Why is BP so overdiagnosed in the US?

I don't care about numbers, I feel it has become a blanket diagnosis for mental health issues in the U.S. and I live in the U.S. I was diagnosed in 1986 when it was known as manic depression after a 3 month stint impatient. A girl at my work recently said, "....everybody's Bipolar". This is also the general feeling of most people around me. Not really helpful for those seriously suffering like myself.

There are some kids who have issues that young that is beyond "hyper." I'm not saying that is the case in the particular situation you mentioned though. Kids certainly are over prescribed for ADD/ADHD.

I noticed something different about my son at age 3-4. He was waaaay beyond hyper then. I wish I would have sought medication at age 5. Instead he went through the beginning of kindergarten in such a bad place his self-esteem has been permanently affected. Lots of other issues of crept up. He currently attends a special school due to his difficuly functioning in a regular classroom. I wouldn't be surprised to see him have a dual diagnosis of ADHD/bipolar several years from now.

I know of a child started on meds at age 4 diagnosed with bipolar. Although second and third opinions later diagnosed him as being autistic this year (now 5).

No real point to my story other than some kids really do have issues and need medicated young.

Their is a study I read about identical twins. If one had bipolar then the other had a 70% chance of being diagnosed bipolar.

(I think that was the number.)

They definitely think it is genetic.

I completely agree

psychological interventions are way to go and meds should me the very very very absolutely last option. Look, they mess up with adult brains.... and to expose young developing brain to them........

Of course there is alarming trend of NAMI mommies who rather have their kids on anti-psychotics than admit they might have done something wrong.

I think kids should be medicated as a last resort.

I ended up with no choice but to medicate my son. Other stuff was not working. Kids do have to attend school too. I just found that post offensive. It is easy to judge when you've never walked in someone's shoes.

If my son wasn't medicated he would most likely no longer be here. I feel it's a horrible decision to make and I've seen bp kids get dx after becoming manic on adhd meds.my son has been on an AP for 4 years. I'd rather prolong his life then worry about brain damage instead of not having a chance to worry. In his case it was hospital or meds. He goes from f's on no med days to A's on med days. To me it's about quality of life even for toddlers.

I walk in shoes of somebody who almost ended up medicated as child. I believe that if I had meds on my hand in my High school days, I would not be here. I would really poison myself on international train as I was plotting at one point... the only reason I didn't do so (and then many times after that) was I didn't have anything that would end me on hand. Or maybe I would be here, but it wouldn't be me. I doubt I would do many of the great things I did.

Be offended all you want, I don't care. Since said "last resort" it didn't mean "never". Not caring what some random people think is part of my treatment plan, eh.

To each their own.

I feel for the parents of the medicated children. My own son is diagnosed with a mood disorder dropped out of school because of it. He is on meds and stabilized and doing much better.
My second son is a teen and is going thru depression as well. He may be soon medicated as well.
Mental disorders run in the family. I think meds definitely have a place if needed.

Venuss herself is unmedicated, correct? so that is just her preferences. Also, Is she childless?

I am with the moms.

Yes, Venus is childless, because she is gay and crazy and worried about passing the crazy on. Or maybe of bringing kids into this weird world. And yes, the weirdness includes medicating five years olds, which i find as scary as having topless horse-riding tiger-shooting dictator wrecking havoc on my continent.

Also, yeah, I am unmedicated. the "moms" are medicated, so that maybe as well their choice.... so it should in your view pretty much invalidate their argument.

Venusss,

You have very valid points and I don't think you not having children or being unmedicated invalids them. You've even avacated meds when needed. When you told me it was time for meds it was an oh **** moment. My own child will choose to be unmedicated as an adult and I'm trying to teach him the skills that he needs. I envy people who have the strength to be unmedicated. Your a very strong person not because of that but because of the passion you bring to everything you do.

Everyone : why is bp over diognosed in us?

Took me 15 years to be medicated and I wish it would have come sooner. I don't care who is diagnosed as bipolar. I don't know their struggle. Who am I to say "oh no, you aren't bipolar, yours isn't as bad as mine." Or "You cycle way to quickly..that's not bipolar." Not my place not my business. And it's sad that some people think that it is their place, and their business. I've already had numerous people tell me that no -I'm not bipolar and I shouldn't be medicated..I'm too normal. Tell that to my psychosis that I choose not to discuss with you. -End rant

That is what I was saying, Venusss. It is your viewpoint which is valid and good for you.

I am not insulting your choice. I am just saying as a mom, I understand the need to medicate.

I think Migels mom made another thread for the medicating children part. I'd like to keep this thread on track as to why so many are diagnosed and drugged so quickly without proper observation and therapy in the US.

