What Is Bipolar 1? Diagnostic Criteria Explained

DSM in Pictures: Bipolar 1

A visual guide to the DSM criteria for understanding Bipolar 1

Diagnosis can feel mysterious. This resource is meant to help demystify what goes into a Bipolar 1 diagnosis.

DSM in Pictures: Bipolar I walks through the diagnostic criteria visually, one criterion at a time. It translates the clinical language of the DSM-5 into images and plain explanations, so you can see how bipolar I is defined, how the manic episode criteria nest inside it, and what each piece is pointing at.

You can use it to make sense of your own experience, to understand a diagnosis you have received, or to better understand someone you love.

What it is

A visual, image-forward guide to the DSM-5 criteria for bipolar I disorder, created by Dr. Megan Anna Neff, a neurodivergent clinical psychologist who builds visual resources.

It uses the direct language of the DSM for educational accuracy, while gently naming where that language is pathologizing and does not tell the whole story.

What’s inside

A clear map of how the criteria fit together: Bipolar I Criteria A and B, and how they require meeting the full Manic Episode criteria
Manic Episode Criterion A explained visually: the elevated, expansive, or irritable mood and the change in energy, including the one-week duration
Manic Episode Criterion B: the symptom list, from decreased need for sleep and racing thoughts to risk-taking and distractibility
Manic Episode Criterion C, with a note on what distinguishes mania from hypomania: the impairment is significant enough to be disabling
Manic Episode Criterion D and Bipolar I Criterion B: ruling out substances, medical causes, and other explanations
An overview of the specifiers, including mixed features, rapid cycling, peripartum onset, seasonal pattern, and more

Who it’s for

Anyone who wants a clear, affirming way to understand bipolar I and what goes into the diagnosis. Whether you are exploring your own experience, sitting with a diagnosis you have received, or supporting someone you care about.

It is especially useful if you process visually, if the nested criteria have felt confusing, or if you are trying to understand the line between a manic and a hypomanic episode.

What the Personal License Is For

This is the Personal Edition, for your own use. You can read it on screen, print a copy for yourself, and return to it whenever it is helpful.

It is not licensed for professional use with clients or for redistribution. If you are a clinician or coach who wants to share this with the people you work with, the Clinical Edition is built for that.