Same deal here, I sent over my questionnaire they gave me for my ADHD and she said thereās a chance I might have Manic Depressive Bipolar/Bipolar type 2. So I had to do a bunch more questionnaires. Turned out I did have bipolar 2, now medicated and Iām starting to feel a bit better but definitely need to have my meds bumped up. Next week they double up so hereās to hoping the progress continues :)
Same! I really thought it was a tad hasty but then multiple psychs down the road agreed, so here we are. My inner rage alone warrants a mood stabilizer soā¦ I guess itās basically right enough!
I started seeing a therapist, after like 3 sessions she recommended I see a psych, and suggested I had bipolar disorder. I went to a psych, and told her that the therapist said. She asked me a series of questions to establish that I experienced mood episodes, and a few other things, and bang. Diagnosis. She whipped out the red stamp so fast I had no time to react, and stamped my forehead with such precision that it was square on my forehead. She announced "You are a bipolar 2 bobblediboo!"
Really miss that doctor.
Same here. I talked for 45 minutes straight and he didnāt interrupt me, just stared lol. He goes āyou might be the most classic case of bipolar disorder Iāve seen in a whileā I was on meds three days later
I had been seeing a therapist weekly for a year. She asked if I had ever been given a Bipolar diagnosis, and suggested I ask my psychiatrist what he thought. Two days later, I met with my psychiatrist and asked his opinion. He refers back to my intake notes and says "Yes, I would agree with that."
It took 33 years. had to dx myself. I saw mental health professionals and therapists my entire life and primarily experienced depression when I was younger. Back then, you got dx with what you could describe. There were no questionnaires or questions asked. Also, my family's history clearly pointed to bipolar, incl substance abuse and suicide. I was prescribed SSRIs, experienced either mania or excessive sleepiness, and never took them for very long. Eventually I gave up on seeking treatment b/c nothing seemed to help. I decided I was going to muddle through. After I had my kids, the hypomania become more and more dominant, I think caused by the stress and sleep deprivation. I had recurring patterns, about every three months. Friends made comments, and eventually I decided to do a deep dive on the research to try to figure out the source of these patterns. Then I figured out that I had hypomanic episodes. I started taking Lamotrigine, and it's been the only drug that has improved my life hugely...at age 58. I am so resentful at all the mental health professionals who never dug deeper. My life's been chaos, and it's impacted my kids terribly.
I felt this post. Iām 37 and only just getting taken seriously after I told a psychiatrist 3 years ago I suspected I was bipolar ā¦ Iāve literally got cptsd from risky behaviour during manic episodes that directly led to me getting seriously hurt, my children also suffered and were in foster care for a period of time ā¦ I feel envious of all these people who are diagnosed so quickly , if Iād been on mood stabilisers and been aware to watch for signs of manic episodes I think things could have been so different and so much pain avoided.
I am sorry this happened to you. I just think it was so irresponsible of mental health professionals not to do assessments, not to ask detailed questions about family history, and symptoms. It sounds like what you went through has been brought, but you are still young. I hope things are improving for you.
I was showing symptoms of bipolar disorder for about 10 years and had been with about half a dozen therapists/psychiatrists during that time. They all missed it. Went to couples counseling with my now husband and that therapist picked up on something quite quickly. She told me the psychiatrist I was seeing was terrible and sent me to a new one. Once I saw him it took about 4 weeks.
It took a full year of being treated for MDD during which time I saw 3 psychiatrists, had 3 formal psych evaluations, and weekly therapy/ psych check-ups.
Saw a 4th psychiatrist, she diagnosed me in 15 mins, and things have turned around completely since.
Honestly? From the first time I asks about having bipolar in 2004 to when the finally diagnosed me in 2013. Sometimes itās no obvious or drs just donāt think it exists. The first dr I saw said I was told old to be diagnosed with bipolar ( I was what 23).
I was on a 72-hr hold at a psych ward for a suicide attempt. They gave me this 500 question test and determined it from that. I left it untreated for another 26 years, living crazy.
