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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    How is bipolar diagnosed?

    Related Topics
    Bipolar Disorder Depression Mental Health
    I have been taking Zoloft for 10years, but find my moods still become very low in which I don't want to do anything and hate the world, and then I will experience a buzzing high where I feel I can take on everything. This is cyclic, and would love to be on a level playing field, instead of swinging all the time.
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    • Jade Hucker
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    Jade Hucker

    Clinical Psychologist, Psychologist

    Bipolar Disorder is diagnosed by the occurrence of one or more Manic Episodes. Individuals have usually experienced one or more Major Depressive Episodes. There are several subtypes depending on severity, the nature of the most recent episode, etc; but for simplicity let's stick to one or more Manic episodes and one or more Major Depressive Episodes.

    A Manic Episode is characterized by three (or more) of the following symptoms:
    1. inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
    2. decreased need for sleep (e.g. feels rested after only 3 hours of sleep)
    3. more talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking
    4. flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing
    5. distractibility (i.e., attention too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant external stimuli)
    6. increase in goal-directed activity (either socially, at work or school, or sexually) or psychomotor agitation*
    7. excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences (e.g., engaging in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indiscretions, or foolish business investments)
    (*psychomotor agitation is like a feeling of restlessness)

    A Major Depressive Episode is characterized by 5 (or more) of the following symptoms:
    1. depressed mood most of the day
    2. diminished interest or pleasure in almost all activities
    3. significant weight loss or weight gain, or decrease or increase in appetite
    4. insomnia or hypersomnia
    5. psychomotor agitation or retardation
    6. fatigue or loss of energy
    7. feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt
    8. diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness
    9. recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide
    (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)

    Both a Psychologist or a Psychiatrist would be able to diagnose this condition. It sounds like Zoloft is no longer effective for you and so perhaps a referral to a Psychiatrist is more appropriate as they can review/adjust your medications. Regardless of whether or not you meet criteria for a Bipolar diagnosis it sounds like your medications need reviewing. Speak to your General Practitioner about a referral to a Psychiatrist in order to further assess your symptoms and review your medications.

    Jade Hucker 
    Clinical Psychologist

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