Wow, thank you for sharing your stats! It's amazing how much time goes into ourselves when we are burdened so heavily. I hope you all got quality care in that time!

TheLittledidgee: Yes, after graduating high school I was experiencing major social anxiety, mood swings and some paranoia. My family doctor thought it was psychosis so he referred me to an early psychosis treatment program. It was a 3 year program. I was put on heavy medications and I spent 2 years under the spell of being diagnosed as Psychosis NOS / Bipolar. About 2 years into it I became super depressed and was committed to a hospital for a month. After that month I was sent to an Outpatient care facility designed to get people back into society and strengthen skills in living and self-care. I left 2 months into that because I really didn't need to be there. I stopped taking medications altogether, against doctors orders, but I was able to relinquish more control over my life. For a time I was doing well. But soon after I began to experience more mood swings, more emotional outbursts and more anxiety, etc. I started seeing a therapist and she helped me to get properly diagnosed and managed to get me over one of my worst fears: driving.

Once I got diagnosed with Borderline - I began to deal with my problems - but that took about 4 years in the mental health services to get proper diagnosis and proper care. It's amazing how easily someone can be misdiagnosed. In my experience - it takes years in order to get a proper diagnosis. I wish there was a faster way to find it.

Since then I have been through month-long outpatient hospital programs - that aim at stabilizing lives through CBT and a taste of DBT. I went to that program twice in a span of 3 years. I also spent many sessions in therapy in between.

I've since been referred to a DBT program and have recently been accepted and told it will be approximately 2 years in treatment. All my hopes are on this program. If it doesn't help - I don't know what will...

Thanks,
HD7970ghz