[stahrgeyzer]

Wow I just came across this article:

ADHD vs Bipolar: A Guide to Distinguishing Look-Alike Conditions

70 percent of bipolar patients are misdiagnosed at least once. On average, patients with bipolar disorder wait a whopping 17 years before receiving an accurate diagnosis.

Why is bipolar disorder missed or misdiagnosed with such regularity?

1. Several depressive and manic symptoms of bipolar disorder and ADHD symptoms resemble each other in both children and adults.

2. ADHD is far more common than bipolar disorder. (Up to 11 percent of all children in the U.S. have symptoms of ADHD; roughly 60 percent of those children grow up to become adults with ADHD. Bipolar disorder, in contrast, impacts just 2.6 percent of the population.) As such, physicians are more likely to recognize and screen for ADHD

I used to think they had a good grasp on diagnosing people, but now I'd never rely upon one doc unless perhaps they're extremely notable, in which case I probably couldn't afford them anyways.

Getting a 2nd 3rd & perhaps even 4th opinion seems wise. And even then it's apparent that modern psychology has a long ways before getting a solid grasp and understanding of the complex human psyche.

That doesn't mean they don't help people. Overall they help people, but not every one. It just depends.

[Ezrigirl]

As a teenager, I had different personality disorders to a point they conflicted with each other.

[~Christina]

I was treated off and all my whole life for “depression “ which is common, it’s usually when people usually drag themselves to a doctor for help.

I have traced my first Bipolar symptoms starting around age 6

Didn’t get my Bipolar badge until age 43.

Pdocs often take months to a year or more make a concrete diagnosis. Which I think is a acceptable amount of time because from day one treatment is started to help with whatever symptoms are the problems.

Although there is still alot of mental health stigma.... but just in the past 10 years there’s been huge positive strides.

[Ezrigirl]

Originally Posted by ~Christina

I was treated off and all my whole life for “depression “ which is common, it’s usually when people usually drag themselves to a doctor for help.

I have traced my first Bipolar symptoms starting around age 6

Didn’t get my Bipolar badge until age 43.

Pdocs often take months to a year or more make a concrete diagnosis. Which I think is a acceptable amount of time because from day one treatment is started to help with whatever symptoms are the problems.

Although there is still alot of mental health stigma.... but just in the past 10 years there’s been huge positive strides.

The average is, the first time someone becomes manic and they get treatment for being bipolar is 10 years.

[stahrgeyzer]

The good part is that pdocs start treating right away. The badges still seem cool to me but not so much anymore. For a lot of people I think there's no single disorder badge but rather numerous badges.

[stahrgeyzer]

Badges are like a multiple scoop ice cream cone. You can't judge a person by a scoop of chocolate on top of coconut on top of pineapple ice cream.

[~Christina]

Originally Posted by Ezrigirl

The average is, the first time someone becomes manic and they get treatment for being bipolar is 10 years.

And another study says 8 or 10 or 12 or 15 or 17 years and the list goes on depending on what study someone is reading.

The symptoms that are causing life to be beyond difficult are being addressed typically from day one

If your “ 10 year “ is correct than I should have been diagnosed at 16 not 43

Averages and vast amounts of studies can vary beyond belief.

It’s all about treating symptoms not getting a label

[Ezrigirl]

Originally Posted by ~Christina

And another study says 8 or 10 or 12 or 15 or 17 years and the list goes on depending on what study someone is reading.

The symptoms that are causing life to be beyond difficult are being addressed typically from day one

If your “ 10 year “ is correct than I should have been diagnosed at 16 not 43

Averages and vast amounts of studies can vary beyond belief.

It’s all about treating symptoms not getting a label

There is study after study after study. In a nut shell, nobody really knows.

[~Christina]

Originally Posted by Ezrigirl

There is study after study after study. In a nut shell, nobody really knows.

That was what my response was all about

[Victoria'smom]

I was Dx'd @ 21, then not, then again, then not, then again, and now who knows.

[USMCBIPOLAR7]

I was diagnosed schizoaffective after my first manic episode on active duty in the marines I was put on temporary retirement and kept that diagnosis for 4 years through several major depressions then after following my condition for those 4 years and having another mania I was correctly diagnosed Bipolar finally I worked for 25 years in the psych field, gained 2 degrees then my condition got severe Bipolar 1 and I was permanently retired from the marines and social security. This year they made me totally and permanently disabled and permanently retired, early diagnosis is difficult without some history of extreme manias and depressions.

I'm pretty certain my bipolar disorder started at around 14, but I wasn't officially diagnosed for 18 years, at age 32. I had ended up at doctors' offices (mostly GPs, but a few psychiatrists) several times before my diagnosis with complaints of anxiety, depression, and likely milder mixed episodes. They'd prescribe an antidepressant and/or antianxiety med, which I'd take for two to max 14 days, then stop. I never had follow-up appointments set. I'd only see some again when depression/anxiety/mixed symptoms returned again. Never during purer mania or hypomanias, despite occasional ramifications from them. I never felt I received any actual diagnosis. I looked at my visits to those doctors as quick help for "mental flues". At 14, I was sent to a child therapist. I told my parents I wanted to quit it after the second session. They allowed that. I have no idea what that therapist thought. Teenage strife/angst? I remember hating it because when my dad attended, he always boo-hooed about his own situation, and how I was worsening it.

