Hi everyone

I am glad I have found this forum. Four years ago approximately my family doctor suspected I may have Bipolar. He promptly referred me to a psychiatrist locally, I am in the UK. I had an assessment and she said that I had a very stressful life and that I didnt have BP.

I am 40 next month. My 10 year old son has autism and I have a 12 year old daughter and have been happily married for 17 years. My son has many difficulties and goes to special school and yes life has been very stressful for us all in caring for him.

But, I have a very dysfunctional family background. My own mother had a severe breakdown at age 21 and was hospitalised, my maternal grandmother also suffered from depression. My eldest brother has severe depression and has just been put on a low dose schizophrenic drug for acute anxiety. I have also suspected my autistic son has symptoms of bipolar and he is currently being reviewed under a child psychiatrist.

I feel I was misdiagnosed and need another assessment with a psychiatrist so my son's social worker has asked our family doc to refer me. From what I have read over the years about bipolar and answering the questionnaire on here, I have many of the symptoms of the disorder. At times I have felt absolutely crippled with mania lasting for several days to several weeks and then go down extremely low for some days. I have been on Effexor for several years for depression and I don't think it is helping at all with the manic side of things. I have spent reckless amounts of money when "high", had racing thoughts about wanting justice for my son with education, writing furious letters to his school and the authorities (this has been my latest episode) and then feeling so foolish and embarressed in depressed phrase that I have done these things. I don't sleep at all well and wake several times and get up in the night and have done for several years, I have been taking nurofen over the counter meds continuously to try and help me sleep better for well over a year now.

I know and can see the stress triggers that mount up and then go into manic mode.

Am I right to seek a diagnosis bearing in mind that 4 years ago I was told I didnt have BP?

with thanks