16 - saw school counsellor - depressed - did nothing (missed hypomania)
18 - saw GP - depressed - given antidepressant, took for a couple of weeks but stopped as boyfriend was worried about sexual side effects..
20-22 - saw GP - diagnosed depressed (missed hypomania), given antidepressants got worse
saw T - anxious - tried relaxation/ meditation made it worse
saw pdoc - changed antidepressants, then increased, then increased. Diagnosed MDD (missed hypomania)
23 - still depressed quit pdoc,
24 - still depressed quit meds
25 - still depressed went to a diff GP more antidepressants, first mood stabiliser, olanzapine- very sedated and didn't take for long
26 - got referred for bipolar testing at tertiary referral hospital specialising in BP - diagnosed BP2, realised had always been BP! placed on lithium tried to go off antidepressants didn't work, very depressed, suicidal and paranoid
27-28 - got an new private doc, tried seemed like a million dif meds none worked
29 - tried a dif mood stabiliser to try and get pregnant
- it worked
30-39 - a few minor mild depressions but otherwise stable mood and same mood stabiliser with antidepressant tweaks and still going strong!