[Nixi]

Got a letter from my psych this morning which said...Bipolar Affective Psychosis!!?? Whilst I'm glad to finally get a dx I don't know what this means! I've tried to google it but it hardly comes up with anything! Any ideas?? Am I just being thick?

Huh, ok I guess my guess would be he meant bipolar affective disorder with psychotic features. Affective disorders is just a grouping of related disorders that include unipolar depression, bipolar, anxiety, schizoaffective. I haven't looked it up but I take it to mean psychiatric disorders that affect mood and behavior. I'm not 100% on this tho. Example would be Seasonal depression, it's actually dx as Seasonal Affective Disorder.

So my diagnosis is Bipolar Affective Disorder type 1 with Psychosis NOS.

Hope that helps a little.

[Nixi]

Thx so much Anika! That is very helpful! I really appreciate your reply! Why can't pdocs just say things simply!!

Thanks again x

[Anneinside]

He probably thought he was simplifying it.

[BipolaRNurse]

He sent you a letter with your diagnosis? Wow......mine just told me straight up at my first visit "I'm diagnosing you with bipolar disorder NOS". (He still hasn't decided how bipolar I am, hence the "not otherwise specified", but there's no doubt of whether I'm BP or not.) This is from a pdoc who admits he's more prone to under-diagnosing BP while his partner, who's an expert on the disorder, would've called it BP II and probably put me in the hospital to stabilize me. I'm glad my own doc didn't feel it necessary to do that.

[Nixi]

Maybe she was simplifying it. God knows. I have to admit I was shocked to receive it saying the diagnosis though I did know she was querying Bipolar it's the psychosis bit that has freaked me out. Obviously I do know that I have suffered with psychosis. This is the same pdoc that sent me a letter a couple of years ago with diagnosis of BPD...I ended up in hospital. I have to say I'm amazed at how many people have both Bipolar and Borderline Personality Disorder!!!

[Chihuahua]

Can someone plz help, how do u know u have BP and not BPD? I am mostly grumpy and agressive and my ups only last for a day tops. Thought of mentioning to doc but don't want to self diagnose and sound arrogant and ungrateful.

[Nixi]

it's a difficult one...I think it's to do with how long the mood lasts? i think with BPD it changes within the day but with bipolar it lasts longer. But I don't know coz I've only just been dx BP so who knows!?

[Chihuahua]

Thanx, sounds like me cause it's not these stretches of months that I'm happy and sad it's very rapid changes like 2 people fighting over possesion of one body!

[BuggsBunny]

You can also have rapid cycle BP, where your moods up and down quickly. And I know for a fact you can have BP and BPD at the same time. So, the consensus most of us have come to is this: if the meds work, who cares about the exact diagnosis.

[Chihuahua]

I thought about that too, if it works why worry! Thanks

[Nixi]

It might be worth mentioning it to your pdoc. It's not a case of sounding arrogant. Ur pdoc might be able to reassure you one way or the other. I mentioned it to mine and we spent the next few months keeping an eye on my moods and I've just had the dx of Bipolar as well as BPD. My pdoc was lovely and worked with me. She didn't make me feel bad for asking her.