Bipolar Quiz

This article introduces bipolar disorders and some additional information. I hope you refer to this article rather than taking a (dodgy) bipolar disorder quiz! Clinical diagnosis is complicated. Read on for reliable information about this topic.

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition. It involves far more than extreme mood swings.

So let’s start with a few essential concepts: Mania, Hypomania, and Depression.

Mania

Mania is hard to miss. This is a ‘high’ state that goes far beyond what most people typically experience. People experiencing mania need urgent psychiatric help.

Key symptoms are:

Euphoria or significant irritability
Extremely high self-esteem (‘grandiosity’)
Seriously ramped-up activity levels

These symptoms appear in many ways. Examples include:

Little or no sleep
Risk-taking behaviours (e.g., driving recklessly)
Loss of judgement
Presence of abnormal thinking

Mania is far more than being ‘full of energy’. This is a potentially dangerous state. Family members are usually distressed and concerned. Professional treatment is required.

Words don’t fully convey mania. However, first-hand descriptions give meaning to lists of symptoms. The two videos illustrate how people with bipolar disorder describe an episode:

Hypomania

Hypomania is a dialled-down version of mania. But the former still represents abnormal mood elevation in many cultures. Hypomania is less severe and often of shorter duration. But, hypomania still causes significant impairment and distress. This state may be enjoyable or unpleasant, depending on the person.

Example behaviours include:

Talking fast (or a lot)
Being overly friendly
Being irritable, rude, or aggressive
Engaging in risky activities (e.g., driving over the speed limit)

Many people describe a crash after an episode. The cost of hypomanic behaviours become clear. Mood may sink to a depressed state.

During hypomania, a person can appear highly energetic and focused. But a close examination shows something is not right.

Watch this next video for more.

The experience of hypomania

Depression

A depressive episode is a severe drop in mood. People feel extremely low or lose all enjoyment in life.

We may also see:

Sleep and appetite changes
Reduced motivation and energy
Impaired concentration and memory
Guilt and other negative thoughts about self
Social withdrawal
Thoughts of self-harm or suicide

This mood state lasts a long time. Usually several weeks or more. Day-to-day activities feel difficult or impossible. People often get upset about feeling so low. Of course, many people experience depressive episodes only as part of the mood disorder clinical depression.

Types of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder involves combinations of mania, hypomania, and depressive episodes. There are two primary forms of bipolar disorder; bipolar 1 and bipolar 2.

Bipolar 1: At least one manic episode. A person may have also had hypomanic and depressive episodes.

Bipolar 2: Diagnosed in people experiencing hypomanic and depressive episodes.

The yearly prevalence rate for bipolar disorder is about 2.8% (1). Rates are higher in younger (4.7% in 18-29-year-olds) adults. Men and women are diagnosed in equal numbers.

There is no single cause of bipolar disorder. Instead, it arises through a combination of genetic, environmental and psychological factors.

Bipolar Disorder ICD 10

You may have come across the ICD-10 during your research on bipolar disorder. ICD-10 stands for the International Classification of Diseases. It is a classification system developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

We use classification systems to diagnose bipolar disorder and facilitate research on this condition.

DSM 5 Bipolar

The American Psychiatric Association publish the other classification system for mental health diagnoses. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is currently in its 5th edition.

The ICD-10 and DSM 5 list similar diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder. Diagnosis should be made by a qualified professional. The clinician should gather information from a variety of sources. They must rule out other explanations (e.g., drug use). There should be checks for other mental health problems.

This is your best option for reliable assessment. Avoid searching online for a bipolar test.

The genetics of bipolar disorder

Other Terminology

Manic Depression

An old term for bipolar disorder. It reflected the fact that many people with mania also experience depressive episodes.

Bipolar Depression

This is another term for bipolar disorder. It is not used much these days.

Treating Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a treatable condition. Our two main options are medication and psychological approaches.

Medication

Medication Medication is a key treatment for bipolar disorder. The group of medications used are called ‘mood stabilisers’. Commonly prescribed medications include lithium, anticonvulsant medications, and antipsychotic agents. Here is more information on treating bipolar disorder with medication.

Psychological Treatment

Many people also benefit from non-medication treatments such as talking therapies. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a popular and effective approach (2). CBT is taught in both group and individual settings.

Find more detailed information on CBT here.

This treatment helps people to identify and modify unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviours associated with bipolar disorder.

In recent times, there has been an increased focus on recovery in CBT. The webinar explores this topic.

Recovery in Bipolar Disorder

Tests for Bipolar Disorder

Many people go searching for a bipolar disorder quiz. Often, this is to self-diagnose. I don’t advise this approach. Most online tests have not been scientifically evaluated.

There is no quick and reliable bipolar test. Clinical diagnosis is always required.

Bipolar 2 Test

Again, I would be very careful using any online test for hypomania or bipolar 2. Clear identification of this mood state may be difficult. This process requires expert diagnosis.

References

(1) https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/bipolar-disorder

(2) Chiang, K. J., Tsai, J. C., Liu, D., Lin, C. H., Chiu, H. L., & Chou, K. R. (2017). Efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy in patients with bipolar disorder: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PloS one, 12(5), e0176849. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0176849

Jun 28 Bipolar Test