Source: https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2010/193/4/diagnosis-and-monitoring-bipolar-disorder-general-practice

There seems to be a lot of controversy about this, so I just wanted to clear the air. I was diagnosed with bipolar by my GP, as have my other bipolar friends in Aus. This is evidently not a thing in other countries. Please do not fake claim Australians just because we were diagnosed by a GP. Different countries have different diagnostic standards. There is a shortage of psychiatrists in rural areas, which tbh is a lot of the country, and so GPs are commonly trained to diagnose and manage mental health conditions. Ofc, referral to a psychiatrist is necessary, but in our books it is not necessary for a psychiatrist to confirm a diagnosis given by a GP unless it’s a complicated case. I should note, not everyone in Aus is diagnosed by a GP, in fact most GPs are very reluctant to diagnose bp unless they know the patient well and/or live in an area where it is difficult to access a psychiatrist.

To all those who reference how difficult it can be to differentiate BP from other conditions (adhd, borderline etc), that is a very valid case against self diagnosis. GPs are trained professionals, no they are not psychiatrists but they are also very experienced with mental illness considering it is the second most common presenting concern to GPs (after back pain lol). There really isn’t any need for a psychiatrist to reiterate the diagnosis, and from what I’ve noticed most psychiatrists are confident in a GPs ability to diagnose BP (note i work in healthcare). Idk why but for some reason GPs’ opinion does not seem to be as respected in other countries?

Tldr; aussie with BP is sad about getting fake claimed again🥲