[Lillyleaf]

What are somethings that you wish people told you or you know when you were first diagnosed.
Sort of like a "To someone just diagnosed with BP".

Thanks,
Lilly

[JanusunaJ]

Hard to say. I'd known about it prior to being diagnosed. I'd read a couple of memoirs by individuals with bipolar disorder. Also briefly studied it in school.

Hmm...I would've liked to have known how dangerous it is to be prescribed only an antidepressant and nothing else.

[scatterbrained04]

That's a hard question. Maybe that you can have any symptom or combination of symptoms from depression or mania at anytime, together or separate. Every episode is different.

[noneedtoknow]

That coming off of medications can take a long time and can be a *****. No, really there needs to be better education around how these medications work and if they need to be stopped it can sometimes take a long time and you can have some nasty withdrawal symptoms.

[bioChE]

Med withdrawal. Sucks.

[UpDownAround]

I didn't believe my first diagnosis and it cost me a lot of potential recovery time. I wish I had been given the diagnosis in a more convincing manner; the pdoc left wiggle room. I understand it is not a 100% accurate diagnosis ever, but it came off as too much of a maybe.

[Victoria'smom]

Wait until you're stable to attempt college. Not just a few good weeks.
Dr's work for you.
Tell them EVERYTHING.
It's low level psychosis and not normal.

[Unrigged64072835]

That I actually had bipolar to begin with, not over twenty years of MDD, anxiety, and borderline. But then again, I didn't talk about my manias because I thought they were normal and good.

[Faltering]

You may have to sacrifice your physical health for your mental health due to med side effects.