Mental health evaluation
The physician might refer a patient to a mental health specialist such as a psychiatrist or psychologist. The mental health specialists diagnose the bipolar disorder by evaluating the mental health and looking for symptoms of bipolar disorder in a patient. A psychiatrist asks the patients a series of questions about the behavioral symptoms like how these symptoms disrupt their lives or how long do they last for. A mental health specialist also asks about some risk factors for bipolar disorder including the history of drug abuse and family medical history. The diagnosis of bipolar disorder involves at least one manic and one depressive episode as the disorder manifests both of these extreme mood phases. The mental health specialist might ask about the feelings and thoughts of a person after and during the manic or depressive episodes. The specialist requires the details of how in control you feel during the manic phase and how long the phase lasts. The specialists also ask the friends and family of a person to confirm the behavioral symptoms of bipolar disorder. Any diagnosis involves the aspects of any medications a person is taking and their medical history as well.