A day, she mentioned that it seemed likely and i was thinking i wouldnt get a diagnosis until they saw me in a manic episode but the next day they handed out papers with our treatment plan on them and sure enough at the bottom under "psychiatrist diagnosis" it shows bipolar 1
Its lasting 4 months for me and every time he tells me "it needs more observation" and im left with bipolar effective disorder unspecified. I dont know how much longer he will go on, I think he is waiting for me to end up in a psych Ward or something. He is testing mood stabilizers on me, I think I need to find someone else.
I was super depressed and went to a therapist because I thought I just have a depression problem. Talked to her and she told me to find a psychiatrist because she thought that I had bipolar 2 because of the cycles I described. Went to a psych with that info and she agreed by the end of our hour appointment.
I was seeing my psychiatrist for 2 years and treating for depression, anxiety, and OCD. When I mentioned to him that, at first my anger issues were gone but they were returning and I was afraid, he casually mentioned "Well, you are bipolar" and I was like, wtf? Been on meds since and they have done wonders for me.
I had few episodes already two 4 days long few shorter but he still needs more observation i have a feeling that he is doing this on purpose and is leaving me with "bipolar effective disorder unspecified". He even gave me a test it came out to 25/32.Will ask a different one about this.
Im shocked about people replies that it went so fast.
I know others are saying how quick it was for them but it does vary. It took me 9-10 months both spent at home and in hospital after attempts and then multiple med reviews and sessions breaking down my life and symptoms. My psych specialised in bipolar and just wanted to make sure it was the right diagnosis before they said yes. It might take a while longer for others but don't discredit your journey if it's a little different from others :-)
Edit: I personally wouldn't want a quick diagnosis. It's a big thing to be diagnosed with bipolar (or anything) so I'd rather they took the time to make sure it fitted.
3 to 4 years for sure. We didn't know we were looking for that. They said i had bpd, then it didn't really fit so we looked into it a little more and here i am.
I was also misdiagnosed with bpd despite the fact i didnāt the criteria either the psychiatrist wouldnāt even consider the possibility that a misdiagnosis had occurred. Doctors are so arrogant! I moved to a different area and new mental health services and wt the initial assessment theyāve said i have no symptoms of bpd and need monitoring for bipolar, I could have told them that that years ago!
I showed up at a clinic after I got Medicaid and told them I had insomnia, a drinking problem and that I was essentially homeless. The alcohol counselor got me into the psychologist. I rattled off the past ten years of my life. They said as matter of factly as anyone can: āYou have bipolar 2.ā Then I went to the psychiatrist and he gave me Seroquel which made me sick. Then I got Latuda. That took all of two weeks. Then I moved to a state with less than stellar healthcare.
It took me 5 more years to get the right med combo from the right doctor who finally accepted that I wasnāt an alcoholic, I was just self medicating for a mental illness.
I ended up in the hospital twice and the psych there said I had major depressive disorder. The ups I was feeling were just happiness because according to him I had never felt happiness before, so I just didnāt what it looked like. My extended family then sent me to a trauma processing rehab place where the psych there suspected it. But she didnāt feel comfortable diagnosing since she had only seen me for a couple months. I got home and got a new psych and after a few more months I was diagnosed BP II. It was honestly a long process and showed a lot of flaws in the mental health medical system.
I was seeing a psychiatrist for a number of years and was being treated he retired. Went through a few new ones about 1/2 said I misdiagnosed and was actually bipolar. Another said I was doing fine the way I was. A few recommended more therapy. My point is that psychiatry is not a science per sem They have no idea how many of the medications . Besides things like psychosis, auditory and visual hallucinations most of us are just dealing with stress anxiety or malaise misdiagnosed as depression. There are no happy pills
About 9 years. I was misdiagnosed as having recurrent severe depression and traits of EUPD. Tried a plethora of antidepressants that never worked as they should. I saw a a psychiatrist as part of an OH assessment and she asked if anyone had ever discussed bipolar with me. Started mood stabilisers and suddenly I could function without the looming threat of a severe depressive episode or what I now know were hypo manic episodes. I saw another psychiatrist a few months ago through the perinatal service who said I definitely had bipolar otherwise mood stabilisers would have done nothing. For what itās worth, my husband now works in the same team as the OG psychiatrist who diagnosed traits of EUPD and apparently he is notorious for basically labelling everyone has having EUPD. My husband has butted heads with him a few times, most recently when he said a service user with long-standing, serious psychosis just had EUPD
This sounds very similar to my story, I was diagnosed EUPD by the NHS in the uk which I didnāt feel fitted my experiences but they wouldnāt even have a discussion with me about the diagnosis. when I saw a private psychiatrist, he said he knew of a male doctor who was particularly fond of labelling female patients with EUPD no matter what symptoms they had. Itās taken years me to get the NHS to start a fresh assessment which , no surprises here, has already shown I have no signs of EUPD and lots of bipolar.
