How Long Would It Take to Diagnose Bipolar Disorder or Manic Depression?

Question by Meredith: How long would it take to diagnose Bipolar Disorder or Manic Depression?
I am a nineteen year old female and I’m fairly certain I may be bipolar. I have the family history and “symptoms” to support this, however I know the dangers of self-diagnosing so I have opted to see a psychiatrist. My appointment is tomorrow, but I was just wondering if he will diagnose me after one session, or if it will take multiple sessions before he diagnoses me.
I know that I will have to seek prolonged treatment if I am in fact bipolar, but I’m just curious as to how long it will take for him to come to a conclusion, whether it be Bipolar Disorder or something else.

Best answer:

Answer by D
The psychiatrist will have to get to know your life history, not just from conversations of your past but from how it goes from here on. If you have bouts of mania and depression you may get your diagnosis, but there are a lot of other conditions as well, treated by the same drugs.

My guess is that it will take at least two years, and of course they can change a diagnosis anytime. Will you be disappointed if it is “only” something like Major Depression?

You might consider getting in with a clinical psychologist. They spend very little time discussing medications, though they are interested in what you’re prescribed, and most time doing actual therapy. And they, too, can diagnose, and even have some interesting tests that can help evaluate you.

Answer by Micki 48
In my case it took only one session. The psychiatrist will take your history, ask you questions about your mood swings, how often they occur, what your symptoms are, etc. How quickly you will get a diagnosis will depend on how clear cut your symptoms are, how severe they are, and whether the psychiatrist believes your mood swings could be caused by something other than bipolar disorder. Things like stress, hormones, and certain personality disorders can also cause mood swings. It might take one session, or several, but it certainly won’t take a good psychiatrist months or years to make a diagnosis.

With bipolar disorder the treatment consists of daily medication taken for life. Medication is the only way to control the severe mood swings, and you need a psychiatrist to prescribe that medication. Don’t waste your time seeing a psychologist until you have seen a psychiatrist for a diagnosis. Therapy won’t help you control the mood swings if you’re bipolar, although it can help you deal with the fall-out the mood swings cause in your life.

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