[still_crazy]

I had a thought today. I do Orthomolecular on top of my prescribed treatments. Its simple...high dose C, E, b-complex, niacinamide. If nothing else, it helps anxiety and seems to make it easier to tolerate my Abilify. Thing is...

back in the day, -most- "severely mentally ill" people were diagnosed with Schizophrenia. True story. Then antipsychiatry came along and pointed out how ridiculous the diagnosis of Schizophrenia had become, and now...everybody (and their mama) is now some flavor "bipolar."

ugh. Bipolar I is more stigmatizing than, say, ADD or depression, but its also less stigmatizing (obviously...) than Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective. I think I would have been diagnosed with one of "The Schizophrenias," as the old school Orthomolecular doctors termed psychotic disorders. As is...

my shrink leans towards Bipolar I (emphasis on recurrent, severe, psychotic depression), while my more conservative counselor seems to hint at Schizoaffective, manic flavor.

Ugh. Just thinking out loud...its like, mental illness -is- real, it -can- be incapacitating, disabling, but...

more so than other health problems, it occurs in a social framework, too, so the labels have power and meaning, potential pros and cons, blah blah blah.

if your Bipolar diagnosis was changed to Schizophrenia, would you be upset? what if they scaled it back a couple notches and called it depression? Ohhh...what if your "Expert" termed your Bipolar a "personality disorder" ?

[HALLIEBETH87]

Well my pdoc says I have bipolar AND borderline personality while my psyd says schizoaffective bipolar type

I don't rifhtly know for certain which is true

[still_crazy]

ugh. I don't see a big difference. bipolar w/ psychosis, schizoaffective w/mania. mood drug+tranquilizer OR tranquilizer+mood drug.

my big things are keeping the tranquilizer dose as low as possible and not taking anything that requires labs.

[tecomsin]

Originally Posted by still_crazy

A. if your Bipolar diagnosis was changed to Schizophrenia, would you be upset?
B. What if they scaled it back a couple notches and called it depression?
C. what if your "Expert" termed your Bipolar a "personality disorder" ?

I agree with what you wrote about diagnostic labels and firmly believe the nosology in psychiatry will be quite different in 100 years than it is now.

A. Well my diagnosis is either bipolar with psychosis or schizoaffective/manic type. I was relieved to pick up the schizophrenic part because it made me focus on dealing with psychosis. I used to think that my manias drove psychosis (bipolar model) but now I see it is possible that psychosis drives mania (that's how I see schizoaffective), but there really may not be much of a distinction in the end.

B. I would laugh. My manias have caused the most problems per unit time.

C. I would be curious and ask why they thought so.

[Wild Coyote]

Interesting topic, thanks.

My pdoc is retiring soon. I am thinking other pdocs would dx me as MDD. Thus, I am going to talk to my pdoc again about dx. I cannot recall the last time I was hypo, which is just fine with this pdoc. He admits he's never seen me hypo either. 20 yrs with him.

In his world, treatment resistant MDD is BPII, Bipolar Depression.

BP is much more colorful and interesting than MDD, for sure.

No psychosis, no personality disorder. Lots of C-PTSD and treatment-resistant depression. Three of four of my psych meds might make someone hypo or manic. Not me.

Deep down, I still feel my dx is treatment-resistant MDD.

I am feeling confused about my dx. these days.


WC

My previous psychiatrist told me I am bipolar 1 with schizoid features. I was worried about what that meant and asked the therapist. He said the doc thought I was something like autistic and not to worry about it. I looked it up. It’s a personality disorder.

Yeah, I’m not thrilled about that.

[Guiness187055]

Originally Posted by still_crazy

ugh. I don't see a big difference. bipolar w/ psychosis, schizoaffective w/mania. mood drug+tranquilizer OR tranquilizer+mood drug.

my big things are keeping the tranquilizer dose as low as possible and not taking anything that requires labs.

6 in 1 and half a dozen in the other. They are both treated the same. It wouldn't bother me if my diagnosis changed because I would still be taking the same meds anyway.

[rwwff]

Originally Posted by still_crazy

if your Bipolar diagnosis was changed to Schizophrenia, would you be upset? what if they scaled it back a couple notches and called it depression? Ohhh...what if your "Expert" termed your Bipolar a "personality disorder" ?

1) I would think it odd, my "features" are mild; enough to medicate, but I doubt they'd ever land me in the hospital.

2) That'd be odd as well, my problem is the "up" side; I'm quite hazardous to my (and others) health and well being when "up"; depressed, I'm a safe, harmless lump.

3) wouldn't care, as long as the treatment works.

Funny, I HAVE been diagnosed with schizophrenia...and depression...and BPD, at different times by different doctors of course.
I was actually a little angry at the depression and BPD diagnoses because I thought that meant they or a doctor who saw that would take me off medication that works and either put me on antidepressants (which make me manic) or leave me unmediated (which also makes me manic). I didn't mind the schizophrenia dx because I was already on clozapine, which if you google it says its for "treatment resistant schizophrenia."
Basically I dont care what you call it as long as the treatment works.

[*Laurie*]

I don't care what my diagnosis is as long as it can be managed. And I find the trendy diagnoses annoying. They happen every decade or so. I was diagnosed as bipolar over 30 years ago, so *shrugs*. That's the diagnosis that has stuck around for me.

[Victoria'smom]

Myself, my husband and my son are all Dx. BP.

A. if your Bipolar diagnosis was changed to Schizophrenia, would you be upset?

No, because I lean more towards SzA anyway.

B. What if they scaled it back a couple notches and called it depression?

I'd find it strange but as long as I'm on an AP I'd be fine with it.

C. what if your "Expert" termed your Bipolar a "personality disorder" ? "no meds.... YES" I'd probably feel more hopeless then I already do.

[willamped]

Thank you very match!