What should I do if I think I'm bipolar?

Question

Holly Brooks · Answer

OK, good question. What should I do if I think I'm bipolar? A couple of things. First of all, I know that we all have lots of insight sometimes into some of our behaviors and our mannerisms. But it's also really important that we aren't diagnosing ourselves. So you can have a guess or a hypothesis, but what I think you should do is actually really go schedule an appointment with a qualified mental health professional or someone who can truly diagnose. And then come up with a treatment plan. And I will say that there are some amazing medications for bipolar disorder that can really help stabilize your mood. And then just getting lined up with a good mental health professional. So I guess that's my answer. We all have insights and hypotheses and also family history of mental health issues and also physical health issues. But it's really important to seek a diagnosis and treatment from a qualified provider. So that is my insight.

Dr. Dan Cohn, PsyD · Answer

If you think you're experiencing any kind of mental health-related disorder, be it bipolar disorder as this question referenced, or really any challenge psychologically, I highly recommend talking to a licensed mental health provider who can provide not only a diagnosis, but a treatment plan. And that might include medication, that might include behavioral therapy, which can involve making changes or adaptations to your behavior to increase your capacity to cope. And ultimately, learn skills that will help you manage whatever condition or challenges you're experiencing. And ultimately, live a more fulfilling life. So speak up, find somebody who can get you help, and hopefully, learn some valuable things about yourself along the way.

Mike Ergo · Answer

What should I do if I think I'm bipolar? Well, I think that anybody who thinks they might be bipolar, that unequivocally they should speak with a mental health professional. It's really easy to look at WebMD and other online resources and diagnose ourselves with things. In fact, it's such a common occurrence that I believe it's called medical school syndrome. Lots of time, men and women going through medical school will see all these conditions and think they fit them because they're studying them. Anyways, the best thing to do is seek professional advice through someone you form a therapeutic alliance with that you work with as your own therapist. So you get a therapist and discuss what's going on so they can run the diagnostics and the tests to see if you do in fact have bipolar. Better that than trusting the internet or what your friends say.

Christina Sarno Horner, LMHC · Answer

The question is, what should I do if I think I'm bipolar? Well, if you think you're bipolar, you should first find a psychologist, a counselor, or a social worker who works in your area and start interviewing people and find somebody who feels like a fit, someone who you feel comfortable with. And then once you start working in therapy, you can also discuss the possibility of having a referral for a psychiatrist so you have more than one person helping you in different ways manage what feels challenging.

Dr. Tanisha M. Ranger, PsyD · Answer

So, if you think that you're bipolar, the first thing that I want you to do is take a deep breath and try not to judge yourself. There's a lot of misinformation, partial information, a lot of stigma flying around about bipolar disorder, and I don't want you to let that shame you into not seeking help. So that's the first thing. You should look into getting an evaluation. You can get an evaluation with a mental health practitioner, a licensed clinical psychologist, a licensed clinical social worker, somebody who knows how to diagnose disorders, because you may think you're bipolar just based on somebody saying that to you when you were upset and maybe you had a mood swing. That is not all bipolar is made of. And so it's important for you to get diagnosed by a professional. And when you go for this evaluation, to be completely honest, even about the things that you don't feel so great about, even about behaviors that you're not really proud of having engaged in, and be honest and truthful and allow for the person evaluating you to give you the information that you need to make your next decision.

Dr. Lauren Chapple-Love, PhD · Answer

To empathize with your question. If I were a person that was wondering if I had a diagnosis of a bipolar type disorder, one of the major things I would do would be to reach out to a provider if I had the privilege and money and time and opportunity and access to mental health care and all the other things that come along with being able to do that. The privilege that comes with being able to do that because one of the slippery slopes that a lot of people find themselves in is googling or looking up on the internet. And for a person that is really struggling with mental health symptoms or any person, it's really easy to be like, oh my gosh, I think I've got that or I've got that too. So if I were in that circumstance, I would try and reach out to somebody to let them know why it was. I thought that.

Swimming

Strength

Triathlon

Photography

Track & Field

Nutrition

Physical Therapy

Running

Pets

Cycling

Podcasting

HealthCare

Musculoskeletal

Hockey

First Responders

Integrative Medicine

Chiropractic

Cross Country Skiing

Adaptive Sports

Mental Health

Surfing

Climbing

Tennis

Military

Mind Body

Scholars

Criminal Justice

Liquor

Golf

CrossFit

Soccer

Pickleball

Hunting

Public Speaking

Venture Capital

"What should I do if I think I'm bipolar?"