[dxj5069]

Hi everyone,

Has anybody felt more anxious about a possible misdiagnosis?? I initially went in for my really bad depressive episodes, which would always last anywhere from 1-3 months, and I was prescribed Prozac. I took it for, I'd, say at least 2-3 months, and it made me feel numbed and extremely irritable - I just wanted to break something if it pissed me off or I got into a heated argument with my sister. I decided to stop taking it. The depression came back again, but it lifted once more.

During the school year, I had a really difficult time focusing despite getting good grades. Like, I couldn't do the simplest tasks at work, I couldn't articulate in my papers, I was just really overall disorganized and felt very impulsive. I began to see a Nurse Practitioner, who prescribed me Adderall, and that made my anxiety worse. I found Dexedrine to be helpful for my social anxiety, but that contributed to a panic attack I had earlier this year. She also have me Lamictal, and I was shocked when she told me I had Bipolar Type I. It was almost hard to believe because I felt like she wasn't really evaluating me very fairly.

So, I've been riding out this awful depression since my post-nervous breakdown and decided to just stop taking all these meds the docs have been throwing at me. I don't feel depressed anymore, but my anxiety has been off the roof. I feel panicky in social situations again, even if I drive. I get really annoyed by little things, but I can be damn happy and chatty as if I'm just really happy. It's like a pressured need to just keep talking, talking, and...talking. Sometimes I catch myself and I wonder if I'm annoying people, so I just stop. However, I decided to see a more competent psychologist, and he's been really good for me so far.

After seeing him for about a month at this point, he is going against what my Nurse Practitioner told me regarding Bipolar Type I and ADHD. He suspects it might be more of co-occuring disorders of Type 2 and Panic Disorder. It's really conflicting with me, but he referred me to a psychiatrist he's been working with for years to help get to the bottom of this. The one thing I know now is that a lot of my mood swings always go back down to my social anxiety. I'm always afraid of what people think or perceive me as because I grew up feeling unsafe. It's like my body also responds in certain situations when I least expect it. Whenever I get stressed out or just lose sleep from my racing mind, it makes me feel really hyper. And this can last as short as just a few days, weeks, or even a couple of months. And then the crash just kills me because it throws me into depression.

Anyway, I digress. I just want to know if anyone here has experience of going to different medical experts and how it went. Sorry if I write a lot, I've been feeling worried and a bit "manic" lately, so everything is just word vomit. I'll stop now.

Best,

DJ

[BipolaRNurse]

If you've never had a full-blown manic episode, you're not bipolar 1. The diagnosis depends on the degree of mania one experiences, not the depression. I think getting a second or even third opinion is helpful when the symptoms are not well-defined.

[Nammu]

At this point( one month) his Dx is probably tentative and he's waiting to see how things play out. They have to write a Dx for insurance purposes. It's up to you whether or not to get more diagnostic evaluations. Most MH need awhile to figure out unless you have an out and out mania episode, just like BPnurse said.

[raspberrytorte]

They still haven't figured me out, and I've gotten numerous opinions from different doctors. If you're a complicated case (like I apparently am), it can take awhile to get the right diagnosis. Good luck.

[raspberrytorte]

Also, I think certain symptoms can mimic other symptoms. Like if I were to diagnose myself I'd say I'm bp2 (because I've had, what I believe, episodes of hypomania, but recently had a psychotic break where I had mania symptoms, but it also could have been severe GAD with psychosis triggered by anxiety and stress).

[~Christina]

Yes what BipolarRN said.

Your diagnosis can always been changed, Some Pdoc are quick to make a decision , many are more of a wait and see... Regarless they have to have some kind of diagnosis for billing purposes , if not your insurance could start nonsense like refusing to pay for visits

Welcome to PC

[raspberrytorte]

And, actually, I've been diagnosed with both of those, just by different doctors, with different opinions, so who knows what my next doctor is going to think since I am soon to be in doctor limbo land again.

[UCMATH]

I'd get another opinion. If you've never had that full-blown manic episode, you don't qualify for a BP1 diagnosis.

Christina is right about about them needing a diagnosis for insurance purposes. One doctor diagnosed me with shift worker sleep disorder so my insurance would cover modafinil when I needed it.