Bipolar disorder is a very common mental health problem that affects over 500,000 Australians that we currently know of. It is important to mention the fact that we don't fully know how many people suffer from bipolar disorder because it can be very hard to pinpoint, and often it takes months of appointments, sessions and failed treatment before bipolar disorder is properly diagnosed. If you suspect that you have many of the symptoms that are consistent with bipolar disorder, then why not ask for a genetic screening to make sure?

What Is A Genetic Screening?

Genetic screening is a way to examine the secrets of the body without opening it up in surgery. Instead all you need to do is either provide a sample of saliva or get a little bit of your blood taken. Then this sample can be tested for all manner of genetic conditions that will present themselves in your DNA. A genetic screening will expose any mutated genes that are the root cause for many hereditary diseases. While it is not possible to diagnose every disease with genetic screening, it definitely is possible to search for the mutated gene that signals whether a person has bipolar disorder.

What Is The Mutated Gene That Causes Bipolar Disorder?

A genetic screening test that is looking for problems relating to bipolar disorder is mainly looking at the GRK3 enzyme. Ordinarily GRK3 enzymes function with very little attention, but if they have just a little genetic defect, then this is what is widely believed to cause bipolar disorder. A genetic screening test doesn't take that long and you can have results back within a week or two (depending on the lab you send your sample too). 

How Do I Organise A Genetic Screening?

Many health care clinics offer genetic screening tests, and the best way to go about getting yourself booked into one is simply discussing it with your primary care doctor. If you suspect that you have bipolar disorder, then odds are they have noticed the signs of it as well. If you find your general practitioner is less enthusiastic about the idea than you are, you can also contact a private pathology lab to organise your screening on your own. That should be a last result, however, as your doctor likely has other reasons for not ordering a genetic screening. Talk to them and see what direction they want to go in for your diagnosis because often once they exhaust other options, they will resort to a genetic screening eventually. 

For more information on genetic screening, contact a local resource.