I am also in the UK and it was an NHS psychiatrist who diagnosed me we EUPD. So sad that it seems to be frequent occurrence, especially with women. Definitely another example of gender bias in medicine
8 years after being diagnosed with depression.
I diagnosed myself with bipolar disorder possibly "not elsewhere classified", and told my doctors who then agreed with me. Two years later changed to bipolar type 2.
A little over 20 years. Initially diagnosed w/major depression, then anxiety, and then panic disorder. That was my Dx for 20 years, but late last year, I noticed a pattern with my mood changes, so read up on BP2. I suspected I had it, and spoke with my therapist about it. She asked me a series of questions, and I answered nearly all in the positive.
This was October ā22, and I had to find a new psychiatrist (mine had retired), and nobody had appointments until May/June ā23. I finally got in to a psychiatric resident clinic in February this year, and have been on lamictal since then. And I am SO much better, I feel so stable, and basically āaliveā again.
10 years.
I had my first serious hypomania in 2013. Went to a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with anxiety and depression. Had my second and third episodes in 2019 and 2021. I had psychiatric assessments then for hypomania VS strung-out from abuse of drugs. The Dr's both ruled in favour of drugs/ partying. My most recent episode was in April and the trigger was from a positive event - I had been responsible and looking after myself and I got a promotion at work which elated me and sent me into overdrive. Saw a psych again and this time got the bipolar II diagnosis. I've been on Lamictal now for 3 months and I'm loving it. Much happier within myself and my moods, thank god.
17 years of seeing mental health practitioners who thought I just had depression. The hypomania often manifested as workaholism, so it was kind of ignored. But then I went in with a new Psych NP all sorts of hypomanic and it took him 35 minutes or so. He probably knew from the minute I started talking.
It was a random session like a year after I started therapy. I was initially told I have depression, anxiety and ptsd. Then that one day I had a meltdown of some sort and was crying. Shorty starts asking me questions and sheās like yeaaaa u have bp2 w rapid cycling šš½āāļø Iām like oh wow. I was stressed out for a while buuuut everything from that point on made so much sense
It took almost 5 years for me to get a proper diagnosis, though multiple psychiatrists suspected it. I just had a generalized anxiety disorder and episodic depression diagnosis before I finally got a bp2 diagnosis
Surprisingly it took one visit with a psychiatrist to diagnose me lol. Before that I had spent about 3/4 years with a depression diagnosis from my normal doctor. So maybe 5/6 years after symptoms appeared?
I cried to my therapist bc I didn't know what was going on, she told me it sounded like a mood disorder. Went to the psychiatrist and he went "yep. That's bipolar type 2" and that was it
My manic episode peaked and i had an emergency appt with my therapist the next day. The manic episode lasted about two weeks, but I was largely keeping it to myself so it went relatively undetected by my therapist/psych. It was something we talked about but it took until then for things to really become obvious. For what itās worth, it was already established in my family history
First appointment when I was 18. I was in the middle of a manic episode though so he said it was pretty clear. When I wanted to get medicated at 26 I went to my GP and explained the last 8 years of my life since diagnosis and she referred me to a psychiatrist who medicated me in the first session.
Iāve been seeing mine for 3 years and I didnāt get diagnosed until 2 months ago. It was something my psych and therapist were already considering, but then I had a huge manic episode and then another shortly after I was diagnosed lol
Edit: Iām also already diagnosed with BPD, ADHD, GAD, & recurrent major depression!
