Therapy forever and know..

That I have bipolar. My sister has bipolar an I have some distinct characteristics of bipolar.

However, whenever I am in the therapist office...I become extremely depressed because of the topics we will be discussing. Any therapist I have ever seen has not witnessed me in a "euphoric" mood.

I'm 52...and I have taken many of the tests on here in the last week and all of them point to bipolar. Whenever I bring up bipolar to my therapist..she immediately says I don't have it. And when I ask why she says..because my main state of mind is depressive. And I DO NOT have DAYS of mania.

No...I don't have days of mania...in a row...but all the other symptoms that are tied with BP and BPD I do have...lost of pleasure in activities, trouble sleeping, weight gain, physically slow motion and switch to agitation quickly, can't concentrate and racing thoughts and speech.

I am frustrated with the therapists not understanding. I never shut up when I am in the office, I over talk her...my body is always racing..and the current medication combination of Celexa and Lorazepam does not help.

Currently diagnosed.
Major Depressive Disorder
PTSD
Social Anxiety
Generalized Anxiety

I don't know what to do...many therapists I have seen over the years..never go to Bipolar....

Hello Misssy2: The Skeezyks has also always believed there is much more going on with him than what the psychiatrists & therapists he's seen seem to think. They all just seem to chalk his problems up to depression. Of course... part of this, from the Skeezyks' perspective, may very well be that depression is easy. Just give the guy an SSRI & send him on his way... next patient...

I noted that you mentioned you're 52. I'm 67 & I firmly believe there comes a point where all of the mental health professionals decide we're just too old to make us worth bothering with. And, based on my personal experience, I would say it probably starts at around age 50 or so... may be a bit sooner. Anyway, I understand your frustration. Unfortunately, I don't have any useful suggestions for you. From my perspective, this just seems to be the way it is...

I agree not many professional want to deal with bipolar.

I had one therapist who refused to believe I was bipolar, even when I became manic off Lexapro. She was like, "No, that's a normal reaction." Meanwhile, my pdoc was like "daaaaamn. you is friggen nuts! you is bouncin off tha wallz!!"

Some therapists literally have no clue what they're doing, or they simply don't care. It's possible you've had awful luck with therapists.

My old therapist allegedly has 30 years of experience. I feel bad for anyone else who got suckered into having her as a therapist!

Maybe sit down with your pdoc and see what you can do? Talk about your adverse reactions to antidepressants... like, explain exactly what happens when you take them. If they do nothing, tell that to your pdoc. If he doesn't listen, dump him.

Can you get another therapist?

I have the opposite reaction ... I try to convince them I am not bp and everyone has said I am ... even though I didn't believe it they all did ....

Thank you all...it is so frustrating. I'm going to ask my therapist to come on Psyche Central while I answer the questions on the Bipolar quiz...every question is something I have addressed with her...I want her to see the score...and then discuss with me why she thinks I am NOT.

There are four or five different kinds of bipolar. If you feel you are, then you are probably right -- try keeping a mood journal and then make your doctor review it when you've had manic periods, or hypomanic periods.

Thanks Bastets..its just so frustrating.
My therapist is very young...I really believe that the young ones are certainly better educated...but on the other hand...may not have enough experience to pick up on the bigger pictures.

I was misdiagnosed and had wrong treatment for decades, and then was dx'd with BP2 when I was 57. Your T doesn't prescribe med, so have you seen a pdoc? It's not your job to pitch the T, so sorry you've been put in that position.