[icinggurl]

I'm wondering if anybody else deals with this - Why is it that when a person has a diagnosis of major depressive disorder most people act like it's not a big deal when compared to bipolar disorders? I was treated for depression and anxiety for 15 years until I became manic/psychotic. After receiving my new diagnosis I remember thinking, Now my crazy is legit. It really isn't my fault that I'm here locked up. My psychiatrist that I met after I arrived all psychotic in the ER didn't meet me until after the massive Haldol shot so I was pretty sedated at that point. She's gone back and forth on my diagnosis since she kind of has to take my word on what those previous 2 weeks of crazy were like (although I had to ask my family since I didn't remember a lot of it). She thought it was schizoaffective disorder, but now wonders if it is depression with psychosis. Honestly, that would make more sense, but I seriously felt like, Great. No one will take me seriously when they find out I'm on disability and have been documented as "total and permanently disabled". Now I'll be thought of as lazy, weak, etc.

[Miswimmy1]

I haven't been diagnosed as bipolar but I'm being watched for increased symptoms. I had a therapist tell me once that she would rather be diagnosed as OCD than bipolar, and I have struggled with SEVERE OCD before. So for her to say that was like, whoa. I think many people are diagnosed with some form of depression and I think because of that, many laymen are misinformed to what it actually means to be depressed. They just think you feel sad. Because it's such a common diagnosis to them, they don't take it as seriously. Also, people with bipolar often show symptoms much more disruptively than people with just depression. I'm not sure if anything I said has any scientific evidence to back it up but just some thoughts I had.

[-jimi-]

Here depressed people are seen by a GP and bipolars by a psych.

Need I say more?

[Altered Moment]

Many people don't believe it is a real biological disease for many of us. For me it is very debilitating and serious. Praying to die each night and being suicidal is serious. It's very biological for me and serious when I have it and nothing works but I don't always have it. It seems bi polar is seen as a real disease and depression is not. I think this is because there can be so many different causes for depression and most people have some experience feeling a little depressed but with bi polar it is seen as a much more straight forward biological disease that a person can't help. Yes I find it very frustrating because my depression and anxiety is a straight forward biological disease and I can't help it but it is not usually seen that way.

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[Hellion]

Yeah it seems people mistake Major Depressive Disorder and other depressive disorders outside bi-polar for regular feelings of sadness/depression everyone experiences sometimes in their lives. Yes everyone gets down about things, might feel hopeless, down on themself but come out of it just fine...or are in a sad situation. But that is different than having Major Depression a lot of people don't get that though.

[venusss]

It seems bi polar is seen as a real disease and depression is not.

My experince is that people who believe in illness model see both as illness whereas those who don't beleive it don't like the term use for bipolar either.

[archipelago]

I've had severe bouts of depression for a long time. Then 3 years ago I was way overmedicated and had a brief manic episode that went away when the meds did. My shrink changed the diagnosis to Bipolar I and changed his attitude as well. I don't believe I am bipolar because it was med induced and I've had no other episodes, even when using anti-depressants, nor has any family member had any pattern that looks like bipolar which is 80% genetic.

Now that my shrink thinks of bipolar he pays even less attention to the depression since he seems unduly fixated on the possibility of a manic episode. That to me is the real problem. The depressive symptoms cause so much suffering and disability and yet they aren't being treated as serious. In fact until recently they were under treated because of his fear of using certain meds.

Finally it got bad enough that he was willing to give me meds that have worked to relieve the depressive symptoms. But it had to get very bad and I had to argue for it before that happened.

I don't think people really get how painful depression can be and how much it can affect functioning. When you lose hope and feel no interest and pleasure from anything, life is barely tolerable. And if you add extreme fatigue, you just stay in bed feeling tortured. I also have PTSD and having anxiety and flashbacks is actually easier to deal with than depression.

[Creative1onder]

Originally Posted by icinggurl

I'm wondering if anybody else deals with this - Why is it that when a person has a diagnosis of major depressive disorder most people act like it's not a big deal when compared to bipolar disorders? I was treated for depression and anxiety for 15 years until I became manic/psychotic. After receiving my new diagnosis I remember thinking, Now my crazy is legit. It really isn't my fault that I'm here locked up. My psychiatrist that I met after I arrived all psychotic in the ER didn't meet me until after the massive Haldol shot so I was pretty sedated at that point. She's gone back and forth on my diagnosis since she kind of has to take my word on what those previous 2 weeks of crazy were like (although I had to ask my family since I didn't remember a lot of it). She thought it was schizoaffective disorder, but now wonders if it is depression with psychosis. Honestly, that would make more sense, but I seriously felt like, Great. No one will take me seriously when they find out I'm on disability and have been documented as "total and permanently disabled". Now I'll be thought of as lazy, weak, etc.

I think Bipolar is even more difficult to accept and understand than depression. People experience depression differently and have different views about it, the causes, effects , how one should manage things...it remains to be seen by a lot of people as not an illness/medical problem and to do with one's negative way of thinking and behaving. Some people regard depression as chemical imbalance, more physical than mental illness while others see it related to stressful traumatic experiences and bottled up unexpressed emotions feelings. Depression can be seen in a positive or negative way. Bipolar disorder is more complex and is not as widespread as depression. Some people think Bipolar isn't real illness, just a label we identify with and say things like we all go through ups and downs/high and lows in life.

