[zbmom]

and I don't know what to feel. I've been waiting 2 months. I'm nervous I guess but also so depressed I'm kind of too tired to care. I hope she can for sure pin down what's wrong. It really looks like BP ii, T says my symptoms fit DSM criteria, but we'll see if pdoc agrees. Also the meds my primary doc put me on don't seem to be helping at all, maybe they're even making me worse. Just not doing well overall. I don't really know what to expect, just know it's supposed to take like an hour or so and she is supposed to figure out what's wrong and prescribe me something that will theoretically help and hopefully not make me worse. It's hard not to be cynical at this point, I've done everything T and primary doc have told me too and I just keep getting worse, I really do believe them now that something chemical is wrong.........

[Forgive77]

I bet you're going to find working with a pdoc great! I worked with a gp for a year or more, and it almost ruined me. Once I got with a pdoc, everything started to look up. I guess there are specialists for a reason.

[wing]

zbmom, you've got reasonable expectations of what will happen at your intake evaluation. I believe only psychiatrists should prescribe psych meds, and I think you will have a positive experience. You could write down the points you want to make, and especially the questions you want to ask. But I think you'll walk out of that hour feeling relieved!

[Phoenix_1]

((((zbmom)))), It's great that you're getting expert help now. GP's only know a little bit about psychiatry, that's not their main training, so it's good to see a pdoc.

Just be sure you tell the pdoc everything. And I mean everything. Ups and downs.

In the past I only went to the pdoc when I was depressed. I thought I was unipolar - depression only. I had no idea I had BP II. I didn't know that my hypomania was a problem. I was clueless. When I finally told my pdoc everything on June 30, he said I need a mood stabilizer and prescribed lithium right away. He asked me if I ever told anybody else everything and I hadn't, even though I've been seeing pdocs since 1987. I didn't even know that I was cycling until I went to Day Hospital, although I had a feeling a year ago that something wasn't right. It's impossible to get the proper help without telling everything. I'm so glad I have the right diagnosis now! Now with proper meds maybe I can hold a job for longer than 6 months. And have lasting relationships with people. Things are looking up.

[lunarpariah]

Hey ZB,

I completely agree with the other replies. My gp treated me for over a year with anti depressants and I felt really good. I had all the joy in the world and nothing could bring me down. So naturally I assumed the medicine was working. Only later when I had to be admitted for thoughts of harm did I find out that the 'take on the world' feeling I was having was not 'normal'. It was actually mania induced by the antidepressants and that I was actually BP 1.

I do not blame my GP, he was merely drawing upon his training. He did not have the skill set or the information available to properly diagnosis what was truly going on.

Seeing a psychiatrist along with a psychologist has made all the difference in the world.

Just to reiterate an early reply, it is absolutely essential that you share your complete history with the psychiatrist. The good and the bad. When I was in a mania stage I did many abnormal things that I now don't want anyone to know about. But to get maximum treatment it is crucial that you trust your doctor and tell him everything.

I hope everything goes well. Let us know how it works out

[hanners]

Originally Posted by zbmom

and I don't know what to feel. I've been waiting 2 months. I'm nervous I guess but also so depressed I'm kind of too tired to care. I hope she can for sure pin down what's wrong. It really looks like BP ii, T says my symptoms fit DSM criteria, but we'll see if pdoc agrees. Also the meds my primary doc put me on don't seem to be helping at all, maybe they're even making me worse. Just not doing well overall. I don't really know what to expect, just know it's supposed to take like an hour or so and she is supposed to figure out what's wrong and prescribe me something that will theoretically help and hopefully not make me worse. It's hard not to be cynical at this point, I've done everything T and primary doc have told me too and I just keep getting worse, I really do believe them now that something chemical is wrong.........

Your story sounds just like mine 2 weeks ago. I finally got in to see my new pdoc last monday, who I was really nervous about seeing. I turned out to really like him! Sure enough, I was diagnosed BP (in my case, NOS). I'm sure if you just give your pdoc all the information, he'll find the right diagnosis.

Wishing you the best, let me know how things go!

Good luck at your app Zbmom,

I find PDocs much easier to talk to then my GP. And no they are not usually that great with psych meds. I hope you get a pdoc that you like and click with. I loved my first pdoc, but I am trying to build a relationship with my new one, sometimes it just takes some time. Sometimes it takes some time for the psychiatrist to make a dx too, from what I read. I hope this is a good experience for you .