[manic_monday]

I don't know if this has already been a thread. I didn't see it and I'm pretty new here so I was just curious when everyone was diagnosed?

I was diagnosed when I was 12. My mother, of course, was horrified and thought it was a misdiagnosis because I was so young. I've heard that from a lot of doctors, that 12 is too young to really say. But I was diagnosed again at 15 and then again at 18, so clearly someone knew what they were talking about, even if they didn't know how to properly go about treating me. I was pumped full of meds meant for a 20 year old adult.

So, I wanna know... what's everyone's story?

[Victoria'smom]

I was 22 originally & 27 the 2nd place.

[r010159]

I was diagnosed BP in my early 40s. The diagnosis of clinical depression goes much further back then that.

[usehername]

I was diagnosed at age 25 during a manic episode. It was so bad the guy I was living with made the appointment for me (without telling me) and then drove me there.

I was re-diagnosed at 31 during a mixed episode.

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[Alone & confused]

Eighteen.

[BipolaRNurse]

I wasn't diagnosed till age 53, though I'd had symptoms since I was a young child. A combination of denial, shame, and substance abuse kept me away from help for most of my life. Finally the illness progressed to the point where my primary care doc basically washed his hands of me, said I had something too serious for him to deal with, and sent me to a psychiatrist. Best thing that ever happened to me. It's taken a lot of therapy and medications to get me to where I am now, which is stable and reasonably happy.

[Curiosity77]

I had my first symptoms at around age 10. I was misdiagnosed with depression at 19. I was first diagnosed bipolar at 29 after a severe hypomania with a lot of destructive and dangerous behavior. I didn't accept the diagnosis or treatment at that point. I was diagnosed bipolar again at 34 during a period of cycling up and down and mixed. I accepted the diagnosis at that point, and started medication then, and I've been on meds since. I'm 37 now. I wish I had been diagnosed in my teens, because I could have saved myself years of suffering and destructive behaviors. Years of building my life up, and burning it down, repeatedly. But that's not the way it happened. Who knows though, maybe being labelled and medicated from an early age would have just created more problems. It's impossible to say.

[Talanic]

I was diagnosed at the age of 18. But I was dealing with the symptoms dating back to as far as middle school and it just kept getting worse. I was misdiagnosed with Generalized Anxiety disorder, ADD, and depression. The moment that lead to me being diagnosed was when I was biking back from school. As I was biking home I was feeling what I now know to be mania (So I was really euphoric) then once I got home it immediately switched to a stage of huge depression and I tried to kill myself. The doctors at the psyward wanted me to go to a pdoc to get checked out for bipolar. Went to the appointment and left with the diagnosis and meds.

[HoneyBack]

Originally Posted by Talanic

I was diagnosed at the age of 18. But I was dealing with the symptoms dating back to as far as middle school and it just kept getting worse. I was misdiagnosed with Generalized Anxiety disorder, ADD, and depression. The moment that lead to me being diagnosed was when I was biking back from school. As I was biking home I was feeling what I now know to be mania (So I was really euphoric) then once I got home it immediately switched to a stage of huge depression and I tried to kill myself. The doctors at the psyward wanted me to go to a pdoc to get checked out for bipolar. Went to the appointment and left with the diagnosis and meds.

I was 28 when I was diagnosed with bipolar I disorder following a psychotic episode. Looking back though, my first depressive episode occurred at 19 or even earlier at 14. My next episode occurred at 32, then 38. I also am on several meds.

[lizzyjb]

Depression with 25, anxiety and bipolar 33. But I have been deppresed and anxious for all my life.

[Skitz13]

I was diagnosed with clinical depression when I was 14. That was my first suicide attempt and hospitalization. Then diagnosed with BP at 30. Between the ages of 16-30, although I had the symptoms I self-medicated with drugs. It wasn't until I was 47 that I finally came out of denial and started on medication

[Angry1541]

I was mis-diagnosed as AHDH at age 10 and finally 'properly' diagnosed as BP at age 39.

[Atypical_Disaster]

I was originally diagnosed sometime in my teenage years. Then it was forgotten about until early this year when my pdoc caught me manic as hell. So I was 22.

[Orienteer]

I first experienced mania when I was 16, and was quickly prescribed Ativan before it became a full blown manic episode - I was diagnosed with Bipolar then but my doctor was unable to share the news with me because my parents stopped me from seeing a psychiatrist after they found out I was Bipolar. It wasn't until last summer when I had a major storm of a manic episode and was hospitalized at age 19 - that's when I finally found out.

