1. Note if You Haven't Been Yourself
One sign that you might be suffering from a bipolar disorder is that you're constantly excusing your behavior in front of others. An accurate way to conduct a self-test is to record how many times you say to others, "I haven't felt like myself lately," or some variation. This may be in reference to either emotional lows or highs, so you may want to tally both types of excuses.
2. Record Your Sleep Patterns
Grab a pencil and paper and record how many hours of sleep you get each night. Take additional notes to document both periods of insomnia and periods where you felt like you couldn't get enough rest. If you're suffering from a bipolar disorder, you should be able to track distinct peaks and valleys in your sleep patterns that correlate to your mood swings.
3. Record Your Emotional Highs and Lows
Once you start tracking and noticing cycles to your sleep patterns, write additional notes about your energy levels during these periods. For instance, on days where you sleep very little, you will need to see if your energy levels were unusually high or marked by manic behavior such as excessive talking or starting large and ambitious projects. On days where you sleep too much, you'll need to record feelings of loneliness, depression, indifference or even suicidal tendencies.
4. Conduct a Self-Test for Risky Behavior
Record any activities or behaviors that carry an unusually high risk to your safety. A manic phase of a bipolar disorder may cause you to engage in a variety of behaviors that may seem out-of-character for you, such as carelessly spending large amounts of money, driving unusually fast or engaging in promiscuous sex.
5. Ensure That you are Experiencing Both Manic and Depressive Symptoms
Bipolar disorders are frequently misdiagnosed simply because manic episodes are not paired equally with depressive episodes. If you're experiencing feelings of guilt, sadness, loneliness or despair, you may be suffering from clinical depression, not a bipolar disorder. Conversely, if manic episodes continue for long periods of time, you may be suffering from another type of personality disorder. Ensure that both types of symptoms are present before you discuss bipolar disorders with a healthcare professional.