Once I finally started seeing a psychiatrist for more than a few appointments, they finally saw my mood switch. I didn't accept the diagnosis at first. It took hospitalizations for that. Many many psychiatrists and therapists reconfirmed my diagnosis over the years. Increased insight and knowledge about bipolar disorder allowed me to confirm it with myself. But I fought a lot in the early years, often thinking I could fight/control it on my own. I couldn't.

[Blue_Bird]

I was dx'd with major depression when I was 14. Bipolar I w/psychotic symptoms @ 18, which was changed to Schizoaffective Bipolar type at 19 (6 years ago) when it was realized that I was having long term psychotic symptoms even outside of manic and depressive episodes. and that's been my dx ever since. I've seen many doctors and have gotten the same opinion so I guess it's pretty accurate, I have the symptoms and the meds I take work really well for it.

[luvyrself]

The problem with misdiagnosis of bipolar is that they see the depression and give antidepressants which can push you into hypomania or mania. Hopefully, more sophisticated assessment tools will be developed, someday genetic tools. Cancer and dementia now are getting research money. We need to speak out in a big way to make this happen, joining Nami and Dbsa. Let’s do it! I had a long path figuring this out and under many insurances, pdocs have 15 minute sessions now. That doesn’t promise solid diagnoses. SPEAK OUT whenever you can!

[Ezrigirl]

Originally Posted by luvyrself

The problem with misdiagnosis of bipolar is that they see the depression and give antidepressants which can push you into hypomania or mania.

Before I was declared bipolar, I was depressed a great deal. Did get antidepressants only, and at normal dose, I became very manic within less than a week. One time I lose 15 pounds in two weeks, as I was not into food. They still did not say I was manic at the time.

[mugwort2]

Opposite experience. I was diangosed bp by one pdoc and later by a different pdoc with major depression. Okay go fiture. I remember over 20 years ago I was given a beginning dose of an MAO. The very next day I went to every party I could. I stayed out every night. I ever went to NYC and visited a man's apt who I just met in the city hours before. I realize now how risky that was. I took many chances any sensible woman wouldn't even consider. Including wallking alone when it was dark. Sometimes far away from home and sometimes a few blocks from where I live. I was quite promiscuous too. I felt wonderful.

[Polibeth]

I was diagnosed when I was 28. I went to several pdocs after that initial diagnosis and none questioned it.

When I was 35 I moved back to my home state. My new pdoc told me that bp is overdiagnosed (which I totally believe) and he didn't think I had it (I present myself fairly well). Queue manic episode about 2 months later and new pdoc told me there was no question that I was bp1.

I've been with him 10 years now and he has never wavered in the diagnosis.

[Ezrigirl]

Before I became bipolar I, doctors would declare I had a number of different personality disorders. It got to the point, I would hate to see a different doctor. Your told you have this type or types of personality disorders. I would go and study the personality disorders I was told I had. Would say, this is who I am and lets get to work. Then I see a different doctor and I am told, no, this is the personality disorder you have now. Then I am back to square one. In a nut shell, if you have insurance, a doctor can find something wrong with you to get the insurance money. On the other hand, if you do not have insurance, your the most stable person around.

[Moose72]

Each time I see my pdoc- and/or my case manager- I am evaluated again. My pdoc is firm in my diagnosis- with the exception of a few pdocs saying Im sza. But it always comes back to bp1. Never bp2. At first I was "bpNOS" then bp1. Multiple pdocs have come back to the conclusion that I have bipolar disorder.

[Unrigged64072835]

I wasn’t diagnosed with BP1 until I was 46-47. Before that it was borderline personality disorder, anxiety, or depression. I think I had bipolar traits since age 5, maybe sooner. It was buried under bullying and child abuse, though.

[Blueberrybook]

I was diagnosed with major depression and anxiety at 19 years old even though the doctor should have diagnosed anorexia the weight I was and just somehow ignored that. If he had asked all the questions correctly, bipolar would have been obvious especially as the reason I came in was having barely slept for 3 days. I was depressed, yes, but also overspending, hyper sexual. All he wanted to do was throw Paxil at me. I got so much Paxil, I could have been a Paxil drug rep., but he gave me Trazodone , so at least I could sleep a bit better. He was super focused on that social anxiety disorder that was in drug ads everywhere in the late ‘90s, not so much my mood, which it seems to me an obvious mood disorder should trump a social anxiety disorder. Because I had no insurance, I was using a free county system (not recommended, but you do what you have to do). Every subsequent doctor in that system decided the first doctor must have been right and went on treating me for depression, throwing every SSRI out there at me.

It was 10 years before I had private insurance, and thank goodness I got the best doctor out there who decided she should do her own full intake evaluation as if I were a new patient (which I was) and not be lazy and think, oh, Dr. X. from our same system diagnosed this, I don’t know him, but surely he’s right