First dx was by a nurse practitioner when I was 16 and went like this:
My dad: She gets angry and sad
Nurse practitioner: Sounds like bipolar

Other docs/NPs just piggybacked off of that until I turned 18 and got a "real" 30 minute evaluation. They dx'd me with "undifferentiated schizophrenia" and sent me on my way. Last year I had another "evaluation" and she looked at my history and said "schizoaffective!"

I really feel like cptsd could explain a lot of my symptoms. Just this year a counselor that I've been working through trauma issues with said she thinks my psychosis is really just ptsd "coming out sideways." Idk but that makes more sense to me if that does happen. I mean most of my trauma happened between 12-16 and my symptoms started at some point in there towards the later years.

Just my $0.02. Would just make sense since most meds don't really seem to do anything for me.

[Tucson]

Go to a lcensed and trained psychologist for your diagnosis., preferrably one with allot of experience.

[Nammu]

In America cptsd is not an acceptable diagnosis. That’s probably why you don’t have that diagnosis. If they add it to DSM then they can start using it, for now doctors who use it can’t chart it.

[bpcyclist]

Originally Posted by Nammu

In America cptsd is not an acceptable diagnosis. That’s probably why you don’t have that diagnosis. If they add it to DSM then they can start using it, for now doctors who use it can’t chart it.

What is the proper taxonomy, Nammu?

[fern46]

Could it be both Spikes? Are mania and psychosis cptsd symptoms? It seems like the trauma definitely triggered something. I think it makes sense for you to seek treatment of the cptsd symptoms if they resonate with you. The main goal would be to seek a strategy for the full spectrum of issues you experience regardless of the label they provide.

I understand what it is like to not have a diagnosis that truly fits. I'm being reevaluated at the moment myself. I feel like having answers will bring me comfort, but who knows?

Hugs.

I've been to "licensed and trained psychologists" and they all just kinda say "you hear voices? schizo--uhh... you have insomnia and anger problems too? ...affective" no one I've come across wants to do a thorough evaluation lasting more than half an hour.
I get cptsd is not a real diagnosis in the USA, just wish it was. I'll refrain from that rant.
fern, I don't really know if it's both. I'm not sure if I've ever really had true mania. My first "mania" was labelled so because I was pissed at my therapist one day. Unless I'm on an antidepressant or using a stimulant they never qualify as hypomanic/manic episodes because they hardly if ever last more than four days. What I get is spikes (haha) that last maybe half a day. Something good happens and I'm thrilled and it might look like euphoric mania to some who come across me during that time. I will admit to the psychosis but I won't admit to it being for sure on the schizophrenia spectrum since there's quite a bit of research linking trauma to psychotic symptoms later in life without it being the same as the chemical imbalances schizophrenia/schizoaffective are.

I've always thought dx didn't matter as long as you're getting the right treatment. Well, apparently treatment is based on dx, not symptoms. I think that's f'd up but I don't have a fancy piece of paper saying I read some books and wrote some essays so I guess my opinion will always be wrong.

[Trippin2.0]

If I was in your shoes, I'd utilize a mood tracker, (the on PC was very comprehensive last I checked it out)... Anyway I'd chart my moods for a month or more, depending on my symptomatic patterns, and then present them to my service provider and ask for an honest opinion.

I'd even make notes stating how every "hypo" is triggered and short lived... A large part of being dxd BP is due to suffering from random episodes and mood shifts, although triggered episodes do count, as a trigger is more often than not a big thing, for example, my personal ones are death in my family, extreme overwhelm, feeling trapped, and stressed.
Any episodes unrelated to those things are completely random, nothing happens to set them off...

Anyway, my point is, if you go in there with evidence, asking for a clear discussion on what your DX is and why it is, and checking to see if it matches your Mood Tracker, then you might just get some more informative answers.

Maybe it's as simple as the above members have suggested and it's just for billing purposes... But it's a discussion I think that needs to happen, to give you peace of mind.

[fern46]

Originally Posted by spikes

I've been to "licensed and trained psychologists" and they all just kinda say "you hear voices? schizo--uhh... you have insomnia and anger problems too? ...affective" no one I've come across wants to do a thorough evaluation lasting more than half an hour.
I get cptsd is not a real diagnosis in the USA, just wish it was. I'll refrain from that rant.
fern, I don't really know if it's both. I'm not sure if I've ever really had true mania. My first "mania" was labelled so because I was pissed at my therapist one day. Unless I'm on an antidepressant or using a stimulant they never qualify as hypomanic/manic episodes because they hardly if ever last more than four days. What I get is spikes (haha) that last maybe half a day. Something good happens and I'm thrilled and it might look like euphoric mania to some who come across me during that time. I will admit to the psychosis but I won't admit to it being for sure on the schizophrenia spectrum since there's quite a bit of research linking trauma to psychotic symptoms later in life without it being the same as the chemical imbalances schizophrenia/schizoaffective are.

I've always thought dx didn't matter as long as you're getting the right treatment. Well, apparently treatment is based on dx, not symptoms. I think that's f'd up but I don't have a fancy piece of paper saying I read some books and wrote some essays so I guess my opinion will always be wrong.

I feel you. I'm in a similar boat. I understand the frustration.

I was manic like and definitely psychotic, but it was also less than 4 days both times. I've never been depressed. I kept getting the 'you're abnormal' diagnosis which was uncomfortable to say the least. The treatment that worked does not match bipolar disorder or sxhizoaffective or anything in the DSM, so I went looking on my own after 2 years.

I did a bunch of research on my physical symptoms as well as the psychiatric ones. I recently presented my research to my doctor and offered a new theory of what might be going on with me. My doctor seemed pretty blown away, asked me to email him all of my work and referred me to a neurologist to confirm. If I am right it makes a huge difference in treatment. If I am wrong, I will be shocked but I will search again. Living without a root cause is not working for me.

Maybe you could do something similar if you feel your treatment is ineffective. That's exactly why I went searching. I was fearful the meds would make my issues worse and it turns out if I do have what I think I have the antipsychotics can actually make it worse if I take them long term.

So that's a long winded way of saying, throw yourself into the research and make your case. Do what you can to eliminate things like drugs and alcohol of you can because they muddy the waters and make it hard to know exactly what's going on. Stick to your meds and documemt your physical, mental, emotional and behavior patterns. Document your history. All of that together can help your practitioner weed out the wrong dx and find something that fits better. These are definitely spectrum issues, but we deserve to rest easy knowing our doctors have the correct spectrum.

[*Beth*]

I was told for years to use a mood tracker. I never did, because I thought it was a stupid idea. Then my therapist helped me design one, I used it, and wow, was I surprised. The mood tracker ended up being very helpful.

[bpcyclist]

1. My entire dx is under review. I think I have a more sz picture than pure bp because of all the psychosis. Bu my cog fxn does not totally fit w sz, s...

2. You really,really need to do a life chart, given substances. Read about them and do one. Detailed.

3. Mood chart also a good idea. I am doing it the simple way. I do not remember to do it every day and Albert makes it messy, but it can be as simple as this.

4. Go to the store, get some $2 markers and a big pad and start writing.

Hugs.

[Tucson]

You have SZ when you have mood swings, Bipolar type, and your psychosis is independant of the mood swings. This is all it means.