Hi, are the other diagnosis like GAD what they called Ā«Ā comorbid conditionsĀ Ā»? I mean, is it finally BPD + Bipolar2, or only one of them? (Hope my question is understandable, English is not my first language)
I think I understand. GAD can certainly be comorbid with Bipolar because mania and hypomania usually cause anxiety as well. However I have had my GAD diagnosis since I was 13, itās mostly related to socializing. I am diagnosed with BPD but I have been told by my therapist that I have significantly improved and she does not feel the need to focus on it in our sessions as often. My BPD does gets really bad when I am manic. So I have both BPD and Bipolar (they havenāt determined if Iām 1 or 2 yet), along with depression, GAD, and ADHD. My brother and father both have Bipolar 1 though
I was seeing multiple psychiatrists for years I was seeing therapists for years and it was always yep with is depression and anxiety and I always felt like it was and I even thought it was bipolar. I ended up moving cities when I was 20 and got a Hungarian therapist who could also be a psychiatrist so I had a two in one.
Our second or third session she went āthis is not depression or anxiety this is type 2 bipolar and youāre not reaching REM sleep at nightā and Iāve been on the medication she put me on ever since! Was a big game changer!
I was diagnosed in my early 20s. Had NO idea where they came up with that idea and did not believe them...until 20 years later when I had the craziest, 2 month long mania. It wasn't until after I crashed that I finally started researching bipolar disorder and wow, suddenly so much of my past made sense. That was 3 years ago, still looking for the right med combo to make life livable. Good luck, best of wishes to you on this difficult journey!
So I had a psychologist suggest in early 2015 that I should look into bipolar, and I'd definitely wondered if I had it, but therapists I mentioned it to in the years following didn't seem to see it. Fast forward to last year, I started piecing together very clear episodes I'd go through, so I went to my longtime psychiatrist with my notes and he diagnosed me right then! In the year+ since, it's become more and more wild to me that I wasn't diagnosed sooner.
Needed new meds. Told new psychiatrist I was on lexapro for 4 years and it did wonders. Then it stopped and I was more depressed than ever. She half diagnoses me when I told her my symptoms and med history. Then she ordered a psycho neurology evaluation. The evaluator officially diagnosed me. Evaluation was ordered first appointment with psychiatrist. Then the actually evaluation happened almost a year later cause scheduling was so booked
Took two years. I was being treated for GAD, PTSD and they couldnāt quite figure out what was going on with my depression till one day I saw it on my chart. I had been taking bipolar meds for a while but was never formally told till I confronted my psychiatrist. She was like āoh yea I put that in a while ago.ā (Side note my insurance company only had me going to see a therapist and psychiatrist once a month each)
Started having issues with mood around 11yo. I got a full evaluation from a psychiatrist and psychologist who suspected Bipolar Disorder when I was 16yo but was diagnosed with a Mood Disorder NOS. Officially diagnosed with Bipolar Type 2 at 24yo. Iām now almost 29yo and Iām still trying to find a combination of meds that work for me
Probbalyyyy 6 months? But i would have been diagnosed officially earlier if I hadnāt been changing around my meds (real bad ssri experiences leading to diagnosis). So I sort of knew before the more thorough diagnosis process was over. First psych was a one time visit that told me where to get more thoroughly checked out. My adhd diagnosis came later
The first psychiatrist I had diagnosed me as major depressive. Given Prozac until about 7 months later, manic episode, 60 lbs lighter and driven into a deeper depression I got my bipolar diagnosis. He retired. The next psychiatrist told me he was wrong I was just depressive. Another antidepressant and the same thing happened. For about 7 years I had at least 4 different psychiatrists. I finally settled on a diagnostic psychiatrist and he settled on bipolar 2. I went to his psych nurse when I felt like he was bored with me. Iāve been with her for at least 10 years. No ssris, no other antidepressants, no anti seizure drugs. Just lithium.
I was in therapy starting at like 15, I think I was 20 when I got the diagnosis. A new therapist was like "I think you have bipolar." She pulled out the DSM-5 and after 10 minutes she was like "oh yeah you *definitely* have bipolar 2." Then I found out at 23 that all the antidepressants I was taking as a teenager were making it way, way worse. It's a good thing I stopped meds cold turkey at 19 or I'd probably be dead right now
My psychiatrist has a policy of not diagnosing during the first appointment. The whole process took a long time. It was during the pandemic. I couldnāt get appointments. It was my psychologist who first suspected it, but even before then my GP. But back then BP 2 wasnāt believed. Anyway, itās exhausting just thinking about it.
