What can bipolar be misdiagnosed as?
As mentioned previously, the most common misdiagnosis for bipolar patients is unipolar depression. An incorrect diagnosis of unipolar depression carries the risk of inappropriate treatment with antidepressants, which can result in manic episodes and trigger rapid cycling.
What are kids diagnosed with instead of bipolar?
Keep in mind, a number of other childhood disorders cause bipolar-like symptoms, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, anxiety disorders and major depression.
Why do people with bipolar disorder get misdiagnosed?
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.
Why is it difficult to diagnose bipolar in children?
Bipolar disorder in children is especially difficult to distinguish from ADHD, since they share a number of symptoms — impulsiveness, distractibility, and hyperactivity.
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.
Can ADHD be mistaken for bipolar?
Symptoms of ADHD can have some overlap with symptoms of bipolar disorder. With ADHD, a child or teen may have rapid or impulsive speech, physical restlessness, trouble focusing, irritability, and, sometimes, defiant or oppositional behavior.
At what age is bipolar disorder usually 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 are the signs of bipolar in a child?
Children and teens having a manic episode may:
- Show intense happiness or silliness for long periods of time.
- Have a very short temper or seem extremely irritable.
- Talk fast about a lot of different things.
- Have trouble sleeping but not feel tired.
- Have trouble staying focused, and experience racing thoughts.
What is the most misdiagnosed mental illness?
Depression was found to be the most likely misdiagnosed mental disorder instead of bipolar disorder and bipolar disorder was most likely misdiagnosed with depressive disorders [24, 25].
Can anxiety be mistaken for bipolar?
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.
How do you tell if it’s ADHD or bipolar?
Bipolar disorder is primarily a mood disorder. ADHD affects attention and behavior; it causes symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. While ADHD is chronic or ongoing, bipolar disorder is usually episodic, with periods of normal mood interspersed with depression, mania, or hypomania.
Can a child be misdiagnosed as having bipolar disorder?
Children with severe developmental disabilities are frequently misdiagnosed as having bipolar disorder. These disabilities may include autism, genetic disorders affecting the brain, and intellectual disability (formerly called mental retardation).
What is bipolar disorder in children?
What Is Bipolar Disorder? Children with severe developmental disabilities are frequently misdiagnosed as having bipolar disorder. These disabilities may include autism, genetic disorders affecting the brain, and intellectual disability (formerly called mental retardation). A significant percentage of these children are severely aggressive.
Is childhood bipolar disorder real or a myth?
Nearly 30 years of experience tells Elizabeth Weller, M.D., that the controversial diagnosis of childhood bipolar disorder is real, but the way it presents in children is significantly different from the way it presents in adults.
Can clinicians miss the bipolar diagnosis?
We’re still faced with the reality of a mental health clinician sitting with a patient and relying upon clinical interview to come up with a clear picture to identify or rule out the presence of bipolar disorder. Sometimes even with extensive inquiry and careful consideration of the data obtained, clinicians still miss the bipolar diagnosis.