Guest Post: How to Prevent Misdiagnosis of Bipolar Disorder
Posted By atorturedsoul on January 5, 2010
Not many people understand bipolar disorder, and even those who live with people who suffer this mental condition are not really sure about what it entails. We’ve heard of depression and some of us have even undergone it at some point of time, but bipolar disorder is not the same, and when it is misdiagnosed as depression, it could have detrimental effects on the patient. For those in the dark, bipolar disorder causes rampant mood swings where the affected person alternates between bouts of feeling low and experiencing random highs that give them a sense of false positivity and over confidence. So when misdiagnosed as depression, bipolar patients are treated with anti-depressants which causes their high (or manic) moods to worsen. In order to prevent this from happening, bipolar disorder has to be diagnosed correctly. To do this, it is essential to:
- Monitor their moods: If there are signs of intense depression, watch for bouts of euphoria as well. Most people miss signs of the intense high feelings because they think that the affected person is getting over their depression and showing signs of recovery. But when the mood swings alternate frequently accompanied by insomnia and reckless behavior, it’s time to have your loved one checked for bipolar disorder.
- Consult an expert: Seek the opinion of a medical practitioner who is an expert at diagnosing bipolar disorder, someone who is able to monitor the patient for a while and gauge their moods and the way they swing. If you’re still not sure, get a second opinion to prevent unnecessary exposure to drugs that could potentially cause harm and side effects.
- Examine the causes: While no one knows exactly why bipolar disorder occurs, the reasons could be genetic or environmental. Your genes or some adverse circumstance could trigger an imbalance in the chemicals in your brain and cause bipolar disorder. So if a close relative has been diagnosed with this mental affliction or if your loved one has suffered a traumatic experience in the not so distant past, perhaps they are suffering from bipolar disorder.
Care should be taken not to confuse bipolar disorder with ADHD, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder or other mental conditions. If not diagnosed early and correctly, this condition could lead to the patient harming themselves or even committing suicide. People with this condition can lead perfectly normal lives as long as they are diagnosed correctly and in time. They need to have the support of loved ones and MUST take their medication regularly to avoid slipping into a relapse.
By-line:
This post is written by Susan White, who writes on the topic of Radiologist Technician Schools . She welcomes your comments at her email id: susan.white33@gmail.com.
***This post was written by guest Susan White. All About Bipolar is not responsible for its content.
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