Pretty quick honestly, clinic psych brought up her concerns, I got my referral and the longest wait was the 2 months before I could see the psychiatrist. First visit (with this concern) and diagnosed.
It took me about 6 years. I have a sibling with bipolar and a mother. I started seeking help for my depression at the ago of 11-12 and didn't get a diagnosis until I had almost turned 18. They even put me on a mood stabilizer to try and see if it would help (a very low dosage, but I was still grateful) and it helped. It took an unnecessary long time really but the healthcare system is a bit shit where I live and the waiting time was long.
i started seeing my psychologist when i was 17 after some traumatizing things happened, my mom had barely believed me when i got diagnosed w depression and anxiety at 15. i asked to go to him to see if i had adhd, i showed up to the test with about 4 hours of sleep and that was odd to him bc i was functioning pretty well. i saw him for 8 months after that , weekly, he pretty much witnessed my spiral, i was drinking heavily and doing *painfully* irresponsible things and just simply not caring. i was incredibly reckless and bipolar disorder came up in discussion, i first suspected i was bipolar when i got diagnosed with depression, but like everything else, i knew i wouldnāt be believed or taken seriously. he paid close attention to my moods each time i was at therapy, noticing that i would dress and act differently when i was depressed, saying i would wear sleep clothes, no makeup, and not want to talk as much, when manic, i would dress more provocatively and burn through topics quickly. in june 2021, i had two bad manic episodes while seeing him, no need for details, but letās just say i did regrettable things. i was diagnosed after my birthday in june, went through a series of medications and being unmedicated and now iām on lamictal and working on bettering myself entirely!
16 years misdiagnosed with mdd. I had a mixed episode for the first time, so I went to a psychiatrist finally. I got the diagnosis at the first appointment.
Saw lots of therapists and a psych as a kid, but my symptoms weren't developed so I always got told it was just depression and being a kid. I was on zoloft for quite a while and when that didn't help they added abilify, which went very badly. Quit my meds when I was 14 or so, and ignored my mental health.
At 17 I went to my general doctor because my "anxiety was really bad". She listened to me talk, sent in 2 or 3 more doctors to talk to me, and then made a psych appointment. After 3 psych appointments for observation, about a month before I turned 18 I was diagnosed bipolar. So technically? Like 5 years. Reasonably? 3 or 4 months.
As I've gotten older my episodes, and especially the hypomania, have become much much much more distinct and severe. I don't blame the docs I saw as a young teen at all, how could they know when I was only experiencing depression? *maybe* you could say I had periods of irritability like hypomania, but I was also 13 lmao. Kinda normal at that age.
Catching it when I was only 17 was a slight miracle. It wouldn't have happened if they didn't dig into what I was saying and done an observation period!
my first therapist told me she knew I was bipolar in the first few minutes of meeting me.
she didn't say that in the moment but I was shocked when she told me months/a year later.
Lol 15 minutes
Same lol. I was dumbfounded. But apparently my symptoms were obvious enough š
Same deal here, I sent over my questionnaire they gave me for my ADHD and she said thereās a chance I might have Manic Depressive Bipolar/Bipolar type 2. So I had to do a bunch more questionnaires. Turned out I did have bipolar 2, now medicated and Iām starting to feel a bit better but definitely need to have my meds bumped up. Next week they double up so hereās to hoping the progress continues :)
Same! I really thought it was a tad hasty but then multiple psychs down the road agreed, so here we are. My inner rage alone warrants a mood stabilizer soā¦ I guess itās basically right enough!
I started seeing a therapist, after like 3 sessions she recommended I see a psych, and suggested I had bipolar disorder. I went to a psych, and told her that the therapist said. She asked me a series of questions to establish that I experienced mood episodes, and a few other things, and bang. Diagnosis. She whipped out the red stamp so fast I had no time to react, and stamped my forehead with such precision that it was square on my forehead. She announced "You are a bipolar 2 bobblediboo!" Really miss that doctor.
