Misiagnosed with bi-polar?!
Question: When I was in the sixth grade the diagnosed me with bi-polar and I have been on medications ever since. Recently (w/o intention) I have been skipping the majority of the doses per which I was perscribed and have been doing so for about two months. I have to take pills in the morning but they have to be with food and I rarely eat breakfast and usually take them at lunch but I lost my pill case so I try to eat breakfast but I'm ALWAYS running late. Because of that I have skipped EVERY morning dose of anti-depressants and my bi-polar medications for two months (as I said NOT intentionally). I feel perfectly fine. In fact my quality of life has improved. I'm happier I don't feel depression anymore. I think the anti-depressants were actually making me depressed. Is it possible that I was misdiagnoised? I still take an occasional night time medication when I remember which is about 2-3 days of the week. I have too much going on and easily forget about the medication.
Answers: When I was in the sixth grade the diagnosed me with bi-polar and I have been on medications ever since. Recently (w/o intention) I have been skipping the majority of the doses per which I was perscribed and have been doing so for about two months. I have to take pills in the morning but they have to be with food and I rarely eat breakfast and usually take them at lunch but I lost my pill case so I try to eat breakfast but I'm ALWAYS running late. Because of that I have skipped EVERY morning dose of anti-depressants and my bi-polar medications for two months (as I said NOT intentionally). I feel perfectly fine. In fact my quality of life has improved. I'm happier I don't feel depression anymore. I think the anti-depressants were actually making me depressed. Is it possible that I was misdiagnoised? I still take an occasional night time medication when I remember which is about 2-3 days of the week. I have too much going on and easily forget about the medication.
Both my younger sister and my X husband are severely bipolar. Neither I or anyone else knew what was wrong with them because they weren't diagnosed until many years after I had divorced my husband and had to cut all contact with my sister--I just couldn't take anymore. When I learned they had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder? My reaction was, "Well, that certainly explains--a lot!"
They have both driven their current spouses close to insanity because neither one of them like taking their medication either! So they both will secretly stop taking it, until they reach a peak in their manic cycle that results in disaster, followed by the depressive stage during which they're sincerely remorseful for their actions, sometimes to the point of becoming suicidal.
I think least for them, it's almost like an addiction--only what they're addicted to is the "high" they enjoy from fully experiencing their manic phase which enables them to feel almost "euphoric". The drugs prevent them from enjoying this "high" so not taking their medication IS their "drug of choice" of their addiction. It's what enables them to experience that "manic high".
Bipolar disorder also may "wax and wane", meaning it goes in cycles, swinging back and forth inbetween the 2 extremes. But the cycles are not always consistent so there may be long periods of time inbetween the "peaks" during which the person may feel and act completely normal--for weeks, months, even years.
However, psychiatry is by no means an exact science either, so YES, it is also very possible you may have been misdiagnosed. Especially considering that although it can effect young children, the disorder doesn't usually manifest itself until late teens, early adulthood or even much later in life. Other disorders such as ADD and OCD are often misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder as well.
I'd see someone and get a second opinion.
Best of luck!
Don't gamble with this one. Talk to a doctor. You may feel better because you have this in your system (even though you have not taken it for a while), but beware, your system could suddenly rebound. Talk with a doctor about this because if you don't, your bipolar may return big time.
For sure it is possible. The only way to find out definitely is to go another reputable specialist ~ pschyiatrist and get rediagnosed.
That's fantastic news for you and must make you feel really good that you've realised this.
take care of you ?
CHEERS
?
western medicine is ****** up. way too many people take pills to feel better when no one even knows the full extent of what those pills do. i'm pretty sure i'm bipolar and i love the way i think. i see that glass as half-full...so maybe try not taking any medicine for a while and see how you feel?
You really need to talk with your doctor. There are a lot of possibilities from misdiagnosis to dosage adjustments or a change in medication altogether. You really need to be careful skipping doses because sometimes missed meds can cause seizures or other ailments that may not be noticed at first.
Honestly you should call to see your Doc. ASAP. This is YOUR health. Don't trust it to Y!A.
yes
there are no lab test for bi-polar or depression so it is very likely.
were you starting to go through puberty when you were DX as bi-polar.
that most likely caused the mood swings.
the hormones can start surging 6 months to two years before you see any changes
anti depressant fog the mind and give you a altered reality that you may have though was depression.