WESTERN DIAGNOSIS OF BIPOLAR DISORDER
To be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a person must have experienced at least one episode of mania or hypomania.
To be considered mania, the elevated, expansive, or irritable mood must last for at least one week and be present most of the day, nearly every day. To be considered hypomania, the mood must last at least four consecutive days and be present most of the day, almost every day.
During this period, three or more of the following symptoms must be present and represent a significant change from usual behavior:
Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
Decreased need for sleep
Increased talkativeness
Racing thoughts
Distracted easily
Increase in goal-directed activity or psychomotor agitation
Engaging in activities that hold the potential for painful consequences, e.g., unrestrained buying sprees
The depressive side of bipolar disorder is characterized by a major depressive episode resulting in depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in life. The DSM-5 states that a person must experience five or more of the following symptoms in two weeks to be diagnosed with a major depressive episode:
Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day
Loss of interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities
Significant weight loss or decrease or increase in appetite
Engaging in purposeless movements, such as pacing the room
Fatigue or loss of energy
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness
Recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt