I was misdiagnosed, how do I fix it?!
Question: I went to a psychiatrist for depression a while back and in the first session he diagnosed me with bipolar I-depressed. I went two more times after that and I quit going. I went because I was discharged from the Army because I had a knee injury, my girlfriend broke up with me, my best friend moved, I had to move back in with my parents, I was having a hard time adjusting, and I was worried about the future. Anyways, it was the worst few weeks of my life at the time I went to the psychiatrist and I was better about a month after I stopped seeing him. I am not bipolar and my mom's friends took their kids to the same doctor and they say that he is known to overdiagnose people with bipolar. I want to join the Army again and this diagnosis will prevent me from serving again, how do I fix this? Is there any way I can convince the military doctors that I am not bipolar? I never took any of the medicine he prescribed me and I have been fine for the past two years.
Answers: I went to a psychiatrist for depression a while back and in the first session he diagnosed me with bipolar I-depressed. I went two more times after that and I quit going. I went because I was discharged from the Army because I had a knee injury, my girlfriend broke up with me, my best friend moved, I had to move back in with my parents, I was having a hard time adjusting, and I was worried about the future. Anyways, it was the worst few weeks of my life at the time I went to the psychiatrist and I was better about a month after I stopped seeing him. I am not bipolar and my mom's friends took their kids to the same doctor and they say that he is known to overdiagnose people with bipolar. I want to join the Army again and this diagnosis will prevent me from serving again, how do I fix this? Is there any way I can convince the military doctors that I am not bipolar? I never took any of the medicine he prescribed me and I have been fine for the past two years.
Go to a different Dr, explain all that has happened to you, and get revalulated. If a different Dr. gives you a completely different diagnosis, talk with him about your desire to go back into the army and he may be able to guide you in order how you can approach this subject while trying to get back into the army. It is also possible the army will want you to get evaluated by one of their Dr's to see if they feel you are fit for service. Good luck, and just for the record alot of Dr's are jumping the gun today with the bi polar diagnosis, I would suggest everyone get a 2nd opinion if someone tells them that.
You always have the option of getting a second opinion. Also I am bipolar and in the military so it is not neccesarliy a disqualifying diagnosis. As long as you have a stable evaluation you should be good.
Maybe go to another phyciratrist and have them dignose you and then show the Military what he says.
get a second opinion. it sounds like you had an adjustment disorder, which is a lot milder than bipolar. the second opinion should count for something.
Find a different psychiatrist and express this concern to them. Tell them that you would like your diagnosis removed and why. He'll probably ask a lot of questions, but if it is clearly a misdiagnosis you should be able to get your medical record cleared.
go to another doctor, he may think that your stress and depression together maybe bipolar. and just calmly try and convince the military doctors that you are not bipolar,
try going back to a recruiter and talk to him how to fix it go to another docter and proove to them that you are not. I was misdiognosed with mental retardation at the age of 7 which is funny becuase i am the top of my class in school we soon figured out that i had ADD and i got on the prper medication which helped a lot. I am glad you did serve in the army. my brother are in the army my father my friends i have spent my whole life around it. i love it if it is something you really enjoy doing. Then do it again, do what you can get in fight for it
1st, If you haven't signed something agreeing to release them and didn't go to one of their psychiatrists, it is illegal for the records to be released.
2nd, If the doctor you use doesn't have electronic records you have the right to sign a release and walk out the door with your full medical record and do with it as you please.
3rd, You can try to talk with the doctor, who misdiagnosed you and have the recorded corrected or get a second opinion. If you do this, do it informed.
The DSM-IV is the gold standard for diagnosis of psychiatric disorders. Did you tell the physician information that met all the criteria? If not, you can confront him on that.
--------------------------------------...
Table 15.1-19 DSM-IV-TR Diagnostic Criteria for Bipolar I Disorder, Most Recent Episode Unspecified
Criteria, except for duration, are currently (or most recently) met for a manic, a hypomanic, a mixed, or a major depressive episode.
There has previously been at least one manic episode or mixed episode.
The mood symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
The mood symptoms in Criteria A and B are not better accounted for by schizoaffective disorder and are not superimposed on schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, delusional disorder, or psychotic disorder not otherwise specified.
The mood symptoms in Criteria A and B are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication, or other treatment) or a general medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism).
Specify if:
Longitudinal course specifiers (with and without interepisode recovery)
With seasonal pattern (applies only to the pattern of major depressive episodes)
With rapid cycling
(From American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed. Text rev. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; copyright 2000, with permission.)
--------------------------------------...
Table 15.1-6 DSM-IV-TR Criteria for Manic Episode
A distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting at least 1 week (or any duration if hospitalization is necessary).
During the period of mood disturbance, three (or more) of the following symptoms have persisted (four if the mood is only irritable) and have been present to a significant degree:
inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
decreased need for sleep (e.g., feels rested after only 3 hours of sleep)
more talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking
flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing
distractibility (i.e., attention too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant external stimuli)
increase in goal-directed activity (either socially, at work or school, or sexually) or psychomotor agitation
excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences (e.g., engaging in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indiscretions, or foolish business investments)
The symptoms do not meet criteria for a mixed episode.
The mood disturbance is sufficiently severe to cause marked impairment in occupational functioning or in usual social activities or relationships with others, or to necessitate hospitalization to prevent harm to self or others, or there are psychotic features.
The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication, or other treatment) or a general medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism).
Note: Manic-like episodes that are clearly caused by somatic antidepressant treatment (e.g., medication, electroconvulsive therapy, light therapy) should not count toward a diagnosis of bipolar I disorder.
(From American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed. Text rev. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; copyright 2000, with permission.)
--------------------------------------...
Table 15.1-8 DSM-IV-TR Criteria for Mixed Episode
The criteria are met both for a manic episode and for a major depressive episode (except for duration) nearly every day during at least a 1-week period.
The mood disturbance is sufficiently severe to cause marked impairment in occupational functioning or in usual social activities or relationships with others, or to necessitate hospitalization to prevent harm to self or others, or there are psychotic features.
The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication, or other treatment) or a general medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism).
Note: Mixed-like episodes that are clearly caused by somatic antidepressant treatment (e.g., medication, electroconvulsive therapy, light therapy) should not count toward a diagnosis of bipolar I disorder.
(From American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed. Text rev. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; copyright 2000, with permission.)
--------------------------------------...
Table 15.1-5 DSM-IV-TR Criteria for Major Depressive Episode
Five (or more) of the following symptoms have been present during the same 2-week period and represent a change from previous functioning; at least one of the symptoms is either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure.
Note: Do not include symptoms that are clearly due to a general medical condition, or mood-incongruent delusions or hallucinations.
depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report (e.g., feels sad or empty) or observation made by others (e.g., appears tearful). Note: In children and adolescents, can be irritable mood
markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day (as indicated by either subjective account or observation made by others)
significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain (e.g., a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month), or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day. Note: In children, consider failure to make expected weight gains.
insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day
psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down)
fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt (which may be delusional) nearly every day (not merely self-reproach or guilt about being sick)
diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day (either by subjective account or as observed by others)
recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide
The symptoms do not meet criteria for a mixed episode.
The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition (e.g., hypothyroidism).
The symptoms are not better accounted for by bereavement, i.e., after the loss of a loved one, the symptoms persist for longer than 2 months or are characterized by marked functional impairment, morbid preoccupation with worthlessness, suicidal ideation, psychotic symptoms, or psychomotor retardation.