual combination, which, in combination with other predisposing factors, leads to the development of pathology. The mechanism of the disease can be triggered by dysfunctions of the brain, pathologies of the hypothalamus, an imbalance of the main neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin) or hormonal imbalances.

Influence of external factors

Among the factors that can cause bipolar affective disorder, scientists name any traumatic situation, severe shocks, and regular stress. Abuse plays a role in the development of bipolar disorder. psychotropic substances, tendency towards drug addiction or alcoholism.

A mental disorder can develop with severe intoxication of the body, be a consequence of traumatic brain injury, suffered a heart attack or stroke. In Group increased risk there are women who have experienced an attack of depression in postpartum period. In this category of patients, the likelihood of further development of bipolar disorders increases 4 times.

Particular attention should be paid to the characteristic personal characteristics of a person. Thus, melancholic and statothymic personality types, which are characterized by an orientation toward responsibility, constancy, and increased conscientiousness, are more prone to developing the disease. In addition, the risk group includes individuals who are overly emotional, subject to spontaneous mood swings, reacting affectively to any changes, or, on the contrary, individuals who are excessively conservatistic, lacking emotion, and who prefer monotony and monotony of life.

Psychiatrists note that patients with bipolar personality disorder often suffer from other concomitant mental disorders (for example, anxiety syndrome, schizophrenia), which significantly complicates treatment. Patients with bipolar disorder are forced to take many potent drugs, sometimes throughout life.

Symptoms of bipolar personality disorder

The main symptoms of the disease are alternating manic and depressive episodes. Moreover, the number of such episodes cannot be predicted; sometimes a person experiences a single episode in his entire life and then remains in the intermission phase for decades. In other cases, the disease manifests itself only in phases of mania or depression, or their alternation.

The duration of such phases can range from several weeks to 1.5-2 years, and manic periods are several times shorter than depressive ones. Depressive states are much more dangerous, since at this time the patient experiences difficulties professionally, faces problems in family and social life, which can cause suicidal feelings. In order to help a loved one in time, you need to know what symptoms this or that phase manifests itself.

Course of manic episodes

Signs of bipolar disorder in the manic phase depend on the stage of the disease and are characterized by motor agitation, euphoria, and acceleration of thought processes.

First stage

At the first stage (hypomanic), the person is in high spirits, feels physical and spiritual uplift, but motor excitement is moderate. During this period, speech is fast, verbose, in the process of communication there is a jumping from one topic to another, attention is scattered, the person is quickly distracted, it is difficult for him to concentrate. Sleep duration becomes shorter, appetite increases.

Second stage

The second stage (severe mania) is accompanied by an increase in the main symptoms. The patient is euphoric, loves people, constantly laughs and jokes. But such a complacent mood can quickly give way to an outburst of anger. There is pronounced speech and motor arousal, the person is constantly distracted, but it is impossible to interrupt him or conduct a consistent conversation with him. At this stage, delusions of grandeur manifest themselves, a person overestimates his own personality, expresses delusional ideas, builds brighter prospects, can thoughtlessly squander all funds, invest them in dubious projects or get involved in life-threatening situations. The duration of sleep is significantly reduced (up to 3-4 hours a day).

Third stage

In the third stage (manic frenzy), the symptoms of the disorder reach their apogee. The patient's condition is characterized by incoherent speech, consisting of fragments of phrases, individual syllables, motor excitement becomes disordered. There is an increase in aggressiveness, insomnia, and increased sexual activity.

Fourth stage

The fourth stage is accompanied by gradual calming, a decrease in motor excitation against the background of continued rapid speech and elevated mood.

Fifth stage

The fifth (reactive) stage is characterized by a gradual return of behavior to normal, decreased mood, increasing weakness, and mild motor retardation. At the same time, some episodes associated with manic frenzy may disappear from the patient’s memory.

Manifestations of the depressive phase

The depression phase is the exact opposite of manic behavior and is characterized by the following triad of symptoms: slowing down of mental activity, depression, and retardation of movements. All stages of the depressive phase are characterized by a maximum decrease in mood in morning time, with manifestations of melancholy and anxiety and a gradual improvement in well-being and activity in the evening.

During such periods, patients lose interest in life, they lose appetite, and there is a sharp loss of weight. In women, menstrual cycles may be disrupted due to depression. Experts distinguish four main stages of depression:

Initial and second phases

The initial phase occurs against a background of weakening mental tone, decreased mental and physical activity, lack of mood. Patients complain of insomnia and difficulty falling asleep.

Increasing depression is accompanied by loss of mood with the addition of anxiety syndrome, sharp drop performance, lethargy. Appetite disappears, speech becomes quiet and laconic.