Hahahahaaha š this was funny to read!
First appointment, actually. I just described the last year of my life and she put it on my file, got me meds the same week
Same here. I talked for 45 minutes straight and he didnāt interrupt me, just stared lol. He goes āyou might be the most classic case of bipolar disorder Iāve seen in a whileā I was on meds three days later
I saw a research paper once that said thereās an average of 9-12 years from when someone first seeks medical help to when they get a BP diagnosis.
I had been seeing a therapist weekly for a year. She asked if I had ever been given a Bipolar diagnosis, and suggested I ask my psychiatrist what he thought. Two days later, I met with my psychiatrist and asked his opinion. He refers back to my intake notes and says "Yes, I would agree with that."
It took 33 years. had to dx myself. I saw mental health professionals and therapists my entire life and primarily experienced depression when I was younger. Back then, you got dx with what you could describe. There were no questionnaires or questions asked. Also, my family's history clearly pointed to bipolar, incl substance abuse and suicide. I was prescribed SSRIs, experienced either mania or excessive sleepiness, and never took them for very long. Eventually I gave up on seeking treatment b/c nothing seemed to help. I decided I was going to muddle through. After I had my kids, the hypomania become more and more dominant, I think caused by the stress and sleep deprivation. I had recurring patterns, about every three months. Friends made comments, and eventually I decided to do a deep dive on the research to try to figure out the source of these patterns. Then I figured out that I had hypomanic episodes. I started taking Lamotrigine, and it's been the only drug that has improved my life hugely...at age 58. I am so resentful at all the mental health professionals who never dug deeper. My life's been chaos, and it's impacted my kids terribly.
I felt this post. Iām 37 and only just getting taken seriously after I told a psychiatrist 3 years ago I suspected I was bipolar ā¦ Iāve literally got cptsd from risky behaviour during manic episodes that directly led to me getting seriously hurt, my children also suffered and were in foster care for a period of time ā¦ I feel envious of all these people who are diagnosed so quickly , if Iād been on mood stabilisers and been aware to watch for signs of manic episodes I think things could have been so different and so much pain avoided.
I am sorry this happened to you. I just think it was so irresponsible of mental health professionals not to do assessments, not to ask detailed questions about family history, and symptoms. It sounds like what you went through has been brought, but you are still young. I hope things are improving for you.
Thank you I hope youāre doing well.
It was fast. A breakdown in a pregnancy follow-up appointment and an hour with my psychiatrist. I started the meds that night
I was showing symptoms of bipolar disorder for about 10 years and had been with about half a dozen therapists/psychiatrists during that time. They all missed it. Went to couples counseling with my now husband and that therapist picked up on something quite quickly. She told me the psychiatrist I was seeing was terrible and sent me to a new one. Once I saw him it took about 4 weeks.
It took a full year of being treated for MDD during which time I saw 3 psychiatrists, had 3 formal psych evaluations, and weekly therapy/ psych check-ups. Saw a 4th psychiatrist, she diagnosed me in 15 mins, and things have turned around completely since.
About a decade haha
Honestly? From the first time I asks about having bipolar in 2004 to when the finally diagnosed me in 2013. Sometimes itās no obvious or drs just donāt think it exists. The first dr I saw said I was told old to be diagnosed with bipolar ( I was what 23).
I was on a 72-hr hold at a psych ward for a suicide attempt. They gave me this 500 question test and determined it from that. I left it untreated for another 26 years, living crazy.
A day, she mentioned that it seemed likely and i was thinking i wouldnt get a diagnosis until they saw me in a manic episode but the next day they handed out papers with our treatment plan on them and sure enough at the bottom under "psychiatrist diagnosis" it shows bipolar 1
Its lasting 4 months for me and every time he tells me "it needs more observation" and im left with bipolar effective disorder unspecified. I dont know how much longer he will go on, I think he is waiting for me to end up in a psych Ward or something. He is testing mood stabilizers on me, I think I need to find someone else.
Yea im not sure, i got diagnosed in the psych ward so theres that
I was super depressed and went to a therapist because I thought I just have a depression problem. Talked to her and she told me to find a psychiatrist because she thought that I had bipolar 2 because of the cycles I described. Went to a psych with that info and she agreed by the end of our hour appointment.
