mood disorder bipolar is it the same

i was diagnosed with mood disorder and bipolar is it the same thing?can find the answers on the web ant where

Bipolar is a mood disorder. The paperwork at my psychologist office says I have been diagnosed as bipolar II, but at my family doctor its just listed as an "unspecified mood disorder". So technically I've also been diagnosed with both, but they're referring to the same thing.

These contradict each other. I don't think "Mood Disorder" is a diagnosis, I think the closest would be "Mood Disorder NOS" which means they haven't decided if it's depression (which is a mood disorder) or a form of bipolar or what. Maybe these came from different doctors?

Actually, my understanding is that in a way these contradict each other so perhaps your pdoc and your family doctor disagree.

As you say, bipolar II is a mood disorder, so your pdoc has decided you have one, and which. On the other hand, Unspecified Mood Disorder (aka Mood Disorder NOS), as I mentioned in the other response, means that they haven't decided what kind of mood disorder you have (depression, bipolar, etc.). It just looks like they don't agree.

Bipolar and depression are both examples of mood disorders. There are various forms of bipolar disorder including BP1, BP2, cyclothymia, and there is Mood disorder not-otherwise-specified (MD-NOS).

The NOS categories are used when you do not fit the description of one mood disorder. For Mood Disorder NOS, you may have symptoms of anxiety and bipolar, for example, but not enough of either to make a diagnosis.

Mood Disorder isn't a diagnosis because there is more than one (Bipolar, Major Depressive Disorder, Major Depressive Episode, Cyclothymia, Dysthymia, etc) and Mood Disorder is a category of disorders. If you have a diagnosis of NOS, the practitioner should really specify why they gave you that diagnosis by noting your symptoms. For example, if someone has Personality Disorder NOS, the practitioner should put Personality Disorder NOS with borderline and histrionic traits.

OP, you may have been diagnosed as Bipolar and they put Mood Disorder because that's the category it falls under in the DSM-IV-TR or you were diagnosed with Mood Disorder NOS with Bipolar traits. Either way, they should treat you and medicate you as Bipolar.