The third stage is severe depression, when the symptoms of trouble reach their peak. The patient is worried painful attacks melancholy and anxiety, answers questions in monosyllables, in a quiet voice, with long delay may lie or sit for a long time, without moving, in one position, refuse to eat, and lose the sense of time. Constant fatigue, melancholy, apathy, thoughts of one’s own worthlessness, loss of interest in any activity push towards suicidal attempts. Sometimes the patient hears voices speaking about the meaninglessness of existence and calling for death.

Fourth phase

At the last, reactive stage, all symptoms gradually soften, appetite appears, but weakness persists for quite a long time. Rising physical activity, the desire to live, communicate, talk with people around him returns.

Sometimes symptoms of depression appear atypically. In this case, the person begins to have problems, quickly gains weight, sleeps a lot, and complains of heaviness in the body. Emotional background unstable, when high level lethargy is noted increased anxiety, irritability, special sensitivity to negative situations.

Mixed states

In addition to the manic and depressive phases, the patient may be in mixed states, when on the one hand there is anxious depression, and on the other, inhibited mania, or such states when the patient very quickly, within a few hours, alternates signs of mania and depression. Most often, mixed conditions are diagnosed in young people and create certain difficulties in diagnosing and choosing the right treatment.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of bipolar disorder is difficult, since the exact criteria for the disease have not yet been determined. A psychiatrist must collect a complete family history, clarify the nuances of the manifestation of pathology in close relatives, and determine the psychostatus of the individual.

For staging correct diagnosis resort to testing for bipolar personality disorder. There are several testing options, the most popular of which are:

PHQ 9 questionnaire recommended by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation;
Spielberger scale, which allows you to determine the level of anxiety;
Beck questionnaires that detect the presence of depression and suicidal tendencies.

In general, two affective episodes (manic or mixed) are sufficient to make a diagnosis. But the difficulty lies in the fact that the symptoms of bipolar disorder are similar to the manifestations of many mental disorders (schizophrenia, neuroses, unipolar depression, psychopathy, etc.). Only experienced specialist can understand all the nuances of the pathology and prescribe the correct complex therapy to the patient.

Treatment

Treatment of bipolar disorders should begin as early as possible, after the first attack, since the effectiveness therapeutic measures in this case it will be much higher. Therapy for such a condition is necessarily comprehensive, including psychological assistance and use of medications.

Drug therapy

The following groups of drugs are used in the treatment of bipolar affective disorders:

neuroleptics (antipsychotics);
lithium preparations;
valproates;
carbamazepine, lamotrigine and their derivatives;
antidepressants.

Antidepressants are prescribed to prevent and treat depressive episodes. Anticonvulsants designed to stabilize mood and prevent psychotic conditions. Neuroleptics help cope with excessive anxiety, fears, irritability, and eliminate delusions and hallucinations.

All medications, dosage, and optimal treatment regimen are selected by the doctor. To eliminate the symptoms of bipolar disorder, they use intensive care, which already after 7-10 days gives positive effect. The patient reaches a stable state after about 4 weeks; subsequently, a course of maintenance therapy is prescribed, with a gradual reduction in the dosage of medications. But you should not completely stop taking the medications, as this may lead to a relapse of the disease. Often the patient must take medication for life.

Psychotherapy methods

The task of a psychotherapist for bipolar personality disorder is to teach self-control skills. The patient is taught to manage emotions, resist stressors and minimize the negative consequences of attacks.

Psychotherapy can be individual, group or family. The optimal approach is selected taking into account the problems troubling the patient. It is in this direction that maximum efforts are being made to help get rid of mental disorder and stabilization of the condition.

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Tests for bipolar disorder and related conditions

Zung scale for self-assessment of symptoms of depression.

It was published in 1965 in the UK and subsequently received international recognition. It is developed based on diagnostic criteria depression and the results of a survey of patients with this disorder. Used for both primary diagnosis depression, and to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment for depression.

Choose ONE of four answer options.

Test for manic episodes

The presence of mania or hypomania distinguishes bipolar disorder from depressive disorder. Take a short test based on the Altman Self-Esteem Scale to see if you have manic episodes.

Test for possible availability bipolar affective disorder.

A short questionnaire to screen for signs of bipolar disorder

Cyclothymia test

Cyclothymia is a relatively “mild” form of bipolar disorder. The symptoms of this disease are very similar to manic-depressive disorder, but are much less pronounced, so they first attract attention.

