[twitch21]

Basically I've already been assessed but they didn't even ask me to what happens to me everyday, all they asked was about my childhood, now they are assuming nothings wrong and it was what happened to me as a child that's made me like this when my mum, partner and best friend know its something more than that, my mum thinks its bipolar from the way I have been for the past few years, my friends think I get too overly confident and really vain then the next I can be the opposite, my partner who I live with thinks I'm being more aggressive, talking fast about all these ideas I come up with that half the time he forgets half the things I said and I get really hyper over nothing at anytime, it feels like when I get off a rollercoaster and wanna go on it again, basically like a rush.of adrenaline or act really silly at times, I've noticed I get really hot and irritated easily, my worse symptom was when I seen all these demonic faces around me and had all these racing thoughts through my head that I couldn't move. my doctor knows all of this and he goes "its depression", now I don't know much about it but my mum suffered from it and when I told her my symptoms she told me that im not suffering from depression It sounds like I'm suffering from manic depression..anyone experienced any of these symptoms? theres so much more but its not much of a long list!

[cocoabeans]

Depression can be experienced in many ways. So, your mom's experience with depression while very different from you own, doesn't mean you're symptoms are not depression or that you have bipolar disorder.

As for whether or not it is bipolar, doesn't matter. Just go along with whatever treatment plan you have and see what happens. Even with a bipolar label you end up trying dozens of drugs to the point where it doesn't matter what they call it, you'll realize they're just guessing.

As for your symptoms, yes, I've experienced them.

[SmokeyPoole2012]

I think the therapists are asking questions about your past to help identify with your patterns. When I'm having manic episodes it's hard for me to see exactly what is happening with myself, so it's almost fruitless to try and get my input on the now. And because of that inability to see what’s actually happening with us it is really helpful to trust and believe in other people’s opinion, especially a parent or those closest to us.

[Irreplaceable]

Originally Posted by cocoabeans

Depression can be experienced in many ways. So, your mom's experience with depression while very different from you own, doesn't mean you're symptoms are not depression or that you have bipolar disorder.

As for whether or not it is bipolar, doesn't matter. Just go along with whatever treatment plan you have and see what happens. Even with a bipolar label you end up trying dozens of drugs to the point where it doesn't matter what they call it, you'll realize they're just guessing.

As for your symptoms, yes, I've experienced them.

I disagree....If she is bipolar and they are giving her medication for depression, can't this have a negative effect on her? It can make her more manic if she is taking the wrong meds...Not to mention the fact that the meds might not even work if she is taking it for the wrong condition. So, it does matter...I wouldn't go along with something just because a doctor said so...I do believe that the poster most likely needs more visits to a psych before a proper diagnosis can be made...Bipolar is a hard condition to be diagnosed with, in most cases...I understand what she is saying. Doctors are so quick to automatically say depression when they hear about your childhood. Did the same thing to me but I'm not stupid. I know how I feel. A doctor can't tell me how I feel.

There is an important distinguishing factor between being dx with unipolar depression and bipolar, and it comes down to treatment through medication, and also other management tools, not to mention the actual symptoms. Many people here have been misdiagnosed with unipolar depression for significant amounts of time and did not have much improvement until a correct dx of bipolar was made. I've read that here and other places many many times. If you don't know what you are treating, how do you treat it in the best optimal way? If I have diabetes or hypoglycemia I hope I would get a correct diagnosis. Breast cancer, colon cancer, while both are cancer treatment may be different and mental illnesses are not that much different.

When you are talking to your dr about this, don't be afraid to speak up and say.. I just do not think this is depression. Make a list of symptoms an hand it to them. Also make sure your dr considers physical reasons as well, thyroid, and physical symptoms. You would be surprised how many physical illnesses cause psychological illness. Dr's from my experience seem quick to jump the gun on mental illness without considering all possible cause.

Good luck I hope you find some answers.

[cocoabeans]

I was misdiagnosed unipolar depression too and antidepressants did do terrible things for me. I felt worse for awhile, big deal. What I mean is if it is bipolar that will be discovered eventually. The only thing the op can do is play along with the experimenting because even if it is bipolar there is going to be a lot of playing around for the meds, dosages and the side effects... or forget psychiatry all together.