Can you be wrongly diagnosed with bipolar?

Bipolar disorder is a disabling psychiatric illness that is often misdiagnosed, especially on initial presentation. Misdiagnosis results in ineffective treatment, which further worsens the outcome.


What can mimic bipolar disorder?

Cyclothymia symptoms alternate between emotional highs and lows. The highs of cyclothymia include symptoms of an elevated mood (hypomanic symptoms). The lows consist of mild or moderate depressive symptoms. Cyclothymia symptoms are similar to those of bipolar I or II disorder, but they're less severe.

How common is it to be misdiagnosed with bipolar?

A 2021 study also supported the need for blood biomarker tests health professionals can use to diagnose bipolar disorder, which researchers found to be misdiagnosed up to 70% of the time.


Why bipolar disorder is often wrongly diagnosed?

Patients with bipolar disorder are often misdiagnosed as having unipolar depression in many circumstances. The reason is related to clinicians or patients lacking knowledge about manic and hypomanic symptoms.

How often is bipolar overdiagnosed?

Based on the literature findings, the rates of bipolar patients mistakenly diagnosed with MDD ranges from 10 to 40% [3, 4], with some authors suggesting even higher proportions of misdiagnosis.


What It's Like When BPD Is Misdiagnosed as Bipolar Disorder



What does undiagnosed bipolar look like?

The main sign of bipolar disorder is extreme mood swings that go from emotional highs to emotional lows. Manic episodes cause people to seem very energetic, euphoric, or irritable. During depressive episodes, your loved one may seem sad, upset, or tired all the time.

When is bipolar most diagnosed?

Although bipolar disorder can occur at any age, typically it's diagnosed in the teenage years or early 20s. Symptoms can vary from person to person, and symptoms may vary over time.

What mental illness is similar to bipolar?

Cyclothymia, or cyclothymic disorder, causes mood changes – from feeling low to emotional highs. Cyclothymia has many similarities to bipolar disorder.


How do you rule out bipolar disorder?

To diagnose bipolar disorder, a doctor performs a physical exam, asks about your symptoms, and recommends blood testing to determine if another condition, such as hypothyroidism, is causing your symptoms. If the doctor does not find an underlying cause of your symptoms, he or she performs a psychological evaluation.

What is the most misdiagnosed disorder?

Bipolar is one of the most frequently misdiagnosed mental health issues. Somewhere between 1.4 and 6.4 percent of people worldwide are affected by bipolar disorder. However, it's hard to say which number is more accurate due to the frequency of wrongful diagnosis.

What is a symptom of bipolar I disorder but not bipolar II disorder?

The main difference between bipolar 1 and bipolar 2 disorders lies in the severity of the manic episodes caused by each type. A person with bipolar 1 will experience a full manic episode, while a person with bipolar 2 will experience only a hypomanic episode (a period that's less severe than a full manic episode).


Can childhood trauma cause bipolar?

Childhood trauma

Some experts believe that experiencing a lot of emotional distress as a child can cause bipolar disorder to develop. This could be because childhood trauma and distress can have a big effect on your ability to manage your emotions. This can include experiences like: Neglect.

Can bipolar be mistaken for anxiety?

Bipolar disorder and anxiety are two mental health conditions that can look and feel similar. Some people also experience anxiety and bipolar disorder together. The differences come in the triggers behind the overarching symptoms.

Can you be slightly bipolar?

Cyclothymia (cyclothymic disorder) is a milder form of bipolar disorder. It involves frequent mood swings of hypomanic and depressive episodes. Bipolar disorder is a lifelong mood disorder and mental health condition that causes intense shifts in mood, energy levels, thinking patterns and behavior.


What do doctors look for when diagnosing bipolar?

“To make a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, you have to see either a manic or a hypomanic episode,” says Ben Michaelis, PhD, a psychologist in New York City. These manic symptoms are ultimately what distinguishes bipolar disorder from unipolar depression.

How can I check myself for bipolar?

Common signs of bipolar disorder
  1. feeling overly happy or “high” for long periods of time.
  2. feeling jumpy or “wired”
  3. having a reduced need for sleep.
  4. talking very fast, often with racing thoughts and rapid changes of topic.
  5. feeling extremely restless or impulsive.
  6. becoming easily distracted.


What age does bipolar start?

The average age of bipolar onset is around 25 years old, although it can vary. Sometimes bipolar symptoms start in childhood or later in life. However, the most frequent range of onset is between the ages of 14 to 21 years. Childhood bipolar is relatively rare, with only up to 3% of children receiving this diagnosis.


Can a brain MRI detect bipolar disorder?

MRIs and CT scans can provide detailed images of the brain and its structures. But currently, doctors don't use them to diagnose bipolar disorder. Detecting bipolar disorder is typically done through a diagnostic interview with a mental health professional.

Can multiple personality disorders be mistaken bipolar?

People with DID can appear to change moods frequently. While this is actually caused by different alters coming through, it can be mistaken for the cycling moods of bipolar disorder. The rapid changes in speech and thought common in mania also occur in DID. In DID, these changes occur during switching.

Are you born with bipolar disorder or can you develop it?

Bipolar disorder is frequently inherited, with genetic factors accounting for approximately 80% of the cause of the condition. Bipolar disorder is the most likely psychiatric disorder to be passed down from family. If one parent has bipolar disorder, there's a 10% chance that their child will develop the illness.


Can you suddenly become bipolar?

You usually develop bipolar disorder before you are 20. It can develop in later life, but it rarely develops after the age of 40. You could have symptoms of bipolar disorder for some time before a doctor diagnoses you.

What age does bipolar start in females?

Bipolar disorder usually starts in early adulthood, though the symptoms can develop at any time. Research indicates that the symptoms tend to emerge later in females than in males and that females are more likely to experience the first symptoms in their 50s .

What does the onset of bipolar feel like?

People with bipolar experience both episodes of severe depression and episodes of mania – overwhelming joy, excitement or happiness, huge energy, a reduced need for sleep, and reduced inhibitions. The experience of bipolar is uniquely personal. No two people have exactly the same experience.


What does untreated bipolar feel like?

Without proper treatment, people with hypomania may develop severe mania or depression. "Bipolar disorder may also be present in a mixed state, in which you might experience both mania and depression at the same time.

Can drugs mimic bipolar disorder?

Some substances can cause the symptoms of a mood disorder. These may actually be prescription medications to which the individual has a reaction, causing adverse side effects that mimic bipolar disorder. Alcohol and drug abuse can also induce bipolar symptoms.