[archipelago]

The prevailing view (from the medical model) is that Bipolar is 80% genetic and rare with a 1% prevalence rate. And some feel it is as severe as schizophrenia and can only be treated by medications.

Depression on the other hand is common and has degrees of severity and recurrence. It does respond to treatments of various kinds.

Both lead to intense suffering and possible early death. Both can ruin quality of life. And within Bipolar, the manic or hypomanic phases are treated more seriously than the depressive phases.

[sideblinded]

I was misdiagnosed with bipolar for many years. After I was changed to MDD, I do feel that my pdoc takes my depression more lightly than when I supposedly had bipolar. I felt that my pdoc was more interested in the idea that I could turn manic anytime and he was always looking for that side of the equation as opposed to the boring depression complaints. I was medicated to the hilt when he thought I had bipolar. Now...I am only on one low dose AD for the MDD.

I do think that bipolar is considered more of a bad mental illness than MDD. I feel that my pdoc considers MDD a very common thing and takes it more lightly.

I'm sorry but my depression is just as serious as my old bipolar Dx. It is just as severe and just as debilitating but just without the flip side of mania. My depression can have a psychotic nature when it is really bad but he seems to not be very worried about that.

So yes I do agree. I never actually thought about this until now.

MDD
GAD
ADHD

[Creative1onder]

Originally Posted by archipelago

The prevailing view (from the medical model) is that Bipolar is 80% genetic and rare with a 1% prevalence rate. And some feel it is as severe as schizophrenia and can only be treated by medications.

Depression on the other hand is common and has degrees of severity and recurrence. It does respond to treatments of various kinds.

Both lead to intense suffering and possible early death. Both can ruin quality of life. And within Bipolar, the manic or hypomanic phases are treated more seriously than the depressive phases.

There are aspects of both depression and Bipolar that can be seen as positive while others more negative. But they are both challenging illnesses to deal with, whether with or without professional help and meds but more challenging battling on own with them. It makes it harder to cope when others don't treat you well or believe you and say or behave in negative unhelpful ways towards you..but we have choice then how we respond to that. People who have depression and bipolar are not weak individuals. They have qualities and strengths and abilities still and their true self is not their illness.

[icinggurl]

My depression was psychotic as well. My OCD, which seriously runs in my fam, started at age 6. At my worst, I thought I had telekinetic powers and heard Satan speaking to me. It's unfortunate that docs really get aggressive when someone is obviously out of control (like mania). It's sad that it has to get to that level to be taken seriously. Maybe since in depression we aren't very expressive and have flat affect, they wait for the big freak out. I've also been told that poor treatment of depression can eventually through the person into mania of psychosis. My therapist said, we can only take so much in life before we end up coming apart.

Also I think it's the stigma of depression that is the most upsetting. Stuff like being told that everyone experiences sad spells, I can overcome it if I'm only strong enough, I need to quit blaming my problems on something else. One guy even said that he thinks I enjoy being crazy. WTF?!

[badjuju89]

Im bipolar but spend most of my time in a depressive state and have spent most of that time depressed since I was 9. Original diagnosis was severe depression.. was treated as thougg it was very serious. It hasnt been since ive gotten older snd my diagnosis been changed to bp2 that its been a rougher road for me with more med chsnges and tryin to take different approaches. Im now on unemployment and people do think im lazy but I try to block that out becuz all that matters is me getting better. Im the one I have to live with everyday.. both are serious.. both are different though.

::@nn@fr3nch::

[TheOriginalMe]

I think there are issues about perception both within the medical community and within the wider population. When the generally used name for bipolar was manic depression then those without first hand experience of the condition would throw the term out and use it to describe anything and everything, including hissy fits, anger management issues and drunkeness. Now the term bipolar is more commonly used and various high profile names have shared their diagnosis and experiences so there is greater public awareness. Depressive illnesses haven't really had the same kind of makeover and have the image problem of being perceived as a low mood that we can think, eat, exercise, self help, our way out of and "just pull ourselves together".

Within the medical community, my experience is that depression is the poor relation. Perhaps because a major depression without psychosis and where harmful and suicidal behaviour is supressed or managed by the sufferer is a very "undemanding" condition. In this state, I hide myself away both physically and emotionally, I don't speak much and when I do I don't say much and certainly describing the full intensity of my symptoms would take more energy than I have at my disposal. So if I were a psych I'd be more likely to attend to the volatile, risky, "interesting" bipolar patient than the silent, placid, "boring" depressed patient.

[venusss]

Yeah, I sometimes feel that problem with bipolar is not as much for sufferer but for "loved ones" and family who are bothered by it.

BP gets lot of attention from forced treatment advocates, who paint the sufferers as ticking bombs.

[Hellion]

Originally Posted by VenusHalley

Yeah, I sometimes feel that problem with bipolar is not as much for sufferer but for "loved ones" and family who are bothered by it.

