[Gentle Lamb]

What does it mean when someone says:

Axis 1: PTSD, r/o Bipolar II Disorder? Are they saying someone has bipolar II or no they do not??? I do not understand what is being stated here. Can someone help with this?

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by Gentle Lamb

What does it mean when someone says:

Axis 1: PTSD, r/o Bipolar II Disorder? Are they saying someone has bipolar II or no they do not??? I do not understand what is being stated here. Can someone help with this?

short version before 2013 America was on what was called a multi axial diagnosis process. there were 5 "axis" that included things like mental disorders, physical health problems, stressors and problems that impacted a persons daily life, what that persons educational and work problems were (learning disorders and such) and their daily functioning level at the time of the psychiatric evaluation.

the above in your post means that the person has PTSD and the treatment providers are in the process of ruling out having bipolar II disorder.

since 2013 america is moving away from this multi axial diagnosis process. each mental disorder now has very clear diagnostics and related symptoms and most if not all mental disorders include the criteria that the treatment provider must decide which mental disorder best fits that persons problems (in other words their problems and symptoms can not be better explained by another mental disorder.)

and we no longer have the diagnosis of NOS (not other wise specified) so now its either the person fits the diagnostics for having a mental disorder or they do not. no more gray areas where the client is stuck not knowing if they have a mental disorder or not just because of the NOS at the end of the disorder being looked at.

for people who have been diagnosed on the multi axial process here in america they can contact their own treatment providers for an update on what their mental disorders are according to the presently used standard of diagnosing mental disorders.

for those who dont wish to contact their treatment providers or have a wait before meeting with their treatment providers the recognized mental disorders here in america are in the diagnostic manual called DSM 5. it has a complete listing of presently used mental disorder labels and presently used diagnostic criteria along with 4-6 more pages on each mental disorder now recognized in america.

outside the USA they may still be using the multi axial diagnosis process and may have mental disorders that is no longer used in america for example America no longer has a diagnosis\mental disorder called Complex PTSD but other countries outside the USA still do. so the best thing to do is contact your own treatment providers to help with diagnosing and such things so as not to self diagnose with something that your own locations may not have for a mental disorder.

[PsychNitrous]

The "r/o" means "rule out". Basically it means that the therapist has recognized symptoms of bipolar II (in this case) in the person, but doesn't know enough to say that yes they have it. They are considering the diagnosis, but need more information to make sure it really is bipolar, and that they aren't mistaking symptoms of another disorder.

[Gentle Lamb]

Thank you for taking the time to answer this for me.