Medical history (history of illness) represents an important component in the diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
Family history
- What is the general health of your family members?
- Is there a history of mental illness in your family? Has there been a history of bipolar disorder, depression, suicide attempts, or cases of alcohol dependence in your family?
- Are there any hereditary diseases in your family?
Social history
- What is your profession?
- Is there any evidence of psychosocial stress or strain due to your family situation?
Current medical history/systemic history (somatic and psychological complaints).
- What symptoms have you noticed?
- Do you suffer from decreased drive, depressed mood, or lack of interest?
- Or have you noticed a marked increase in arousal, increased drive, or a reduction in the need for sleep?
- Have you noticed a change between these two symptom complexes?
- How long have these changes been present?
- Do you additionally suffer from hallucinations or delusions?
- Have you recently thought about suicide?*
Vegetative anamnesis incl. nutritional anamnesis.
- Have you unintentionally lost or gained body weight recently?
- Do you suffer from sleep disorders?
- Do you suffer from sexual dysfunction? Do you have libido disorders?
- Do you smoke? If so, how many cigarettes, cigars, or pipes per day?
- Do you drink alcohol more often? If yes, what drink(s) and how many glasses of it per day?
- Do you use drugs? If yes, which drugs and how often per day or per week?
Self history incl. medication history.
- Pre-existing conditions (mental disorders)
- Operations
- Allergies
- Pregnancies
Medication history
- ACE inhibitors – medications used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure).
- Antidepressants – group of drugs used for depression.
- Dextromethorphan – drug from the group of antitussives (cough suppressants).
- Gabapentin – drug from the group of antiepileptic drugs.
- Gyrase inhibitors – group of drugs used for bacterial infections.
- Cortisone
- L-dopa, bromocriptine, amantadine – group of drugs used in Parkinson’s disease.
- Tuberculostatics – drugs used in tuberculosis (consumption).
- Cytostatics – group of drugs used in malignant neoplasms.
* If this question has been answered with “Yes”, an immediate visit to the doctor is required! (Information without guarantee)
