Online Test for Bipolar Depression

Post category:Bipolar Disorder

The Bipolar Depression Online Test: What Is It, And Can It Help?

If you have been experiencing symptoms of bipolar disorder, you may want to take a bipolar test to determine whether or not you should see a doctor for accurate diagnosis and treatment. While doctor’s visits can be expensive and anxiety-inducing, an online bipolar test is an easy way to quickly determine whether you should begin to look for treatment – no poking or prodding necessary.

Before beginning one of these free bipolar online tests, it’s important to remember that an online questionnaire should not be a replacement for a medical diagnosis. If you get a result that says you are not bipolar, yet still feel as though something is amiss, you should speak with a doctor anyway. Even if you are not diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the doctor may be able to find a different underlying cause of your symptoms. It’s important to listen to your body and be honest with yourself.

A good, reputable online bipolar test will assess how you have felt in the past as well as how you are feeling at this particular point in time. Since many symptoms of bipolar – most commonly the symptoms of mania and depression – can come and go, it’s important to remember how you felt in various situations over the past couple of years. It is better to view these tests as a learning tool rather than a means for a diagnosis.

The questions you are asked refer to many common symptoms of mania, hypomania, and depression, so it is an easy way to get yourself familiarized with the variations of this disorder. You may be quizzed on your eating and sleeping habits, your speech patterns, unusual or unprovoked anger, your general moods, feelings of restlessness and exhaustion, or reckless behavior.

Some possible “am I Bipolar” online test questions

Some common questions asked on these types of tests are:

• Do you ever feel as though you are much more talkative or speak much faster than usual?

• Have there been times when you have felt both elated and depressed at the same time?

• Does your self confidence fluctuate between extreme self-doubt and extreme overconfidence?

• Do you sometimes get into moods where you feel very irritable for no reason?

• Do you fluctuate between periods of mental sluggishness and creative thinking?

Though this is certainly not an all-encompassing list of questions, you get the general idea. Many tests have you rank whether or not the statement applies to you, such as ranking on a scale of one to six that ranges from not at all to very much.

The problem with online tests as a diagnosis is that many people experiencing symptoms of mania or hypomania can’t see that something is wrong. Especially when compared to episodes of depression, mania can feel as though all problems have been solved due to the extreme feelings of euphoria.

Especially in the case of hypomania, which is less intense mania, the person can go about their normal lifestyle with no symptoms of psychosis.

In many cases, the bipolar individual will only recognize the depressive symptoms, which may lead to an online diagnosis of major depressive disorder rather than bipolar disorder.

It is important to note that bipolar symptoms in women differ slightly from bipolar symptoms in men. Though some tests will ask for your gender, some may not. Typically, a woman is more likely to have more symptoms of depression than mania. Additionally, women who are pregnant or have recently given birth are approximately seven times more likely to be hospitalized (due to more extreme symptoms) than other women with bipolar disorder. On the other hand, men tend to be more likely to experience more episodes of mania.

Seeing a doctor will likely result in answering many of the same questions that you answered on an online test, but will allow you to have an open discussion about what each symptom may mean in regards to the disorder. Doctors are highly skilled professionals that can take a list of various symptoms over the years and come up with a diagnosis to work off, while an online test does not have the ability to ask follow-up questions depending on your answers.