when you were diagnosed bipolar, did it come as a shock to you, or did you have a feeling you might be.

I didn't know what it was at the time, I just knew I was " something"

[Miss Laura]

It was a complete shock to me. I worked with men who have bipolar and I am definitely NOT like them. I guess that's why I struggle with the diagnosis. To me other than being depressed I was fine. Others saw the mania though.

[childofchaos831]

I didn't suspect it at all. I just knew I didn't sleep as much some times. And had a lot of energy but I just thought, "yay, I can get **** done."

I had never heard the term "manic depression" before my diagnosis and definitely not bipolar disorder. I knew I had had episodes of anxiety, depression, elation, and extreme mental agony (mixed features) but looked at them as brain flues or situational strong responses. Other manic behavior? I had little insight into it. It was me and justified. It always eventually eased and I never expected it to return, but it did. Again and again.

I did seek help now and then but improper help with no follow ups, until the psychiatrist who diagnosed me. He saw the change from depression to mania. Upon diagnosis, I basically gave him the finger and didn't return until I needed my first hospitalization. I actually acknowledged my alcohol abuse first. That's so common!

[Wild Coyote]

I knew it and I'd told my pdoc to please stop trying to protect me by not telling me. He'd smiled... and then... told me.

[Moose72]

Not one bit. I didnt know what bipolar is until I was diagnosed.

[Blue_Bird]

I had no idea until I was diagnosed

[Scooter9]

I had no idea.

Until I was diagnosed I thought I had depression and anxiety. But once I was diagnosed things made a lot more sense.

[Merlin]

I was aware of the depression, but I didn’t see the mania until I was on antidepressants. I have since had hypomania without medication triggers.

[Victoria'smom]

I knew. I've known since I was 13-14. Didn't tell anyone. I didn't know there was a difference in treatment. I wasn't Dx'd until 22 (?).

[Skeezyks]

I still don't know. (No diagnosis.) The pdoc who treated me during my last hospitalization said she thought there might be a "bipolar element" to what's going on with me (whatever that means.) I've often thought there was a time, when I was younger, I might have been diagnosable as having BPD. But from the little bit of reading I've done I can see myself as possibly having BP II as well. As I understand it there are a lot of similarities between BPD & BP II.

[fern46]

No, I did not see it coming. I didn't have a history of mood swings. After I was taken to the hospital I thought they might say I was schizophrenic given the psychosis. I questioned the bipolar diagnosis, but rolled with it because I'm no expert. I just wanted help and the treatment seemed to be working. Now my diagnosis is back up in the air. My doctors admit it isn't an exact science.

[cashart10]

I had never heard of it. I was only 15. I still didn’t get a real grasp on it until my late 20s when I started taking it seriously.

[~Christina]

I was aware of mental illness I worked in medical my whole life, was treated for depression in my 20’s

I never really thought I was Bipolar , I just thought everyone has a racing mind and ups and downs. I’m 52 so it’s not like I had the internet at my fingers as we do now.

When he said you have Bipolar.... suddenly I realized it explained my life lol

I honestly was relieved to get my label because I knew there is medications that would help.

[scatterbrained04]

It wasn't a huge shock to me. I just didn't know if I had major depressive disorder or bipolar. I knew something was really wrong. Had a mixed episode at the time. When I'd read about bipolar, I could relate to some of the manic symptoms to some degree but not all of them. I didn't realize that BPII existed. Once my pdoc discussed BPII it all made sense.

Didn't really know what bipolar was, so no, I did not suspect it.

Sometimes I still wonder if I have it or not, but I know better than to question it since I've been diagnosed 3 times with it.

Originally Posted by ~Christina

I was aware of mental illness I worked in medical my whole life, was treated for depression in my 20’s

I never really thought I was Bipolar , I just thought everyone has a racing mind and ups and downs. I’m 52 so it’s not like I had the internet at my fingers as we do now.

When he said you have Bipolar.... suddenly I realized it explained my life lol

I honestly was relieved to get my label because I knew there is medications that would help.

I hear you about being relieved.

for me though a diffrent reason:

I was sick of being called " awkward", or " weird"

[Tucson]

I knew all along, I was using the initial diagnosis as confirmation on what I knew to be true.

[BipolaRNurse]

I had an idea as far back as my early 40s. But all I knew about bipolar at the time was that you had to take lithium for it, and I wanted no part of that because I knew the side effects. So I delayed going to a psychiatrist for years until my internist said I had something too serious for him to deal with. Still, it was a shock to be diagnosed BP at age 53, and bipolar 1 at 55. And I've never taken lithium to this very day. LOL

[bpcyclist]

I knew there was something wrong when I was a child.

[saucygirl31]

i knew before I was diagnosed. can't compare to mania in any drug combo.