Help?

My friends have, mostly jokingly, in the past suggested that I might be bipolar. I've looked into it before, and it kinda seemed to fit, but more recently, my sister, who is studying psychology at uni, told me about rapid cycling bipolar, and after some online reading, it seems to be making sense.

When I went to the doctor about my mood swings., I attempted to explain feeling unstable all the time and like I never really had a normal mood. I have since collected some stuff I've found about rapid cycling bipolar disorder, such as this = "continuous" cycling, which means that you never have a normal mood period: you cycle directly from one mood state into another with no normal mood.

But I don't feel like anyone takes me seriously. And I know bipolar is a difficult and serious thing to diagnose. But she prescribed me vitamin B, which did nothing, and said I could come back in the new year so we could discuss antidepressants. I'm not depressed, at least not in the traditional sense. I'm seventeen, I'm meant to be sitting A-Levels and going off to uni soon; this is a hard enough year as it is without being unable to cope with pendulum mood swings, all the time. I don't know what to do. I'm sorry for descending into whininess. I used to love this place; I remember everyone being very supportive and very lovely. Thank you for reading.

It could be that your doctor wants to make sure that this is a more fixed problem rather than a transient one and so give you more time to think about it and time to examine your symptoms.

If, when you go back, you have the same symptoms, maybe the doctor will reexamine your complaints.

Since you are seventeen, your doctor may be hesitant to consider bipolar as of yet. Generally, it isn't supposed to be diagnosed in those under the age of 18, I believe. [Though it is done]

There are other things that can contribute to symptoms which seem like bipolar.

My suggestion is to keep a mood chart and mood journal. That way you will have something to bring back to the doctor.

You could try moodtracker.com? they have charts you cna print out and option to journal

you didn't mention if you had seen a psychiatrist. if you haven't this may be an avenue you might want to pursue. if that was the kind of doc you saw, then it might be worthwhile to go back for another visit. if the second visit doesn't work then you could consider seeing another pdoc for a second opinion. mood swings can be very unsettling so i hope you can find some better definition of what's causing them.

Thanks

I'll be going back to the doctor in the New Year. It bugs me that she seemed so willing to put me on antidepressants when I don't think that I'm depressed.

But I've been using moodtracker, so... I don't know. I may update when I know more