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Bipolar Disorder/Bipolar Disorder, how do you know?

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Expert: - 5/4/2004


Question
How do you know if you have Bipolar Disorder?  From previously reading the other questions that you have answered, I have gathered that people who have it, tend to have anxiety and depression problems, OCD, and SP.  I was wondering if you'd be able to recognize it yourself, or would you be oblivious to it?  I'm reading Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, and in the story Willy has bipolar, but I'm not so sure he knows it.  Is that possible, for someone to not notice it?  

Answer
Hi . . .

It is quite possible for someone to have Bipolar Disorder and not know it.

The only way eb be sure is by way of a consultation with a psychiatrist.  A screening scale for bipolar disorder may be found at http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.bipolar-screening.html

You also may want to read more about Bipolar Disorder at http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.bipolar.html

Best regards . . .

Ivan
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Ivan Goldberg, M.D.

Expertise

I am a psychiatrist/psychopharmacologist with many years of expereince in treating individuals with depressions, manic-depression (Bipolar Disorder), other mood disorders,. I am especially interested in the psychopharmacologic treatment of individuals with so called "treatment-resistant" syndromes.

Experience

I have been on the staff of the National Institute of Mental Health, Columbia's College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. I am currently in full-time private practice in New York City.

A.B. Johns Hopkins University
M.D. N.Y.U. College of Medicine

I am the creator of Depression Central:http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.html

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