Manic Depression Diagnosis

Manic depression can be a wild ride on its good days, but at its worst, it's debilitating. Many people fear that diagnosis and treatment will take away their "edge" or their personality, but that's not the case. Diagnosis is the first step to feeling better.

Questionnaire

• Your therapist or doctor will ask a battery of questions about your symptoms. It's important to be completely honest so you get an accurate diagnosis. Don't forget to describe how you feel on good days. It's not just about the depression.

Psychiatric History

• You'll be asked about your past psychiatric symptoms, any other diagnoses, and whether any family members have had psychiatric problems. This is important because some mental illnesses run in families.

Physical Exam

• You may be asked to undergo a complete physical exam or have blood tests done to rule out a physical cause for your symptoms.

Symptom Assessment

• Your care provider will look at all the symptoms, history and medical tests, and then determine whether you have manic depression and what type you have.

Treatment

• Once you've been diagnosed, your doctor will discuss treatment with you. Medication and individual and group therapies are common and effective treatments for manic depression.