hi everyone

i have a long awaited appointment with a psychiatric nurse tomorrow

feel odd

dunno what im more scared of - being told (what i suspect) that i have a mood disorder or being told im totally fine,nothing wrong, go home

any tips on what to expect,feelings etc?

[Miss Laura]

Good Luck Frogslegs!!

I have a Psychiatric Nurse. The questions he asked were about my history of MH, any member of family who have MH Issues, have I hurt myself, what symptoms I had etc. I was asigned a Psych nurse from my Psychiatrist. So he already had some knowledge of me but he wanted me to tell him. I see him now on a monthly basis.

You will be fine.... let us know how you get on

[jaxter23]

GOOD LUCK TOMORROW!!!!! Idk much about psychiatric nurses, but definitely be honest about everything even if you are scared or embarrassed. I left stuff out when i first went to my T and I lived for another 2 months with the wrong diagnosis. Just be honest and don't be scared ***hugs***

[Trippin2.0]

good luck with your apt. XOXO

[thickntired]

Is this for disability? I had a mental assesment with a PhD last month. IMO be honest, don't lie because you're afraid of what the nurse will think. Honesty is the only thing that is going to help you get a proper diagnosis/medication etc.

Good Luck,

TnT

thanks everyone xx

[Nixi]

Good luck with your appointment. Let us know how you get on! x

[zbmom]

Don't expect to get a diagnosis right away either, especially with mood disorders, a good pdoc or nurse will want to be thorough. They might suggest meds to start with. It took my pdoc almost 6 months with mood charting, therapy, and such before she changed my diagnosis from bipolar NOS to bipolar II.

im so scared

really really scared

a couple of years ago in a counselling session for no apparant reason i froze - we never did discover why - i think thats why im scared

[Miss Laura]

Hey Frogslegs,

You will be fine, honest! Just be open and honest as how else can they help you. As much as it is hard to let people see the uglyness of the illness. Let us know how you get on (((hugs)))

[BuggsBunny]

Hang in there Frogslegs! The first step is always the scariest, but it's the nurse's job to help you feel more at ease. Be open (even with your fear), honest, and willing to try new things, and you should get through this appointment. Don't hide anything, even the ugly stuff, because if you are bipolar, then you have a better chance of getting the proper diagnosis.

Don't despair if it takes time to get your answers. They hardly ever get announced on the first visit.

You'll be okay, just keep telling yourself that this is not going to be a disaster. (Or what ever phrase you need to keep you from panicking.)

Come back and let us know how it went!

well, ive been.

my head hurts.we covered a lot of ground in one hour but it didnt feel like anywhere near long enough

her initial thoughts are that its psychological - i mention my own thoughts about bipolar and she thinks that the fact i dont appear to have days/weeks of manic is making her think its not that. any thoughts on this anyone?

it wasa relief though to be asked the right questions and for the answers to the questions to be totally understood - thats never happened to me before

thanks for all your pre appointment support - i hope its ok for me to stay around even though i dont have a bipolar dx

x

[SmokeyPoole2012]

Originally Posted by _frogslegs_

well, ive been.

my head hurts.we covered a lot of ground in one hour but it didnt feel like anywhere near long enough

her initial thoughts are that its psychological - i mention my own thoughts about bipolar and she thinks that the fact i dont appear to have days/weeks of manic is making her think its not that. any thoughts on this anyone?

it wasa relief though to be asked the right questions and for the answers to the questions to be totally understood - thats never happened to me before

thanks for all your pre appointment support - i hope its ok for me to stay around even though i dont have a bipolar dx

x

Well you found out you don't have bp that’s good. Bipolar is defined as having at least 1 episode of mania a year which for some people is hard to see when or if this occurs. For me it took a long time to see when I'm manic because I associated mania with feeling better after months of ever increasing levels of depression. I actually had to rely on the opinions of others to begin to notice the symptoms.
I guessing there must be something troubling you otherwise you wouldn't be seeking the advice of a specialist. Would it be safe to assume you have moments of depression? Because depression can be just as debilitating as bp but with the right treatments it can be treated with as much successfully.
In any case thanks for sharing and I do hope you decide to hang around the forum every bit of input we can muster around here is helpful.
Take care Frogslegs.

[BipolaRNurse]

Originally Posted by _frogslegs_

well, ive been.

my head hurts.we covered a lot of ground in one hour but it didnt feel like anywhere near long enough

her initial thoughts are that its psychological - i mention my own thoughts about bipolar and she thinks that the fact i dont appear to have days/weeks of manic is making her think its not that. any thoughts on this anyone?

it wasa relief though to be asked the right questions and for the answers to the questions to be totally understood - thats never happened to me before

thanks for all your pre appointment support - i hope its ok for me to stay around even though i dont have a bipolar dx

x

Trust me, you don't want to be bipolar. I'm not saying your condition is a bed of roses, either; I've been through more than enough depressive episodes to know it's not. Just be happy that you don't seem to have BP at this time in your life, and yes, you're still welcome here.

Best regards,

BipolaRNurse

hi again - i feel like ive been run over today

im still not sure i dont have BP - like smokey said above, there is a chance that i havent recognised my manic episodes as such, ive only really just started to consider my up times might be manic

interestingly, i found some letters the other day that i had written to my mum throughout my life - in a lot of them i sounds completely manic - they were a little uncomfortable to read - im going to take some of them with me to my appointment next week

today im just going to try and get through the day though - im exhausted after yesterday

[SmokeyPoole2012]

Originally Posted by _frogslegs_

hi again - i feel like ive been run over today

im still not sure i dont have BP - like smokey said above, there is a chance that i havent recognised my manic episodes as such, ive only really just started to consider my up times might be manic

interestingly, i found some letters the other day that i had written to my mum throughout my life - in a lot of them i sounds completely manic - they were a little uncomfortable to read - im going to take some of them with me to my appointment next week

today im just going to try and get through the day though - im exhausted after yesterday

Before I first found out that I was actually suffering from bp I went to the doctor to be treated for depression. Before that I talked with a councilor from my church. I was properly diagnosed during a 10 day stay at a mental health institution because I attempted suicide. Apparently they observed some manic behavior while under observation unfortunately I was unwilling to except the diagnosis and didn't seek treatment for another 9 years. During those 9 years I spent time becoming more aware of myself analyzing my actions, being more conscious of how I interacted with other people and paying more attention to how other viewed me.

I'm still learning about myself to this day. A few months ago I tried getting my GED because a work related injury left me unable to continue working in the construction industry. Well now I'm aware of the fact I have a learning disability that is making that task almost impossible to achieve.

The reason why I mention all of this is because experience has taught me that if I didn't take my health into my own hands I will be at the mercy of another's 1 hour evaluation. If they get it wrong like they have in the past who knows how long it is going to be before that error is discovered let alone how long of a destructive life style I am going to lead.

Your best chance is to try getting to know yourself.

[BlueInanna]

I was treated for depression and adhd for 2 years before pdoc handed me the bipolarII dx. Maybe they need to observe you for some time and try your reactions to medicines to help them dx. Would be great if there were a blood test and not just a clinical dx. Hope you get some relief soon Froglegs.