Misdiagnosis of BPD
Bipolar disorder is most often misdiagnosed in its early stages, which is usually during a person’s teenage years. When there is a misdiagnosis, the symptoms of bipolar disorder can get worse. This is a result of the wrong medication or treatment given. A major cause of misdiagnosis is the inconsistency in the timeline of episodes and behaviour. A lot of people fail to visit their doctor until they experience depression. A study has shown that bipolar disorder has a 76.8 percent rate of misdiagnosis. This is because of the several other mental disorders that share the same symptoms. Common conditions that get mistaken as BPD include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- A personality disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) [7]
- Schizophrenia
Details that may help your doctor make the right diagnosis include a strong knowledge of your family medical history, a mood disorder questionnaire, and a fast recurring episode of depression.