Hi all, I believe that I may be manic depressive or something in that spectrum of emotional imbalance. What would be the easiest (least expensive) way to be professionally diagnosed so that I can deal with this problem? Thanks for the help.
Only a professional psychologist can professionally diagnose this.
I’m sorry, I must have misread your valid question… the cheapest way will depend on your location.
If you live in the United States, most places have a county Mental Health/Mental Retardation center. There you can see a psychologist or social worker. If you have medical insurance, see your primary care physician. Many of them can at least recognize the symptoms of bipolar disorder, and some will treat it medically. There are a variety of drugs on the market now which can treat this disease with at least some success. Sometimes it takes a while to match up the proper drug to the patient, however.
I am not a professional. I believe, from what I’ve read, that bipolar disease is almost totally a physical disease. Again, I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL, so I might be wrong about that.
If you’re in America, most, if not all counties, have a health dept. The health dept. also has a dept. of mental health. These places charge fees on a sliding scale, based on how much you can afford to pay. The offer psychiatric as well as counseling services. Don’t know if they subsidize the price of psychotropic drugs if you turn out to need some. Keep us posted.
Manic depression simply means that you’ve had (clinical) depression and at least one manic episode in your life. The only to diagnose this to see a qualified professional (i.e. a psycologist).
If you are in the UK the cheapest way would be to see your GP who would refer you to a consultant (providing of course your GP thinks that you do have a geniune mental health problem), the total cost being nothing.
I have known several manic depressives, two of them in my own family and it’s does not simply equate to an emotional imbalance. The symptons of a manic episode are very pronounced, for example, someone I know with manic depression (whose only source of income is Disabilty Living Allowance) will in a manic episode buy things like cars, boats, motor cycles, houses even. They will then ‘come down’ and realize what they’ve done and have to sell everything they’ve bought, but come the next manic episode they will do exactly the same thing creating an endless cycle from which they can never seem to escape. Another young man I know has a tnednecy to shout things out for no reason whilst in manic episode (which is a frequent occurance despite the fact he is currently on medication). Depressive episodes are also very pronounced, my Greta Aunt who also has manic depression cannot be left alone as she will try to kill herself in if she has a depressive episode.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health:
“Anyone with bipolar disorder should be under the care of a psychiatrist skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.” (italics mine)
I have to agree with MC. I thought I had it once (family history) and when I really researched it, went “whoa! not me!”
It can be extremely frustrating (just what you need, right? 
) to seek treatment when finances are an issue. I think if you have coverage, seeing your PCP would be your best bet…they can take care of the problem right away until you are able to find affordable counseling.
Good luck. 
Earl is correct- psychologists & social workers can’t treat it, only psychiatrists can, so psychiatrist is the best answer. In the US, a GP , or family doctor ,would be very reluctant to make the diagnosis for the 1st time. It takes time, but county mental health clinics still exist, & they charge a sliding scale.
Only a medical doctor (preferably a psychiatrist) can treat it because treatment involves drugs (usually lithium - at least that was the old stand-by) and only a medical doctor can prescribe drugs.
I’m not a medical professional either, but most mental disorders, are “physical” diseases, since they involve a chemical imbalance in the brain. (What causes the chemical imbalance is another question.) Exceptions that come to mind are the personality disorders, and those cannot be treated since they are part of a person’s character: something ingrained in the person in the very early years of life. Schizophrenia also cannot be adequately treated since structural abnormalities in the brain (enlargement of the ventricular system, prominent sulci in the cortex, etc.) have consistently been demonstrated in such individuals.
Since bipolar (manic-depressive) and schizophrenia have many common symptoms, it sometimes becomes difficult to diagnose which disease the person has.
Thank you for the help, I’ve made an appointment with the local health services department. After doing some reading on manic-deppression I don’t think that I am a manic-depressive, but I’m making the appointment anyway because for the emotional swings I have I’m probably imbalanced in some sort of way. Again thank you, and have a nice day.
Thanks, Earl. I stand corrected.
I was once in the same postio as you, I thought that I may of had manic depression due to the obvious family history. I was referred to a consultant psychiatrist and it turned out to be a stress-related disorder and one that treatment was very effective for.
I’d say to anyone who suspects that they might have some sort of mental health problem to consult their GP immediately.
I am a mental health professional (Master’s level certified professional counselor) and have worked both in inpatient and outpatient settings with a multi-disciplinary staff. Our psychiatric staff wouldn’t think of treating bipolar disorder only with medications, although many clinics and independent psychiatrists (and other doctors, sadly enough) do. The reason? Because many bipolar patients who have therapeutic reactions to their medications often then stop taking their meds. Within a period of weeks or months, they then have to come back in to be re-checked. Working on an ongoing basis with a therapist along with taking medications increases the client’s success rate.
There also has to be a distinction made here among the different types of bipolar disorders. Most people equate “bipolar” with the older term “manic-depressive.” That is only partially accurate. Only one type of bipolar disorder (bipolar-mixed) manifests in both the depressive episodes and the manic episodes which cycle in some manner between the two extremes. Some people who have this type of bipolar disorder only occasionally experience one of those extremes, but may cycle between the other extreme and an “even keel.” Persons with the bipolar-depressed diagnosis only cycle between a feeling of being “normal” to being depressed, sometimes profoundly. Persons with the bipolar-manic diagnosis only cycle between normal and manic, again often to an extreme degree. The bipolar-mixed diagnosis is reserved for persons who have had at least one true manic episode and one true depressive episode.
Having bipolar disorder is not something that can be counseled away, so medical intervention is required. And it is so important for the client/patient to stay on their meds as prescribed once they are stabilized. I know I have at least two of my clients who have a bipolar-mixed diagnosis, who have strong urges to go off their medications. The main reason is that they really miss the highs of their “hypomanic” phases. They have both told me they believe it’s the closest they will ever come to being in a fantastically euphoric state without using illegal drugs. Being stabilized on their meds creates what I call a “ceiling” to their high points that prevents them from hitting the manic highs. But it also limits their energy to get as much done as they used to be able to and their creative energy in approaching job or personal interests.
I hope this helps to clarify that the definition and diagnosis of bipolar disorder has gone way past the old definition of “manic-depressive.”
I would consulte your county mental health. It may cost you as little as one dollar. In 1980 I developed Anxiety Attacks. No one could figure out what was happening. Doctors hadn’t seen it. I remember I was working weekends overnight at a new hospital (osteopath) and the doctor called everyone in, he was all like “you gotta see this it’s so weird.” (the way I would go from calm to nervous in 1/2 minute)
I say this to let you know out of no where to go I went to Cook County Mental Health. Because it’s public you get a lot of younger people and they WANT to help as they are all gung ho in their career. And this girl straight out of college had to take on look at me and diagnosed what I had, where no one else could. Cost me 1 dollar per session for 6 month. (Back then they didn’t use pills to treat.)
So don’t think 'cause it’s the county you get less quality, that ain’t always the case.