BP gets lot of attention from forced treatment advocates, who paint the sufferers as ticking bombs.

I do not like the notion that people who aren't suffering with the ailment are suffering more due to it than the sufferer, maybe true in some cases who knows but sometimes I think people surrounding the sufferes of such things can be pretty damn intolerant, ignorant and well a bit melodramatic as if they have the worst life in the world because a family member for instance might be afflicted with a mental disorder.

[Altered Moment]

My story is kind of interesting. My drug of choice was always alcohol but then I discovered meth amphetamine. I wanted to quit drinking and didn't crave it if I was doing meth. So for five years used it heavily. When I got clean and sober two weeks into a treatment center I went psycho. It was a full blown manic episode with tons of psychosis that lasted over a year until I was back to myself. They diagnosed me bi polar I and said I had a full blown manic episode and it only takes one to get the diagnosis. I took Tegretol for seven years for it and my pdoc was very worried I would have another. I knew I wasn't because I had never had one before. They didn't know much about post acute withdrawal syndrome then (early 90's). The meth messed me up that bad. Evil stuff. I wasn't as good as self advocating back then but I finally talked my pdoc into letting me go off Tegretol because I knew I was not bi polar I. I have not had an episode since.

I am very likely bi polar II or a little lower on the scale. Ironically I take Lamictal now.

It was just amazing to me now how much the meth had messed me up and how long it took to recover. Thats why I cringe when I see amphetamines used for depression.

[loophole]

Bipolar = nuts... major depression = feeling sorry for yourself..

That's just how the majority of the world view it.... I was first diagnosed depression then about 13 years later diagnosed bipolar..

[Hellion]

Originally Posted by loophole

Bipolar = nuts... major depression = feeling sorry for yourself..

That's just how the majority of the world view it.... I was first diagnosed depression then about 13 years later diagnosed bipolar..

Well then the majority of the world needs to become less ignorant.

[waterknob1234]

What bothers me is people seem to think you can just "pep talk" your way out of depression. They act like it is your fault you are depressed. What?? If I could "pep talk" my way out of depression I would have done that a long time ago. People just don't take depression seriously and they should. Just because depressed people do not necessarily lose touch with reality or act out does not mean they don't suffer an illness.

[Altered Moment]

I have found that if I am totally honest with someone about how it really is when it's at it's worse and then compare it to when I am doing my best. They will say, No $$it really? Yeah. If they have any empathy they will gain an understanding they never had. I only do it with I know are empathetic caring people, but they don't know anything about depression.

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[Hellion]

I just get so sick and tired of being told...'I understand you have depression and you suffer and its an illness, but by the way you can choose to think positive and recover'....

For f***s sake if it was that bloody simple I would have already done that don't you think....no I do not enjoy it, or choose not to recover or feel more comfortable depressed and therefore afraid to feel better thus 'choosing' my depression...even people who say they understand have no freaking idea.

People should just be honest about their opinion in the first place rather then pretending they understand only to go on to the same old cliches that don't work for me and many others. And not getting that some people do not 'recover' and end up functioning normally. some people end up having to cope with and manage it as well as accept it....and most of all that having that perspective does not mean I 'gave up' I am still alive, I haven't committed suicide yet...what more do people want.

A bit of a rant I guess, but yeah I often feel no one really understands Major Depressive Disorder....hell even people who say they have the diagnoses don't even seem to get it so yeah...don't know where that leaves me.

[hvert]

I wonder if it happens because the manic symptoms of bipolar are more outwardly evident? Depression is somewhat isolating -- during a depressive episode, a person is more likely to stay at home, withdraw from friends and outside interests. What they are going through is not in full view.

People going through manic episodes are in public view, as it were, often engaging in self-destructive behavior.

One isn't worse than the other, but I think that the privacy of depression might be why bipolar seems to be taken more seriously.

[loophole]

Originally Posted by Hellion

Well then the majority of the world needs to become less ignorant.

I never said it was right... just stating a truth and it's pretty accurate. .. while people need not be ignorant you have to understand they have no clue about the reality of the situation because of their life and situation. I've heard people make rude and unnecessary comments about bipolar disorder and just let it go.. they don't know I'm bipolar to start with... and like you said ignorance is most of the problem as most people don't have an understanding what bipolar actually is.. I've learned with bp mass people have their own perception about it and most are way off.... stands true with depression too...

[Hellion]

Originally Posted by loophole

I never said it was right... just stating a truth and it's pretty accurate. .. while people need not be ignorant you have to understand they have no clue about the reality of the situation because of their life and situation. I've heard people make rude and unnecessary comments about bipolar disorder and just let it go.. they don't know I'm bipolar to start with... and like you said ignorance is most of the problem as most people don't have an understanding what bipolar actually is.. I've learned with bp mass people have their own perception about it and most are way off.... stands true with depression too...

Oh I know, I agree with your point....just feel strongly less ignorance is important so that's why I added that bit. I mean I do not expect everyone to understand exactly what people with these disorders go through, they can't possibly do that if they don't have the disorder to experience it...but at least some more understanding that mental health issues are just as legitimate as any other health issues and are not reason to look down your nose at someone or constantly make negative assumptions about them.