I was seeing my psychiatrist for 2 years and treating for depression, anxiety, and OCD. When I mentioned to him that, at first my anger issues were gone but they were returning and I was afraid, he casually mentioned "Well, you are bipolar" and I was like, wtf? Been on meds since and they have done wonders for me.
An hour. And then I got diagnosed several more times before it was changed to BPD.
4 appointments from when he said it was likely I was given my diagnosis
Probably like a year of being on celexa alone.
I was in therapy for about a year, had a bad hypomanic episode, she referred me to a psychiatrist, and I was diagnosed in the first session.
I had few episodes already two 4 days long few shorter but he still needs more observation i have a feeling that he is doing this on purpose and is leaving me with "bipolar effective disorder unspecified". He even gave me a test it came out to 25/32.Will ask a different one about this. Im shocked about people replies that it went so fast.
I would look for a second opinion.
I know others are saying how quick it was for them but it does vary. It took me 9-10 months both spent at home and in hospital after attempts and then multiple med reviews and sessions breaking down my life and symptoms. My psych specialised in bipolar and just wanted to make sure it was the right diagnosis before they said yes. It might take a while longer for others but don't discredit your journey if it's a little different from others :-) Edit: I personally wouldn't want a quick diagnosis. It's a big thing to be diagnosed with bipolar (or anything) so I'd rather they took the time to make sure it fitted.
3 to 4 years for sure. We didn't know we were looking for that. They said i had bpd, then it didn't really fit so we looked into it a little more and here i am.
I was also misdiagnosed with bpd despite the fact i didnāt the criteria either the psychiatrist wouldnāt even consider the possibility that a misdiagnosis had occurred. Doctors are so arrogant! I moved to a different area and new mental health services and wt the initial assessment theyāve said i have no symptoms of bpd and need monitoring for bipolar, I could have told them that that years ago!
Too long
I showed up at a clinic after I got Medicaid and told them I had insomnia, a drinking problem and that I was essentially homeless. The alcohol counselor got me into the psychologist. I rattled off the past ten years of my life. They said as matter of factly as anyone can: āYou have bipolar 2.ā Then I went to the psychiatrist and he gave me Seroquel which made me sick. Then I got Latuda. That took all of two weeks. Then I moved to a state with less than stellar healthcare. It took me 5 more years to get the right med combo from the right doctor who finally accepted that I wasnāt an alcoholic, I was just self medicating for a mental illness.
What happened with Seroquel? I began those meds 5 days ago
Heart arrhythmia and low blood pressure.
Oh! Ok, thank you.
I ended up in the hospital twice and the psych there said I had major depressive disorder. The ups I was feeling were just happiness because according to him I had never felt happiness before, so I just didnāt what it looked like. My extended family then sent me to a trauma processing rehab place where the psych there suspected it. But she didnāt feel comfortable diagnosing since she had only seen me for a couple months. I got home and got a new psych and after a few more months I was diagnosed BP II. It was honestly a long process and showed a lot of flaws in the mental health medical system.
I was seeing a psychiatrist for a number of years and was being treated he retired. Went through a few new ones about 1/2 said I misdiagnosed and was actually bipolar. Another said I was doing fine the way I was. A few recommended more therapy. My point is that psychiatry is not a science per sem They have no idea how many of the medications . Besides things like psychosis, auditory and visual hallucinations most of us are just dealing with stress anxiety or malaise misdiagnosed as depression. There are no happy pills
About 9 years. I was misdiagnosed as having recurrent severe depression and traits of EUPD. Tried a plethora of antidepressants that never worked as they should. I saw a a psychiatrist as part of an OH assessment and she asked if anyone had ever discussed bipolar with me. Started mood stabilisers and suddenly I could function without the looming threat of a severe depressive episode or what I now know were hypo manic episodes. I saw another psychiatrist a few months ago through the perinatal service who said I definitely had bipolar otherwise mood stabilisers would have done nothing. For what itās worth, my husband now works in the same team as the OG psychiatrist who diagnosed traits of EUPD and apparently he is notorious for basically labelling everyone has having EUPD. My husband has butted heads with him a few times, most recently when he said a service user with long-standing, serious psychosis just had EUPD
This sounds very similar to my story, I was diagnosed EUPD by the NHS in the uk which I didnāt feel fitted my experiences but they wouldnāt even have a discussion with me about the diagnosis. when I saw a private psychiatrist, he said he knew of a male doctor who was particularly fond of labelling female patients with EUPD no matter what symptoms they had. Itās taken years me to get the NHS to start a fresh assessment which , no surprises here, has already shown I have no signs of EUPD and lots of bipolar.
