There is no substitute for an actual consult with a psychiatrist, but your index of suspicion for yourself is high, you may use the criteria that most (if not all) psychiatrists adhere to - the DSM-IV criteria.

Schizophrenia

• Two or more of the following signs and symptoms lasting for more than a month
  • delusions
  • disorganized speech
  • disorganized or catatonic behavior
  • hallucinations
  • negative symptoms (affective flattening, alogia, avolition etc.)
• Decreased social or occupational functioning
• Continuous signs of illness for more than six months

Depressive Episode

• Change from previous level of functioning
• Five or more of the following
  • sleep disturbances
  • loss of interest
  • feeling of guilt/ worthlessnes
  • decreased energy
  • changes in appetite/weight
  • anhedonia (complete cessation of pleasurable activities)
  • psychomotor agitation/retardation
  • suicidal ideations
• One symptom of decreaed mood or decreae pleasure/interest
• significant social/occupational impairment

Manic Episode

• More than a week of abnormal and persistently elevated, expansive or irritable mood.
• Must have three or more of the following during disturbance:
  • Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
  • decreased sleep
  • increased talkativeness or pressured speech
  • flight of ideas (stringing together incoherent ideas)
  • distractability
  • increased goal-directed or psychomotor agitation
  • excessive  pleasure seeking activities
• Marked social and occupational impairment.

Hypomanic Disorser

• Four or more days of abnormal and persistently elevated, expansive or irritable mood.
• Must have three of the following during the disturbance:
  • increased self-esteem or grandiosity
  • decreased sleep
  • pressured speech
  • flight of ideas
  • distractibility
  • increased goal-directed or psychomotor agitation
  • excessive pleasure seeking activities
• No marked social impairment

Major Depressive Disorder

• One or more depressive episodes
• No history of mania or hypomanic episodes

Bipolar I

• One or more manic or mixed episode/s
• Not accounted by other psychotic disorders

Disease Entity: Bipolar II

• One or more major depressive episodes and one or more hypomanic episodes.
• Not accounter by other psychotic disorders

Source: G&A Notes.

Viewed 3905 times by 1609 viewers

Browse Timeline

• « Dichotomy
• » Untitled

8 Comments

• At 2007.10.12 20:30, Prudence said:
  

  Sometimes it’s fun “labeling” classmates with psychiatric disorders. I remember back in school when we had classmates whom we categorized as being histrionic and having flight of ideas (because she talks so fast and wants to talk about so many things). Haha.

  [Reply]
• At 2007.10.12 22:32, Frances said:
  

  I agree with Prudence. More than looking at ourselves, it’s easier and (more fun) to look at how other people can fit into these psychiatric conditions. If we actually take a look at ALL mental disorders, almost everyone can be suspected of having one! Hehe.
  But really, mental health is no laughing matter. I have some friends and family members who see psychiatrists, it’s a tough reality we live with.

  Btw, have you read “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest?”

  [Reply]
• At 2007.10.13 03:43, joyfulchicken said:
  

  I see dead people. Yay.

  [Reply]
• At 2007.10.13 21:31, Paula said:
  

  Ditto to Prudence. Of course, knowing someone personally with a psychiatric condition changes your whole perspective on it. Then again, everyone has an anxiety / neurosis of some sort.

  Makes you wonder what normal now is. o__o

  [Reply]
• At 2007.10.15 00:30, nash said:
  

  Sus, sakit mayaman lang mga yan. Walang ganyan sa ating inang bayan….Otherwise, Raul Gonzalez would have been put in a sanitarium ages ago
  

  [Reply]
• At 2007.10.15 16:39, mats said:
  

  I think I learned those in Clinical Psy. Though it may seem scary, still everyone has their own issues merely not because we or they have psychotic disorders or what.
  I have to agree with Paula - coz a lot of times I do wonders what normal now is!

  [Reply]
• At 2007.10.16 08:26, IggyAgbayani said:
  

  I think we all need to be a little crazy sometimes. How life can be so boring to wake up, eat breakfast, ride the MRT, work, eat lunch, work, ride the mRT back, have dinner, watch TV and sleep. Do this at least 250 times a year, yes try doing it in your mind, and I think you can and should try to be crazy once in a while.

  Why we even have to post this topic among supposedly rational, logical and scientific people is crazy! Ha-ha-ha

  [Reply]
• At 2008.02.04 21:07, Dane said:
  

  Your “adventures in medicine” are really great posts.

  On the more serious side, reading this post made me realize that I may have one of these psychiatric disorders. Okay, how should I cure this?

  [Reply]