Bipolar diagnosis waiting

Hi all, I've joined today as I've been on another group but found it difficult to talk. However, I'm warning you, this post may be rambly. Long story short, I want to know how you got diagnosed on the NHS and how long it took. Did you tell them your susicipions? Welcome to hear about US waiting times and other countries also.

Long story as short as possible of recent events:

I was suffering from paranoia and intrusive thoughts. Doctor immediately think I've OCD and puts me on sertraline. Sends me manic for the whole month. I was ready to attack anybody who came near me, because I was immortal. Took me off them, now on antipsychotics (Aripiprazole 10mg) And I'm still suffering. Psychosis of hallucinations aren't so bad, so guess they've worked a bit Now I've upped my dose. I've always suffered with severe mood swings and so bad I've been hospitalised. Venlafaxine sent me manic too. I've had delusions of being an Egyptian goddess and a necromancer for many years (embarrassing when I'm not so manic) but I've been to the psychiatrist. He stripped me of ALL my diagnosis because he said itd affect my career. (Had an ED, had severe depression and anxiety on record) and basically told me I was normal. Of course, I then began to think all of the NHS was campaigning against me and talking behind my back. This was when I was 21. I'm now nearly 25.

This has all come back to light after a period of "normality" for a year, and I'm worse than ever. I've got a psychiatric assessment phone call on Friday and I'm scared. Scared I'm gonna feel more suicidal before I get an appointment. Scared I'm going to go so insane that I spend all my money and scared of everything. I'm scared of myself. I have a medication review on Thursday and I'm scared. Today is the first depressed day in a long time.

Another question I have is, can a normal doctor suspect bipolar and put you on a trial med combo until proper diagnosis from a psychiatrist? He says its a mood disorder, and is 100% sure, but wouldn't tell me what he suspected. Now I have my suspicions of bipolar and always have. No idea what type, but there's something up.

Sorry if this is rambly, And if it's in the wrong place or I'm in the wrong place entirely and you have to be diagnosed. I am lost and I need somebody to talk to. I actually thought I was going to die if I go to London tomorrow!

It's good you have a psychiatric assessment Friday. Maybe you can get the diagnosis straightened out and get some meds that actually give you relief. Best wishes.

The psychiatrists all hate me. The phone assessor will send me to CMHT for an assessment (which will take 3 months) for somebody to tell me I'm fine :'( last psych apt I cancelled as I thought somebody would benefit from my apt more than I. I dunno if I'm scared or what, But I'm convinced they all talk behind my back and wait for me to come in and have a pre-prepared speech to tell me I'm normal and I'm making this up. I've heard so many people say it's taken years for a diagnosis but it's been going on since I was like 15, now I look back. Just got worse in last half year...

Thanks for the response, sorry that was so negative!

Took years of being PTSD and MDD and being sent manic on ADs before they switched my diagnosis to PTSD and bipolar. But that was decades ago and in USA. I'd like to think they would know better now.

Thank you not in a good place currently, My timestamped notes are very bizarre today. I'm convinced the psychiatrists all talk behind my back and going to tell me I'm making it up, so I feel like I'm talking myself out of it...

@Nammu - hi, that really sucks. How long when you say years?? Hopefully they do know better but I am really sorry for what they did to you. our waiting times are abysmal but can't do much unless you go private.

I went years undiagnosed (not so much doc fault as my own as never 100% honest with him regarding symptoms--paranoid he'd label me crazy, go figure) and then this year my family doctor gave me the bipolar Dx and has put me on meds which will be re-evaluated when I meet psychiatrist in August.
Good luck I hope your assessment Friday gets you on the right track!

I wish my family doctor could give me a dx, he seems to know what he's talking about but I don't think it's a done thing here and it has to come from a psychiatrist. Glad you got yourself sorted! Thanks for the luck it's only a phone call for them to tell me where they're putting me next. It's a pain! I'll probably have to wait 3 months for that after.

I first got dx mdd by a family Dr. Then I started a new Dr. He labelled my BP. Then sent me to a psychiatrist. My dx bounced around for years until I'm either SZA or BP w. Psychosis depending on who you ask.

I'm not sure if it's allowed here in the UK. Hoping my GP will come up with something. All I know is my meds aren't working and I don't understand why. It's only 10mg but surely I'd see some benefit? Maybe j need it stronger. He did say I had a mood disorder but didn't say what. I'll do some research to see the laws here.

