Bipolar Disorder Self Test

What You Need to Know About
Bipolar Tests

It's natural to want to try a free Bipolar Disorder Self Test, or online screening, in order to try to diagnose yourself. However, a correct diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder is not always so easy to make.

Before trying a Bipolar Disorder self test, it's important to understand these points:

• On average, it takes more than 10 years for most people to receive an accurate diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder.
• Bipolar Disorder can appear very different for different people. Symptoms vary quite a bit from person to person and there is a wide range of severity as well.
• It is fairly common to fit the official criteria for both Bipolar Disorder AND ADD/ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
• It is very common to have both Bipolar Disorder AND an Anxiety Disorder such as Agorophobia, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
• It is common to have both Bipolar Disorder and a Substance Abuse or Dependence. (Many people with Bipolar Disorder fall into the habit of trying to manage their symptoms with alcohol, marijuana or other drugs, and then develop a secondary problem).
• It is possible to have both Bipolar Disorder AND a Personality Disorder (such as Borderline Personality Disorder, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Hystrionic Personality Disorder, etc).
• When both Bipolar and Schizophrenia symptoms are both present, the correct diagnosis may be "Schizo-affective Disorder."
• A large number of people "fall through the cracks" and are never properly diagnosed or treated, because they are on the lower level of the Bipolar Spectrum and don't meet the major "clinical criteria" for the disorder, yet still fit the pattern. They may have mostly depression, and their "manic" mood may be more like the average person's "normal" mood. This is sometimes called "Soft Bipolar" (but can still cause a great deal of pain). These people are especially at risk for having an anti-depressant induced manic episode when an inexperienced doctor gives them an SSRI or other antidepressant for what may appear to be typical (uni-polar) depression.

Before taking a Bipolar Disorder Self Test, please know that it is not the final word on whether or not you have Bipolar Disorder. It may be helpful as an initial step to take to try to make sense of your own symptoms. But once you have that information, it is important to be evaluated by an experienced psychotherapist, psychiatrist or other medical specialist who is well versed in treating Bipolar Disorder.

You can complete this free Bipolar Disorder Self Test which is mainly designed to evaluate symptoms of mania that are a common sign of Bipolar Disorder. But as mentioned above - there are times when Bipolar Disorder has very little, or even none of the usual signs of mania.

After completing the following Bipolar Self-Test, please take your results to a licensed mental health professional with actual experience treating Bipolar Disorder, and share the findings with them.

Take the Bipolar Disorder Test

Learn More About Bipolar Symptoms

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