Bipolar disorder is diagnosed in different ways by two main guides: the DSM-5 and the ICD-10. Let’s break it down simply:

DSM-5:

• This guide looks for signs of manic, hypomanic, or depressive episodes.
• It also considers how these episodes affect a person's everyday life.

ICD-10:

• This guide calls it 'manic-depressive disorder.'
• It focuses less on how severe the episodes are and more on how often someone has mood swings.

Both guides try to find the same main symptoms, but they each have a different focus.

Isn't it interesting how different ways of looking at things can change how we understand mental health?