I know when I was on it I was on 20. My husband is on 10 and my son is on 5mg. Both take lamictal and welbutrin also.

I don't take anything other than Apripiprazole 10mg to try and tame the acute mania. I was on 5mg. I'm hoping I will be offered something on top of these, as well as an uppage. Just something to help before a diagnosis or at least a talk with the psychiatrist. This is ruining my life right now. I'm more manic, and god knows if it's hypomania or manic. Just need to hold out one more day and keep my fingers crossed. Bored of hallucinations and bored of feeling crazy.

just keep writing.

Thank you. I'm determined not to cancel my psychiatrist appointment. Not like before when I got out of hospitalization and cancelled it! Just want to know what's wrong with me. I feel I class as mania but I don't feel as if I fit in with people who have been diagnosed bipolar I. Just SO frustrated.

There's bipolar 2. With hypomanic and depression.

I then feel as if hypomania Is too nice in describing what I go through. It's strange. I can't tell. It's a mystery. I'm currently still awake while my OH has gone to bed as I'm wide awake. Tried to research and looks like GP can only diagnose mood disorder nos but if they believe you're a threat to yourself, they can book a psychiatric apt there and then.

please seek pdoc help.
They will give you meds to help then wait a few weeks, takes a while for the meds to do their magic. It is a trial and error sort of thing, the medicine merry go round they call it. may take different meds till they get it right. be patient. and good luck in this journey called life.

((((HUGS))))
bizi

Thanks. Being awake still is playing with my mind, I'm thinking of all outcomes. Listening to music, a band that tells stories. It's helping to distract. I just am impatient and because NHS GP's can't really do much in terms of mental health, I'm stuck behind a wall and a very hard place. I had to wait 4 months last time for an appointment and I had almost killed myself!!!!!! Please tell me I'm not worried about this one for no reason.

Can I ask why you're not taking your Ablify please? I'm on 10mg myself.

I don't swallow pills well. I was on the injection for over a year and did well but I changed clinics and they weren't able to give the injection. So I was on the pill while they figured out how to give it to me. My insurance said I was non compliant and they need me on the shot for 3 months before they will pay for it. I don't have $6kto pay for the 3 months supply. I went off the pill like always. Talked my pdoc into the disolvable lamictal and zyprexa. I'm in love with abilify. I just won't consistently take the pill form. It's help my husband and son a lot, when they take it.

I am being non compliant.
I was on geodon 80mg twice daily.
she wanted to switch me to seroquel instead of klonipin for sleep.
you can't take seroquel and geodon bad reaction together.
so we switched to abilify instead of geodon.
I had a geno dna test done and it said that I moderately tolerated to abilify.
I took half a dose the no dose after a month. Before she thought I did not need that much antipsychotic and so did I.
So I decided on my own with my husbands knowledge to stop the abilify. and I did not like taking 2 atypical antipsychotics at the same time.
So am stock piling the abilify While I can in case I need it. I have a therapist who is very good and am very much in tune with my moods.
so for this time in my life I am not taking an AP(atypical antipsychotic).
I feel fine.
bizi

I'm glad you had a good reaction to it and same with your family. I reckon my dose is just too low. I'll discuss it with my doctor tomorrow, especially with a pretty bad psychotic day yesterday. I'm also glad I'm not the only one who takes their self off of pills! I'm notorious for it!

@rizi - glad to helps you too. Do you notice any difference when you are on it and when you are not? Because it's the only thing I'm on, especially after becoming stupidly manic on sertraline, I'm not sure it's helping me too much at a low dose.

UPDATE:

Up to 15mg of Ariprirazole now. He said he was getting positives out of me, like I was a little calmer (didn't feel like it!), So he's upped my dose and I will see him in 2 weeks again. He said that although he's psychiatrist trained, even he felt out of his comfort zone. He begged me to not cancel any appointments as he said mental health like this is generally going to get worse (especially mania), if left untreated. So all in all, positive.

Thanks for the update. That is good news. It took me several years to be diagnosed correctly over here and I'm still not sure they have it right. Do you still have an assessment Friday? I hope it is helpful.

Yes it's just a phone assessment though so they direct me to the correct psychiatrist. I've been fighting this since I was 15 and I'm well known for being hospitalised etc so hopefully this won't be in vain.

Sometimes I wonder if bi-polar diagnosis is correct. I mean how do they know you are bi-polar for sure?