Hi,
My name is Nicole. I live in TN, I'm a Mental Health Social Worker and I have bipolar I.
My BP onset was spring 2011. I was misdiagnosed with depression and then put on the worse medication for a person with BP….an antidepressant—alone. I now have more mania due to the above.

My first month was very rocky. I get so manic that I scare myself. I do not have much depression. Right now my psychiatrist is trying to find the right combination of medications for me.

I’m trying very hard to stay positive. I have found support groups, community programs and started working on my own WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan). I’m stuck on “create a crisis plan”. I’m stuck because of fear. The thought of being in-patient terrifies me. I’m still trying to process the fact that I am bipolar. I was correctly diagnosed Aug 1, 2012——so I’m not only new to Psych Central and this Bipolar Forum...I'm REALLY new to being on the opposite side of the table with bipolar (patient).

It’s still hard for me to say it out loud even to myself. I am not ashamed, I’m scared. I have so many fears. This was just not part of my life plan. I was not aware MI ran in my family until Labor Day 2011.

I never throw in the towel and did not plan on doing so at this point in my life. Being apart of an online MH community is part of how I'm going to stay stable. I am not symptom free yet but I soon will be.