We all struggle with our mental health from time to time, especially when we’re going through big life changes or experience an unexpected loss. It’s easy to brush off negative thoughts, emotions and behaviors as temporary, but it’s important to recognize consistent or worsening patterns that could indicate a mental health issue, like bipolar disorder.

If you feel like you’re exhibiting bipolar disorder symptoms, it’s possible to take a step on your own to determine the likelihood of a diagnosis before seeking a professional mental health provider. We have a quiz that will help you see how you align with the criteria of bipolar disorder. But why should you take a bipolar disorder quiz? That’s what we’re here to answer.

Read on to learn about bipolar disorder, why you should take a bipolar disorder quiz and what you should do after completing it.

The basics of bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic-depressive disorder, is a mood disorder that affects more than 10 million Americans. It’s characterized by extreme and unusual shifts in energy levels. The mood swings are periods of heightened emotions and are referred to as episodes, which fluctuate between manic highs and depressive lows. The symptoms can make it difficult to handle your daily responsibilities and maintain meaningful relationships with others.

Manic episodes can last up to seven days and cause increased energy, hyperactivity and irritability. Depressive episodes can last more than two weeks of symptoms including constant feelings of sadness, concentration issues and suicidality.

Not everyone with bipolar disorder receives the same diagnosis, and there are two main types: bipolar 1 and bipolar 2. While bipolar 1 has extreme changes between episodes with high acuity, bipolar 2 has longer intervals of emotional stability between episodes as well as less severe symptoms. Bipolar 2 has hypomania instead of manic episodes, which consists of muted versions of the manic symptoms.

It’s also important to note the possibility of cyclothymic disorder, which means you experience patterns of behaviors and symptoms that don’t fit the criteria of a full bipolar disorder diagnosis. The episodes can last longer than a year.

7 reasons why you should take a bipolar disorder quiz

Sometimes it’s easier to recognize unhealthy behaviors and emotional patterns in other people than it is for yourself. For instance, if someone points out your risky behavior that doesn’t fit your personality, it’s easy to just shrug it off as wanting to try something new. Or your persistent sadness can be chalked up to stress. If you can become aware of signs that you’re exhibiting a potential mental health disorder, you can reach out to find the proper support and tools you need.

Taking a bipolar disorder quiz will give you the opportunity to:

1. Look at your behavior, thoughts and emotions through a different lens
2. Recognize internal symptoms that you may have missed
3. Determine how many bipolar disorder symptoms you exhibit 
4. Become more self-aware
5. Take a big step in your mental health journey
6. See if you need to seek a mental health provider for a diagnosis
7. Possibly catch symptoms early

What to do after taking the bipolar disorder quiz

So you’ve taken the quiz, but what’s the next step?

It’s essential to remember that the results from the bipolar disorder quiz shouldn’t be taken as a formal diagnosis. If your answers indicate that your emotions, behaviors and thoughts align with the criteria of bipolar disorder, you should book an appointment with a mental health provider for a consultation.

If your health care provider diagnoses you with bipolar disorder, the best way to alleviate the symptoms is to treat them with medication and therapy. They will prescribe the medication that would work best for you based on your specific symptoms and medical history.

For therapy, there are a few different approaches that you could explore, including process-based therapy. This is a personalized approach to mental health treatment that focuses on treating your entire well-being, not just your diagnosis. It addresses four core processes that drive symptoms of mental health disorders, like bipolar disorder:

• Difficulty with emotions
• Difficulty with thoughts
• Difficulty with behaviors
• Difficulty with relationships

Even if the bipolar disorder quiz results determine that you don’t align with a diagnosis, you should still seek therapy to work through the emotions and behavior that led you to take the quiz.

Lightfully Behavioral Health can help after you take the bipolar disorder quiz

Taking a bipolar disorder quiz is a huge accomplishment in your mental health journey because it shows that you’re ready to take charge of your mental health and work toward a future of well-being. And regardless of what the results are, we’re here to help.

Change is possible. After you’ve taken the bipolar disorder quiz, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.