I went to my hair salon yesterday and I told her I had bipolar. And she laughed and said 6 out of 10 people have that! Everybody's got bipolar.

I have noticed an increase and I am wondering if it is being Overdiagnosed. When I was dxed 15 years ago it was called manic depression and hardly anyone one had it. And in the deep south where I was at the time, you did not talk about it.

Now I am noticing people on these boards who 'think' they have it but have never been to several comprehensive interviews with a Pdoc to get a proper diagnosis. Or also, second and third opinions which is what i did..Mostly out of Denial. I didnt want it. It's like people want to have bipolar cuz they think it's cool. I dont get it. It aint. You can have mine!

But I also wonder if the stigma is gratefully being reduced and more people are opening up about it. Therefore, it seems like more people have it.

I also marvel at bipolar being diagnosed in children when the onset is late teens to early 20's. I was in my late teens when I knew something was wrong but I didn't know what it was. No one talked about mental illness. My 20's were a disaster but that's when I got dxed. I was normal as a child and all children are up and down.

Alcohol and drug use look alot like bipolar. The depressing hangovers, the elated binges. I believe if a person wants to truly know if they have bipolar they need to be clean and sober a few months or more to see if bipolar symptoms persist.

Also are the drug companies pushing the meds on the pdocs who are in turn handing them out to patients who really don't have bipolar but may have the usual ups and downs or even hypochondria where the patient learns about bipolar and thinks they have the symptoms and tells a dr about them?


Anyone else notice that everyone's niece or son or uncle or best friend has bipolar now? What are your thoughts on this? Also, I know there are varying degrees of bipolar where some can lead a fairly normal life, work a job, go to school, have a family...etc. then there are the ones like me who have had numerous hospitalizations, suicide attempts, numerous med changes, therapy, but have tried so hard to do normal life things only to run a rather haphazard course through life.

I have been successful at art and my marriage is now good but I've been hospitalized three times just this year.

Do you think bipolar is being over diagnosed?