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The_little_didgee · 07:03 PM

Thanks for the reply.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fern46

I had an episode that was psychotic and fit the criteria for mania except it didn't last long enough to be true mania. That could be due to the fact my husband got me help quickly and the heavy dose of Haldol or something similar they gave me at the hospital was so strong I couldn't pick my head up for hours.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fern46

Some doctors I have seen labeled me as bipolar and as having experienced mania with psychosis. My current doctors say it was brief reactive psychosis induced by PTSD. I've never had depression though, so my case is even more unclear.

Not having a straight forward presentation is very frustrating. In my experience it delayed recovery, and even caused overwhelming self-doubt.

For years I was misdiagnosed and got not help at all.

One doctor who did an autism spectrum disorder assessment on me, diagnosed me with bipolar disorder, because of my reaction to two antidepressants, Prozac and Cipralex. I never had a spontaneous manic state. About 7 years later I had a period of psychosis that was different. That illness slowly developed over months. I have recovered from it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fern46

I don't think any doctor can know for sure without giving it time to see if you cycle again. How long has it been since all of this occurred? What meds are you on now?

This happened 24 years ago, in May 1996. I did have a milder reaction to Cipralex when I started taking it in 2015. My psychiatrist was aware and told me it was a hypomanic reaction to the pills. It lasted about three weeks. My psychiatrist added a low dose of Abilify to help with the agitation, which helped. I'm still on Cipralex, because it helps with my obsessive thoughts (E.g., germs) and behaviors.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fern46

Why were you on such a high dose of Prozac? It can induce mania. The question becomes whether or not one is bipolar and the med brought out the mania or if one has unipolar depression and the high dose of the med is to blame.

I'm not sure why I was on 60 mg of Prozac. I was really struggling with adjustment problems and was living on my own at the time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fern46

My psychosis was completely incoherent, but my mother had it for days and there were periods when she would snap out of it for a few moments. Something would then trigger her and she would go back to the abnormal behavior.

Personally I think the diagnosis process is a hot mess and the lines between many diagnosis are blurred. The way a practitioner labels me matter to me a lot less than whether or not they can help me to effectively manage my symptoms. Are you symptomatic now?

I'm fairly stable even though I am struggling with a bit of a low mood right now. This happens every winter. The restlessness I have been getting has been making it feel worse.