Diagnosing Bipolar Disorders

Recent studies have shown that our happiness and sense of well-being have as much to do with our approach to the world as they do with external situations. Just as we are influenced by our circumstances, our thoughts, feelings and mood shape how we perceive those circumstances, affecting our sense of contentment. But what happens when our mood itself feels out of control - when it seems depressed, erratic, hijacked by chemical imbalances that feel impossible to manage? This is the experience faced by those with bipolar and related disorders, which are mental illnesses characterised by abnormalities in an individual's mood. This course explores the diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorders. <p>&nbsp;</p> <b>DSM-5-TR update:</b> While this video discusses mental conditions in terms of how the diagnosis would be treated in the DSM-5, the current iteration of the DSM is the DSM-5-TR. While the clinical material discussed in this video is still current, we recommend reviewing this <a style="font-size: 1.1rem" class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" target="_blank" href="https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Practice/DSM/DSM-5-TR/APA-DSM5TR-BipolarIandBipolarIIDisorders.pdf#:~:text=In%20the%20upcoming%20Diagnostic%20and%20Statistical%20Manual%20of,and%20Board%20of%20Trustees%20are%20reflected%20in%20DSM-5-TR.">APA Guide</a> for additional information on DSM-5-TR changes specific to Bipolar Disorders.