[Nammu]

I was first diagnosed w/ MDD and PTSD with severe dissociation at 28, for the next 15 years my life was hell, everything was blamed on the PTSD and dissociative disorder(DID) until I quit taking antidepressants. Then I was diagnosed with BP which I rejected and used diet and exercise along with a good T to remain fairly stable and she re diagnosed me with BP 2. Then as my spine deteriorated and I faced medical treatment the PTSD and stress got out of control which just started spiraling everything. Now at 55 I'm back on meds and wondering how much easier the last few years would have been if I had found this combo of meds a decade ago? No antidepressants, just a mood stabilizer and AP.

Not really sure that saying 28 is the right age since it wasn't the right diagnose and the wrong meds for years. It is confusing because the dissociation was very severe. I just wish I would have quit the AD much, much sooner, I couldn't work on the PTSD or DID until I stopped those.

[Hbomb0903]

I was first diagnosed with adhd when I was about 17 and my dad knew something was up. My mom didn't support the diagnosis and nothing much happened. Then at around 20 I fell into a major weird depression for months did AD's and therpy but nothing worked, and ultimately tried to take a bunch of pills. I woke up and told my parents and they took me to the hospital. That's where they first said bipolar.

I ignored my diagnosis pretty soon after I got it, like whatever, and didn't think much about it until about 10 years later when I became suicidal again. I was in and out of the hospital for a couple of years and finally had another attempt. After that I believed my diagnosis, but I still wanted to live my life my way. I took my pills for the most part, but have struggled to really remain stable more than a few years at a stretch.

I'm at my end right now. I am sick of dealing with this circus and want to get off the merry-go-round.

[moremi]

29

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[almondjoy]

I believe I've had it my whole life - my family agree. My mum kept a diary from around the time I could talk and walk (she's not the paranoid type believe it or not, just noticed I was different to my siblings), took me to a child psychiatrist when I was 8 who believed a child could not have Bipolar.... I was then medicated for my symptoms at 14 and officially diagnosed at 19.

I was in my early 20s - - during a suicidal/depressed episode and reflecting back on hypomanic times. I actually suggested to the psychiatrist in the hospital that I might have bipolar, and he agreed.

[SingDanceRunLife]

I was diagnosed with BP when I was 20. I had formerly been treated for depression and anxiety.

[BioAdoptMom3]

DD was just diagnosed 3 months ago at the age of 14. Prior to that, when first seen and for several months, she was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. For the next 2 years, all of her mental health professionals told us to prepare for a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder when she reached adulthood. They did diagnose her with the traits of it. As soon as her new psych realized she did much better when they added Abilify to her anti-depressant and we found out her bio mom and uncle had bipolar, she was diagnosed! She is doing well on Lithium, Abilify and Propanolol.

Nancy

[Mental reward]

ADd/ADHD @ 26..bipolar 1 @27 after my first true manic and psychotic episode which they originally diagnosed me with schizophrenia then after close evaluation changed it...PTSD@ 28.,on meds to treat all three.

[BlackSheep79]

I was originally misdiagnosed at the age of 15 with depression and then diagnosed with OCD at the age of 16. I was finally diagnosed with BP 2 at 27. Now at 34 I have been diagnosed with BP 1 with mixed episodes. I know I have had the OCD since I was a young child and the BP started at 15, I went from being shy to wanting to rip everyone's head off.

[Dix888]

I had symptoms all my life---horrible insomnia, "over reacting" (my mother's words) to Everything, huge crying jags over seemingly nothing, wild exuberances, etc.
Diag. at 18 with schizophrenia, put on Haldol in 1971. Dr. reversed his diag. as "hovering parents, needs to be independent" 3 months later. Went to college w/no meds & no pdoc.
Suffered all my life, saw 12 pdocs. Most said "you are very creative, all creative people are different." Got no help until age 46. MD gave me cortisone for strep throat, severe mania for an entire summer. Husband insisted I go to mental hospital, so I ran away & lived on streets/in friend's houses.
Got back w/husband, saw 3 pdocs. Last one (after a week of tests, interviews with me/my husband/my MD) diag. me with bipolar, mostly manias, OCD. Later, neurologist diag. me with 3 kinds of seizures. 5years to get right combo of meds.
I worked from age 10-55 at various jobs: teaching high school English (and I was so manic, I taught Drama, journalism, was yearbook sponsor; volunteered for Everything), worked for a travel company, detective dept. "Gal Friday," a university admin asst. for over 10 years, worked with special ed' adults/teens/small children.
seizures got very bad after a head injury, manias worse, so neurologist told me to quit driving/quit working.
Am in a good marriage (28 years) & member of 3 writing clubs/workshops. Have had 30 poems published in literary journals. But am frustrated that I had to wait so long for diag. I've read that the earlier you get diag./treated, the better chance you have for a "normal" life, good career, stable family relationships & friendships.

when everyone was diagnosed?

[~Christina]

43 .. but able to look back and see my symptoms started at about age 6.. Been a hell of a ride