[MelancholyReality]

So, I'm new to the Bipolar game. Yay, right?!
Anyway, when I asked my pdoc where I was on the spectrum,
he said "Does it really matter where?"
Umm, well yeah.. I'd kinda like to know..

So my question is, is this common in diagnosing Bipolar?
Just kind of confused..

What's been your experience in being diagnosed?

[BlackSheep79]

Well in my experience my BP ended up changing over the years even though I was medicated. I was originally BP II. Then I ended up BP I rapid cycling, and then BP I mixed episodes. I would think I would be just BP I right now because I'm not in a mixed episode right now, help me out guys if I'm wrong on this? Personally, I like to know so I can educate myself and understand what is truly going on with me. So when I was told I was rapid cycling I educated myself and then I knew what was going on so everything made sense. For me, it's kind of like when I was told I had BP I was like everything makes sense now. So to answer your question, all of the pdocs that I have seen have told me where I am on the spectrum. Sorry for the rambling on, having a hard time making sense today.

[MelancholyReality]

I feel the same way you do, BlackSheep. I wanna be educated as well. I've always been told I was depressed with anxiety. AD have never worked for me. They've always made me worse. Back in November I was given Wellbutrin and it sent me into a mixed epidsode. Pretty sure I was already hypomanic and it tipped me over the edge. lol. It would be nice to know where I'm at so i could maybe grasp what "normal" is.

[Victoria'smom]

I've been dx with a ton of things (really hated that dr.) What has seemed to stick is I have mood issues and psychosis issues. It takes time and a lot of therapy to figure out your "normal"

[tallulahxoxo]

Similar experience. The doctors say all different things, the diagnosis changes, and they won't tell me what exactly is going on ..

[sidney1771]

I don't really care where I'm at on the spectrum. I'm bipolar and so I know that my moods are erratic, unpredictable, undesirable, unexplainable and still need to be kept in check by me somehow. The only time I need to be reminded that I'm bipolar and what spectrum or 'phase' I'm in, is when I'm completely out of control and have lost my ability to rationally think, so my doctors try to explain to me what is going on. The rest of the time, I could care less.

[RavenStark]

I asked my pdoc at the last appointment which bipolar i have. He said they have to see me more before they know.. After that visit though, he put bipolar 1 on my online chart. Hmmm..

[tallulahxoxo]

Maybe it is hard to say something concrete because our minds are so complex and constantly changing? Plus, there's not really any concrete facts behind psychology, right? It's a bunch of opinions and theories?
So these "doctors" are basically feeling around in the dark?
They must maintain some ambiguity to protect their professionalism, how confident they look, and how much we trust them lol..
What if they were like "Well **** if I know what's wrong with you! You seem like a person to me!"
Then what? They'd lose a customer man!

[Shadowlands]

I want to know where because to what degree matters. It also has a lot to do with the meds you take, therapy to receive and what to expect. There's a world of dif between 1 and 2.

If a doc said to me "what does it matter?" My next 2 words would be "you're fired!"

[MelancholyReality]

What you all are saying makes perfect sense. I guess my brain just wants to figure out all out at once. Lol. I am glad I finally got an accurate dx though. Thank you all for the great feedback! It's nice to know I'm not alone.

[Crazy Hitch]

Originally Posted by MelancholyReality

So, I'm new to the Bipolar game. Yay, right?!
Anyway, when I asked my pdoc where I was on the spectrum,
he said "Does it really matter where?"
Umm, well yeah.. I'd kinda like to know..

So my question is, is this common in diagnosing Bipolar?
Just kind of confused..

What's been your experience in being diagnosed?

I just outright asked my pdoc when I was first diagnosed if I was BPI or BPII.

He told me BPII.

A few years later, I had a full blown manic episode and I "upgraded" to BPI.

My first Psychiatrist missed it. My second therapist wanted to treat me with meds almost immediately. I was off them for a while ,but the mania wouldn't go away. She gave me an official diagnosis of Bipolar 1 after, about a year.

[wing]

I guess I'm "lucky". My full blown mania with hallucinations and delusions instantly labelled me BP 1 by every psychiatrist I've ever been to.

[wiretwister]

I had to ask , after some stumbling he said bp nos then apolgized to me for the inpatient,, really inspired my confidence..but even with that I really do trust him

[Bigmike727]

Sometimes I guess it takes a while for pdocs to figure out what is really going on. My first diagnosis was paranoid/disorganized (had symptoms of both) schizophrenia. Then I got my current pdoc and he first diagnosed me MDD w/ psychotic features and just recently he came to the conclusion that I was BP I. Personally I think these things evolve over time too, you know like it kind of develops so I guess it is normal for diagnoses to change. I really don't care, in a sense, what the diagnosis is, as long as I am getting help for it, but having one does help in a way because it is easier to find the right group of people to reach out to. Praying that all goes well with you.

[BipolaRNurse]

I was bipolar NOS for two years. My pdoc just didn't want to be pinned down, I think. Which meant I didn't take it seriously enough, at least not until the meds got serious (two antipsychotics and a crapload of Lamictal). Even so, I was shocked when I was diagnosed with bipolar 1 and had it confirmed while I was in the hospital. I guess my manias are bad enough that they rise to that level, although it doesn't seem like it to me (gotta love denial). In the end, the label doesn't matter as much as the treatment, which is pretty much the same whatever kind of BP one is dx'd with.

[bunnifoo]

I've never had anything more specific than "bipolar disorder" most of the shrinks and therapists have said it doesn't really matter as long as I can get stable and live my life.

Although my current shrink (who I hate and have no choice but to see) doesn't think I have bipolar disorder at all he thinks I have anxiety, self esteem issues and childhood tramau issues that have manifested witih bipolar sytmptoms. This was after talking to me for about 15 minutes. My previous shrink who I LOVED and was AWESOME took a really good history, talked to me for over an hour on my first visit and the second visit (the following week - I think it was the second visit) told me there was no doubt in his mind I had bipolar disorder, everything fit. And anxiety disorder.

Also the current shrink seems to be heavily anti medication and wanted me to see a therapist once a week and then after a month or two of "intensive work" start taking me off meds. This was several months ago, I see him once a month, he can never remember anything about me. And I talked to my therapist and she doesn't want any kind of reduction in my medication for at least a year. If I need to change it to remain stable that's one thing. Anyway he's an ***, she's knows he's an ***, but he's the only one taking patients right now so I'm stuck.

(sorry for the rant)

[MelancholyReality]

Wow Bunni, that's crazy! Seriously, where did this doctor get his degree? What a jerk. I hope you can see a different doctor soon. :thob:

[prepsychmel]

It was driving ME crazy to know where I was on the spectrum. So, I asked my doc's assistant one day what was on the chart. She said it was "bipolar type 1, moderate, most recent episode mania". Got my answer!

[loophole]

your not bipolar. You have bipolar. I personally wouldnt get so tied up to diagnosis. Personally the meds is whats important not having 10 different dx. Everyone In the world would have some mental disorder if t were up to a lot of these doctors.

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Well I ended up in the hospital in a psychosis. Then I came down into a hypomania. Took 4 different tests and was diagnosed with bp 1 and PTSD. Hasn't changed.

[loophole]

4 different tests? They gotta blood test now or something for bipolar?

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