1. Has there ever been a period of time when you were not
your usual self and (while not on drugs or alcohol)...
...you felt so good or so hyper that other people thought you were not your normal self or you were so hyper that you got into trouble?
...you were so irritable that you shouted at people or started fights or arguments?
...you felt much more self-confident than usual?
...you got much less sleep than usual and found you didn't really miss it?
...you were much more talkative or spoke faster than usual?
...thoughts raced through your head or you couldn't slow your mind down?
...you were so easily distracted by things around you that you had trouble concentrating or staying on track?
...you had much more energy than usual?
...you were much more active or did many more things than usual?
...you were much more social or outgoing than usual; for example, you telephoned friends in the middle of the night?
...you were much more interested in sex than usual?
...you did things that were unusual for you or that other people
might have thought were excessive, foolish or risky?
...spending money got you or your family into trouble?
2. If you checked YES to more than one of the above, have several of these ever happened during the same period of time?
3.
How much of a problem did these cause you - like being unable to work; having family, money or legal troubles; getting into arguments or fights?
Now, let's add up the score
If you —
Answered 'Yes' to SEVEN (7) or more questions in Question 1 AND
Answered 'Yes' to Question 2 AND
Answered 'Minor', 'Moderate' or 'Serious' to Question 3, you may have bipolar disorder.
If you do, you owe it to
yourself and your friends and family to check out the diagnosis with a medical
practitioner.
Could it be something else?
Bipolar can look like, or occur alongside schizoaffective disorder, brief reactive psychosis, cycloid psychosis, borderline personality disorder, and a new syndrome that I have called Childhood Sex Crime Survivor Syndrome Your doctor should screen for all these but you need to know!
The e-book Bipolar and the Art of Roller-coaster Riding has all the medical information you will need, explained so it's easy to
understand. As well, it shows how you can manage bipolar disorder so it
doesn't repeatedly ruin your life. First published by Simon & Schuster.
Check out my new website: LyreandHarp.com.au - energy healing for body, mind and spirit.
This page was written and published by
Madeleine Kelly, a bipolar sufferer who underwent undergraduate medical
training (University of Melbourne) and who is the author of Bipolar and
the Art of Roller-coaster Riding.
Questions or problems regarding this web site should be directed to Publisher at TwoTreesMedia dot com.
This site and the book Bipolar and the Art of
Roller-coaster Riding, the 2nd edition of Life on a Roller-coaster - living
well with depression and manic depression contain the opinions and ideas of
the author, Madeleine Kelly. The site and the book are intended to provide
helpful and informative material on the subjects addressed. The book is sold
with the understanding that the author is not engaged in rendering medical,
health, or any other kind of professional services in the book. The reader
should consult his or her medical, health, or other competent professional
before adopting any of the suggestions in the book or this site or drawing
inferences therefrom. The author and publisher disclaim all responsibility
for any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred
as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any
of the contents of this book or site.
You can live well with bipolar disorder! 