Guest Post: Why Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder is So Tough by G. Alex Patten, MD

Since its original description over 160 years ago, Bipolar Disorder has been a tough diagnosis to make accurately. At different times called “circular insanity,” “manic depressive psychosis,” and “manic depression,” Bipolar Disorder was not officially recognized as a standalone mental illness until 1980. Now we know that Bipolar Disorder is actually a group of four …

THE DSM-5 Made Easy To Understand

  WHAT IS THE DSM-5? It's often referred to as the psychiatrist's bible. DSM stands for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It covers all mental health disorders for both children and adults. It lists known causes of these disorders, statistics in terms of gender, age at onset, and prognosis as well as some …