Hi:

I was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder last year. I don't know how "intense" my diagnosis was. Honestly, I just told my psych that I was having mood swings and a history of depression and mania and they diagnosed me as bipolar I after 20 minutes and immediately put me on tegretol. My problem is that I can't really tell a difference when I am on my medication. I have problems with impulsivity (specifically sexual impulsivity) and the medication has done absolutely nothing to stop them. I still have racing thoughts, anxiety, sleepless nights. I have extreme difficulty concentrating at work and go from one thing to another quickly. I have periods in which I flake out and call in sick to work for no reason and I am constantly late even when on medications. I fidget quite a bit and make impulsive and rash decisions frequently- such as impulsive spending, horrible food choices, etc.

Is it possible to be both ADHD and bipolar? Could I have been misdiagnosed. I have been having problems concentrating ever since I was 12. I was held back in the seventh grade due to poor grades because of behavioral issues. That is also when my sexual impulsivity started.