It has been a great discussion, and I am happy that you've all shared your experiences - and if you havent noticed - the people in the US tend to get diagnosed and drugged quickly while those elsewhere get monitored and diagnosis is a much slower process.

Is this because advertisements of medications are allowed in the US? (Im unsure if this is allowed in the UK but it definitely isnt in Australia). Do people see these ads and think, well I feel a bit down these drugs will cure me, then they go on the med merry-go-round and end up with more problems than they started with.

Sure. ^

I just don't necessarily agree that is is "correctly" over diagnosed.

I don't ever recall seeing any adverts for anything stronger than painkillers here in the UK. I've never seen an advert promoting the use of psychiatric medication, that's for sure.

I'm in the US, and I think it might have something to do with the lifestyle here. If we got rid of the fast-paced, fast food, "quick fix" lifestyle, I think we'd see a huge reduction in cases of mental illness. On one hand our bodies can't keep up with it, but on another, we have people demanding psychiatric medication for problems that don't require it. Damn those "quick fixes."

I would have to assume that the kind of bipolar that's over-diagnosed would be Bipolar II, though? Mania is fairly unmistakeable and generally results in hospitalization, and one manic episode is all it takes to get a Bipolar I diagnosis in accordance with the DSM-V. If someone's had a manic episode, they most certainly are Bipolar, but Bipolar II is a trickier diagnosis and frequently overlaps with BPD.

I'm almost glad for the manic episode that got me hospitalized. Whenever I want to doubt that I have this or say oh, maybe I'm part of the over-diagnosed crowd, I have to think back to that. I thought I was a god because I'd regenerated the nerve in my deaf ear. (It was quite the hallucination while it lasted.) I also thought I'd willed myself not to feel the pain of the needle when they drew my blood and declared I'd be famous for rewriting and revolutionizing all English teaching curriculum.

Our insurance would rather pay for meds then therapy.

I think the over-diagnosing and over-medicating in the US is largely cause by lawyers and of course big pharma.

I agree with you about the quick-fix and fast paced life style. I also believe many in the US exhibit symptoms that would completely go away if they engaged in a healthy lifestyle, healthy eating and healthy exercise. How many people here are over-weight and drink soda every day??

But heres the problem, people who would not normally have mania get a bit low (as in a normal emotion) go to the doc for antidepressants and that sets off the mania. Then the quick diagnosis, meds merry go round and many years in the system before they realise that the meds were the cause of their bipolar in the first place.

I experienced hypomania before I was diagnosed, when suicidal I went to the doc, got emergency admitted to hospital and they observed me for 3 months. One of the meds I got put on after a few weeks inpatient (effexor) sent me completely off my rocker manic. It was full blown mania observed and diagnosed by the hospital staff.

But my diagnosis remains BP2, even though I have also experienced Mixed states as diagnosed by my pdoc and hospital staff. So the line is blurry. I have no BPD traits when baseline (cutting when depressed and impulsive when hypo are the only 2 criteria I meet). It frustrates me that people see BPD and BP similar because in my experience they are not. The triggers and treatment are completely different and BPD CAN be essentially cured where as BP can only be managed. There are a HUGE amount of people on this forum alone who would benefit from BPD treatment rather than BP med treatment.

I have read articles about mental illness lying dormant and would continue to lye dormant if not triggered by an event or chemical/medication in their system.

How many people here first experienced mania after taking antidepressants for the first time?

Not the first time, but sertraline (think you guys call it zoloft) sent me bouncing off the walls manic when I visited a GP when I was low. In hindsight, it annoys me as even back then I was suspected bipolar (unknown to me at the time) and had history of hypomanic behavior.

The psychiatrist that saw me during this episode mentioned that out of all the AD's, sertraline was the worst to place someone who suffers from bipolar on.

I've been on setraline for the last 6 years (completely stable for almost 4 years) and on and off it before then. It was great for me for many years and never sent me manic. My doc said the exact opposite to what yours did.

I've only changed AD now as I feel the setraline has popped out for the OCD and depression.

I was diagnosed quickly. Never have had psychosis or anything. Sometimes I wonder, but I don't doubt my diagnosis. Clear cut periods of long lasting depression and periods of hypomania lasting usually a couple months or more at a time. Also have anxiety. I was diagnosed BP2 after two sessions with a therapist, and then on my initial visit with my pdoc. Started on Lamictal and Neurontin that day. I've had periods of depression with hypomanic symptoms, so it kind of moved to BP NOS since the DSM didn't include mixed with BP2. Don't know if DSM 5 changed as far as that or not? Well I'm one of the two I guess. Regardless, the meds are helping.