[nuryn]

How do you determine whether someone is bipolar ? How is Bipolar disorder diagnosed ?

[butterflypower]

Only a doctor can diagnose.

[Curiosity77]

A nurse practitioner can also diagnose if they have lots of psych experience, but it's usually a doctor.

Diagnosis is based on a book called DSM, which lists the criteria for every mental disorder. On the disorder it will list how many of the criteria (symptoms) must be present, how long they have to be present, and any things that if they are present would rule the disorder out. This is done by interviewing and observing the patient, and sometimes talking to family members or other people who know the patient.

There is a lot of issues with DSM for labeling people subjectively, and because the disorders are constructs created by a group of experts, and not a tangible or consistent thing. Also issues with the history and evolution of the book (we are up to DSM-5), and with potential conflicts of interests and biased within the categories, but that's the way it's done.

[Gray Rider]

They seem to focus a lot on identifying presence of mania.
It only takes one manic episode.

[HALLIEBETH87]

I would say a psychiatrist is best equipped to make this diagnosis as they specialize in mental illness.

[gaway1989]

Only a doc can diagnose...