Bipolar Misdiagnosis

  

Bipolar disorder isone disorder with symptoms at times can be confused with schizophrenia; thisleads to mistaken diagnoses, especially in children. Individuals with bipolardisorder, even those that display psychotic symptoms as a feature of theirillness, never meet the full diagnosis for schizophrenia. Someone with bipolardisorder is not always in a manic or a depressive phase all o0f the time;  there are periods during which they do nothave the disordered thinking, delusions, voices, or other symptoms ofschizophrenia. Psychotic symptoms are in bipolar disorder which can occur in amanic or a depressive state are delusions of grandeur and hallucinations;either wildly optimistic and grandiose, or disastrous and guilt-riddenthoughts.

Schizoaffective disorder is a disease that does contain symptoms of both schizophreniaand bipolar disorder. The distinguishing difference between schizoaffective andbipolar with psychotic symptoms is that to be diagnosed schizoaffective, aperson displays the symptoms of schizophrenia without mood symptoms of mania ordepression.

 Psychosis is a term used to describe psychoticsymptoms. Bipolar may include a kind of psychosis. Several different brain disorderscan lead to psychotic symptoms, and the fact that the symptoms are not beingcaused by some other brain disorder is frequently not obvious.

The main difference betweenbipolar disorder and major clinical depression is, of course, the absence of manicepisodes.  Distinguishing between thesetwo illnesses makes a big impact on treatment choice; while depression isusually treated with antidepressants, someone with bipolar disorder needs moodstabilizers. Taking antidepressants with bipolar disorder can sometimes triggera manic episode.

Some of other diagnoses are that are lesscommon but still seen at a high rate among patients previously diagnosed withbipolar disorder. Include antisocial personality disorder and impulse-controldisorder.

Borderline personality disorder shows an unstablemood, impulsive behavior and problems maintaining relationships with otherpeople. There are no medications approved specifically for treating borderlinepersonality disorder butt some forms of therapy are effective. However, moodstabilizers and other treatments for bipolar disorder are not helpful intreating borderline disorder.

 Over diagnosis of people as having bipolardisorder is of a major concern; the side effects of the medicationantipsychotics included are so devastating if prescribed incorrectly. And the underdiagnosis of bipolar disorder leaves many people at a risk of not being treatedor not having symptoms noticed before a disaster such as suicide is treated.