[Misssy2]

I'm very skeptical about my Bipolar diagnosis.
It seems everywhere I turn around people have "bipolar".

Can't I just have a crappy personality?
Can't I just be snappy?
Can't I just be hyper and unable to sleep well?

I've also been "diagnosed" with Borderline.

Doesn't everyone hate being abandoned?
Doesn't everyone have relationship problems?

I struggle with the labels..especially when medication doesn't help me much.
Then again...with Borderline and Bipolar they SAY sometimes medication is ineffective.

I'm just wondering if anyone besides me is skeptical about this diagnosis? Or maybe I am really Biplolar/Borderline.

I don't think I have ever known anyone to be even keel...I've lived a chaotic life...are there really people out there that are normal?

I go through phases where I accept/deny my diagnosis. Usually I'm in denial when I'm euthymic because I feel as though I don't need medication. "I'm fine, see? No episodes!"

Then when I get depressed or manic, I go back to accepting the diagnosis. It's only when I'm actually experiencing (or have recently experienced) an episode that I accept it.

I'd say it's not uncommon for people to accept/reject the BP diagnosis, especially if the diagnosis is new. For a lot of people, it takes years to accept.

What helped me was creating a chart with two columns. The left column was for why I think I had the Dx and the right column was for why I think I didn't have the Dx. It forced me to think through my symptoms carefully.

[Misssy2]

bluebycycle...I like your idea.
And you are right...somedays I totally agree with the diagnosis.

In fact after reading your reply I agree with the diagnosis.
In 10 minutes I won't lol

[passionfruit3]

Im skeptical of bipolar i don't think ive been manic for one current diagnosis is schizoafective bipolar type along with borderline i hate being borederline everyone says it like its a filthy word bipolar was diagnosed at a hospital were a doctor got upset at me for acting out so he stormed out all mad never saw a doctor the rest of the time I was there and when i was released i was bipolar. So im in the same boat as you.ive learned to live with it. And there will be many things you may have to learn to live with depending on what trump does to the healthcare system to affect the mentally ill

[Wander]

It is wise to question your diagnosis's when you first get them. In the end they are indicators for the right treatment to help you live a functional life. When were you diagnosed? Is it bipolar 1 or 2?

Apparently there are 'normal' people. My sister and parents are three I know. I just lucked out in the mental illness department in my immediate family. They are amazingly stable ALL the time. At times I am envious but other times I actually enjoy seeing reality from a different POV.

I used to be diagnosed with BPD. Therapy either healed it or I never had it in the first place. Are you in therapy. I believe it is crucial for people who have chaotic lives. When were you diagnosed with BPD and Bipolar? For my Bipolar 1 therapy again helps tremendously. I was diagnosed bipolar in 2013. It has taken MANY med changes to find the ones that work and even then episodes occur, just less often.

If you doubt your diagnosis maybe get a second opinion. It sounds like you are suffering. I really hope you can find a way to feel more stable and peaceful. Keep posting, we are all here to help.

[JustJace2u]

I battle with this on a daily basis.

[Skeezyks]

Many years ago, during my undergrad college years, I had a psychology prof who said that the behaviors people with mental illness exhibit are simply more extreme examples of things we all do every day. So, for example, I'm very security conscious. I check the locks on our doors regularly to make sure they're locked. That's at least relatively normal. (I would presume.) But if I begin checking-&-rechecking the locks to the point where I miss important appointments, then it's OCD. Personally, I think the primary difference between those of us who have been diagnosed as having mental illnesses, & so-called "normal" people, is that we've sought mental health services & they haven't...

Originally Posted by Misssy2

I'm very skeptical about my Bipolar diagnosis.
It seems everywhere I turn around people have "bipolar".

Can't I just have a crappy personality?
Can't I just be snappy?
Can't I just be hyper and unable to sleep well?

I've also been "diagnosed" with Borderline.

Doesn't everyone hate being abandoned?
Doesn't everyone have relationship problems?

I struggle with the labels..especially when medication doesn't help me much.
Then again...with Borderline and Bipolar they SAY sometimes medication is ineffective.

I'm just wondering if anyone besides me is skeptical about this diagnosis? Or maybe I am really Biplolar/Borderline.

I don't think I have ever known anyone to be even keel...I've lived a chaotic life...are there really people out there that are normal?

As people have mentioned it's very common to reject the diagnosis. The sicker you are, the more likely you might deny it.

Is it possible to just have a crappy personality? Yes, but if you cause distress to yourself and others it's probably a good idea to seek treatment for the crappy personality.

Nobody likes being abandoned unless it's by someone you're trying to get rid of. Borderline fear of abandonment is much stronger and more invasive with consequences to your mental health and the health of people close to you.

Everyone will have relationship problems from time to time but with borderline this is a pervasive and consistent issue with again, very serious consequences to self and others.

Yes, some people are even keel. Everyone has bad days but bipolar is a whole nother animal than just a bad day. When I'm manic, it's like being blackout drunk. I will say/do things I just cannot imagine I could do....I'm not in control....some chemical takes over my body and runs the show of my brain.

Get a second, third or even forth opinion as I have. You will still probably doubt the DX sometimes but when coming out of a manic episode and crashing into souls crushing depression you will probably see things a bit different.

Not all people with bipolar respond or can tolerate medications and some people fall into the mild end of the spectrum and don't even need them.

Just ask yourself...."do I need help". Ask yourself "do the people around me think I need help". If you answer yes to either question, it's smart to keep seeing doctors and getting the help. Remember, the opinion of one professional would not be enough to satisfy most nor should it be enough.

I'm sorry you are struggling and I relate to questioning the DX......I do it often. But something isn't right and my deepest truest evaluation of myself says I need help. So I'm listening....for now. Hopefully I will see more consistency in my self as I progress through treatment. I hope you get the help you need as well. (((Hugs)))

[still_crazy]

This is a tough one. Do you do better on the treatments you're receiving, or were you better off without them?

Diagnosis is really mostly for billing and to guide treatment. Treatment these days, for most of us, is pills, sometimes shock, rarely operations. If the label applied to you has led to treatment that makes your life better, my personal advice would be to look at the label as the best the "professionals" can come up with.

I'm labeled with a severe form of Bipolar I with a psychotic component. I don't think "oh, I"m Bipolar" or all that, although some people do. My approach is to say that I do better on these prescribed drugs than I did on no drugs or different drugs, which is true. So, I'm --me--, but the people who put down official diagnoses and such have decided that "Bipolar I" describes the cluster of problems I had before prescription treatments were provided.

But, yeah...a lot of people are labeled with Bipolar I or II and medicated when the label is inaccurate and then the drugs are a waste of time and money, because they don't help and all drugs have adverse effects and cost something to acquire.

If you find that the drugs are useless and/or cause too many adverse effects to justify continuing treatment, then maybe just try to make a graceful exit from psychiatry and go on about your life. ((personal opinion))

Hope things get better for you.