There are mental illnesses that have some (or many) symptoms similar to bipolar disorder. Doctors sometimes make mistakes in diagnosis, not distinguishing one from the other. Below we provide tests for diseases that are most often confused with bipolar disorder. Please note that there are cases when one person has both bipolar disorder and another mental disorder.

Test for borderline personality disorder.

Borderline disorder personalities – serious mental illness, less known than schizophrenia or bipolar disorders, but no less common. Borderline personality disorder is a form of pathology on the border of psychosis and neurosis. The disease is characterized by mood swings, an unstable connection with reality, high anxiety and a strong level of desocialization.

Test for anxiety disorder.

BAR is sometimes confused with anxiety disorder. But these two diseases can exist simultaneously.

Test - questionnaire of Shmishek and Leonhard

The border between normal and pathological is quite thin. If your mood often changes for no reason, there is anxiety, hysteria, but the symptoms are not very pronounced and you are generally able to cope with them - perhaps you do not have a mental illness, but only a certain accentuation of character. This is a variant of the norm, and you can learn to cope with unpleasant manifestations on your own.

The test - questionnaire of Shmishek and Leonhard is intended for diagnosing the type of personality accentuation, published by G. Shmishek in 1970 and is a modification of the “Methods for studying personality accentuations of K. Leonhard.” The technique is intended to diagnose accentuations of character and temperament. According to K. Leonhard, accentuation is the “sharpening” of some individual properties inherent in each person.

The test is designed to identify accentuated properties of the character and temperament of adolescents and adults.

Bipolar affective disorder

Online psychological test for the possible presence of bipolar affective disorder.

Bipolar affective disorder (abbr. bipolar disorder, formerly manic-depressive psychosis or MDP) is a mental illness that manifests itself in the form of alternating background mood: from excellent/“super” excellent (hypomania/mania phase) to reduced (depression phase). The duration and frequency of alternation of phases can vary from daily fluctuations to fluctuations throughout the year.

This disease is clearly classified as a pathology; only a psychiatrist or psychotherapist can diagnose and treat it.

Instructions for filling

Please answer the questions about how you felt when you were up, regardless of how you feel today.

In a state of recovery I:

Melnikov Sergey, psychotherapist

Certified psychotherapist, I work in person in St. Petersburg and remotely around the world. The main area of work is cognitive behavioral psychotherapy.

Test for Bipolar Disorder

The Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale (BSDS) was developed by Ronald Pies, MD, and later refined and tested by S. Nassir Ghaemi, MD, MPH and his colleagues.

The BSDS has been validated in its original version and has demonstrated high sensitivity (0.75 for bipolar I disorder and 0.79 for bipolar II disorder). Its specificity was high (0.85), indicating the undoubted value of using this diagnostic tool in the detection of a wide range of bipolar spectrum disorders. Ghaemi et al found that a score of 13 was the optimal threshold of specificity and sensitivity for detecting bipolar spectrum disorders.

Instructions for the bipolar disorder test

Before taking the test, read the following text with statements
Please answer below to what extent this text describes your overall experience.
Next, rank your answers according to how each statement applies to you.

These people notice that at times their mood and/or energy levels are very low and at other times they are very high.

During slumps, these people often experience a lack of energy; feel the need to stay in bed or need extra sleep; lack motivation to do the things they need to do.

During such periods, they often gain excess weight.

During such “downturns”, these people often or constantly feel sadness, melancholy, or are in a state of depression.

Sometimes during "downturns" they feel hopeless, or even want to die.

Their ability to perform work or function socially is impaired.

Typically these "slumps" last for several weeks, but sometimes they last only a few days.

People with this pattern of mood swings may experience periods of “normal” mood (between mood swings) during which their mood and energy levels feel “normal” and their ability to work and function socially is not impaired.

They may then again notice a noticeable “jump” or “change” in how they feel.

Their energy grows and grows, and they feel absolutely normal, but during such periods they can “move mountains”: do as many different things as they usually are not able to do.

Sometimes, during such periods of “up”, these people feel as if they have too much energy, they are “overflowing” with their own energy.

Some people may feel on edge, very irritable, or even aggressive during these high periods.

Some people during such “ups” can take on a lot of things at the same time.

During these booms, some people may spend money in ways that lead to problems.

They may become very talkative, outgoing, or hypersexual during such periods.

Sometimes during periods of “ups” their behavior seems strange or irritates others.

Sometimes during periods of “ups”, the behavior of these people can lead to problems at work or problems with the police.

Sometimes during “ups” such people begin to abuse alcohol or uncontrollably take any medications or even drugs.

Borderline Personality Disorder Signs and Symptoms

Psychologist Yaroslav Isaykin

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Lecture on scientifically proven Psychotherapy for Depression