Inquiring about bipolar d/o...

I'm an intern who has seen quite a few patients in the ED who report having bipolar d/o. If they are acutely manic it's very clear, but if not, often when I ask them about it, the say that "yeah, my doctor thinks I have that because I'm really moody." Anyway, I was wondering how you address the validity of the diagnosis? What phrases do you use to screen for true mania? I often say something like "have you ever felt like opposite of depressed, like you were on top of the world?" A TON... Inquiring about bipolar d/o...
Source: Student Doctor Network - Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Source Type: forums