[OnASearch]

New to the forum, but after a year with my psychologist who diagnosed me as Clinically Depressed/Moderate Melancholia w/OCD & PTSD, she had me see a psychiatrist today. My depression passed a while ago or atleast I'm dealing with it better than I ever have before but the last few weeks I've been waaaayy hypomanic (3-4 weeks) to the point where I'm screaming at myself in the car because I recognize how insane my thoughts are. I think all my paintings are going to change the world or take the artworld by storm...I know they won't. I can actually physically feel the imbalance in my head which is completely throwing me off, but now the hypomania is wearing off and irritability and violent thoughts are starting to creep in. My psychiatrist said he doesn't want to pathologize/label this and just treat the symptoms but that I am in the middle of a bipolar episode. Does that mean that I am actually bipolar? I'm starting Abilify before bed and lithium 3x during the day which I read is indeed bipolar treatment. Always knew as a teen that it was more than depression.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

I think that would qualify as bipolar. I don't know exactly why he would say bipolar episode but not say bipolar, but I don't think you can have an episode without having the disorder, just by how the diagnostic criteria work. He may not want to say if you are BP1 or BP2 just yet or something like that. He definetely prescribed meds that would go with a BP diagnosis.

[pirilin]

Welcome!!!.
The symptoms is what needs to be treated. If you're bipolar or not is really not important.
The Lithium will take care of the mania/hipomania. Also helps with depression.
Abilify is mostly for depression. The treatment looks right for you.

[OnASearch]

Thanks. After all these years of being like this I'm just happy to be taking this head on and treating it. I pretty much walked up to the edge and saw what could possibly be coming next, got frightened of what I was considering, and realized I needed something more than the meditation practice I'd been falling back on to deal with my depression.

[Ocean Swimmer]

Yes. For now don't worry about labels

[BlueInanna]

Hi welcome some docs like to take a lot of years before giving the official dx of bp. sounds like bp yes.

[Keegan2015]

Originally Posted by BeyondtheRainbow

I think that would qualify as bipolar. I don't know exactly why he would say bipolar episode but not say bipolar, but I don't think you can have an episode without having the disorder, just by how the diagnostic criteria work. He may not want to say if you are BP1 or BP2 just yet or something like that. He definetely prescribed meds that would go with a BP diagnosis.

I agree ... I've never heard of a "bipolar episode," I think that the mania is what typifies BP disorder, you don't even need to have the depressive counterpart for a diagnosis.

[raspberrytorte]

I wonder this.

I had a mania induced psychotic break last year and afterwards I was so angry! I spent a lot of time frantically researching online if you could have one manic episode and still not be bipolar. I never found an answer.