Hi Mi Amor. I'm afraid that we are not qualified to diagnose ourselves. The diagnostic process is a bit more complex than simply looking at a symptoms list and saying "Yea, I'm like (or had) that!" Nevertheless, since most mental illnesses can't be diagnosed by anything like a blood test or scan, psychiatrists and psychologists do diagnose based on reported symptoms and/or observation. Sometimes to ourselves we under report symptoms or even exaggerate on occasion.
My suggestion as a start is to briefly summarize occasions in your life when you had very STRONG feelings either elated, depressed, anxious, agitated and/or severely angry. How those feelings affected your life and any strong feedback others gave you, at the times. Think back to times when your sleep was notably affected for more than just a few days. Then present that to your doc or therapist. Be sure they ask you plenty of questions. A firm diagnosis usually requires more than a few sessions. Simply be happy, sad, or anxious at times doesn't make for diagnosable illness, either.
Being medicated for a mental illness like bipolar disorder is serious business. It should offer more help than harm, in the long run. Also, there is stigma attached to it. That shouldn't mean denial is best, though.
I hope you get the right answers in the end, for your well-being. Either way it goes.
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Dx: Bipolar type 1
Psych Medications:
* Tegretol XR (carbamazepine ER) 800 mg
* Lamictal (lamotrigine) 150 mg
* Seroquel XR (quetiapine ER) 500 mg
I also take meds for blood pressure, cholesterol, and tachycardia.
Last edited by Soupe du jour; Apr 17, 2023 at 01:25 PM.
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