No, I’m not going to say “Why am I so miserable? No, wait! Why am I so happy? No, wait!..” 
Seriously, my question is, how is bi-polar disorder diagnosed? Is it strictly a judgemental thing, based on behavior, history, etc? Or is there an accurate and specific medical means of diagnosing the illness?
Fifteen or so years ago, an apparently relatively normal family member was diagnosed as manic-depressive after a sudden episode that involved chasing through the street, strapping to hospital tables, and assorted other ugliness. This diagnosis was based on the nature of the episode and the inability of doctors to find any other explanation. He was prescribed lithium, with the explanation that it would prove the diagnosis by being effective, as opposed to doing nothing. Said relative took the medication for some time, noticed only the most trivial of effect one way or the other, and eventually stopped, with doctor’s approval. He has never had another manic episode, or any other mental problems since then beyond the ordinary stuff we all go through, so I/we doubt that he in fact ever actually suffered from the illness. It is not, in fact, this person that I am concerned about; I mention this only as background, to say that this was my previous experience with how such a diagosis was made; also that this not an entirely new topic to me, since I did research it to the best of my ability at the time. But times change and medicine marches on.
It is now another individual I am concerned about, who has had no incident so dramatic as that one, but who certainly has some mood issues. (Also had a bi-polar parent, which gives him the hereditary inclination factor.) Thing is, I’m not sure if it’s symptomatic of a physical problem (true bi-polar disorder), or if it’s just his normal (for his personality) moody mental function. Obviously, some degree of mood variation is normal if you’re not yet brain dead, and some people are just by nature moodier than others.
My question is, if I were to get this person to a doctor, is there a blood test, for instance, that can accurately diagnose the presence or absence of such a chemical imbalance? Or is the method still “Take the drugs and if they have an effect we’ll know you have the illness”? Apparently at the time of my first encounter with the illness (or at least purported encounter), this was pretty much the means of diagnosing. If that’s still the case, I’m not going to bother making the effort of argument and persuasion, because that “try taking some drugs and see” just isn’t going to happen with this person. But if there is now a more specific and scientific means of testing for this disorder, I believe I can get him to the doctor to give a blood sample or whatever and get a yes or no answer once and for all. Any input, from manic depressives, those who know and love them, or those who treat them?
[concerned, and nearing the end of my rope as well]
– Mods, if this belongs in GQ, you can move it, but I posted it here since it is indeed mundane, if not pointless. Besides, this is where I always hang out, and I thought I could count on my fine MPSIMS comrades to come through as they always do.