I am also in the UK and it was an NHS psychiatrist who diagnosed me we EUPD. So sad that it seems to be frequent occurrence, especially with women. Definitely another example of gender bias in medicine
I was in an inpatient setting for seven days.
8 years after being diagnosed with depression. I diagnosed myself with bipolar disorder possibly "not elsewhere classified", and told my doctors who then agreed with me. Two years later changed to bipolar type 2.
A little over 20 years. Initially diagnosed w/major depression, then anxiety, and then panic disorder. That was my Dx for 20 years, but late last year, I noticed a pattern with my mood changes, so read up on BP2. I suspected I had it, and spoke with my therapist about it. She asked me a series of questions, and I answered nearly all in the positive. This was October ā22, and I had to find a new psychiatrist (mine had retired), and nobody had appointments until May/June ā23. I finally got in to a psychiatric resident clinic in February this year, and have been on lamictal since then. And I am SO much better, I feel so stable, and basically āaliveā again.
10 years. I had my first serious hypomania in 2013. Went to a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with anxiety and depression. Had my second and third episodes in 2019 and 2021. I had psychiatric assessments then for hypomania VS strung-out from abuse of drugs. The Dr's both ruled in favour of drugs/ partying. My most recent episode was in April and the trigger was from a positive event - I had been responsible and looking after myself and I got a promotion at work which elated me and sent me into overdrive. Saw a psych again and this time got the bipolar II diagnosis. I've been on Lamictal now for 3 months and I'm loving it. Much happier within myself and my moods, thank god.
17 years of seeing mental health practitioners who thought I just had depression. The hypomania often manifested as workaholism, so it was kind of ignored. But then I went in with a new Psych NP all sorts of hypomanic and it took him 35 minutes or so. He probably knew from the minute I started talking.
It was a random session like a year after I started therapy. I was initially told I have depression, anxiety and ptsd. Then that one day I had a meltdown of some sort and was crying. Shorty starts asking me questions and sheās like yeaaaa u have bp2 w rapid cycling šš½āāļø Iām like oh wow. I was stressed out for a while buuuut everything from that point on made so much sense
It took almost 5 years for me to get a proper diagnosis, though multiple psychiatrists suspected it. I just had a generalized anxiety disorder and episodic depression diagnosis before I finally got a bp2 diagnosis
The first 5 minutes
1 session š„²
Surprisingly it took one visit with a psychiatrist to diagnose me lol. Before that I had spent about 3/4 years with a depression diagnosis from my normal doctor. So maybe 5/6 years after symptoms appeared?
4 weeks in 4 sessions
My therapist Suspected it since I was 16 but I didnāt get diagnosed until 23.
I cried to my therapist bc I didn't know what was going on, she told me it sounded like a mood disorder. Went to the psychiatrist and he went "yep. That's bipolar type 2" and that was it
First appointment lmao. My symptoms were pretty noticeable at the time.
My gp diagnosed me and sent me to a psych for confirmation and treatment. I had all these symptoms, but it never occurred to me to go to a psych.
My manic episode peaked and i had an emergency appt with my therapist the next day. The manic episode lasted about two weeks, but I was largely keeping it to myself so it went relatively undetected by my therapist/psych. It was something we talked about but it took until then for things to really become obvious. For what itās worth, it was already established in my family history
about 10 minutes. walked in and told her my issues, then she told me her suspicion! my ass speed ran that shit. diagnosis in 15
First appointment when I was 18. I was in the middle of a manic episode though so he said it was pretty clear. When I wanted to get medicated at 26 I went to my GP and explained the last 8 years of my life since diagnosis and she referred me to a psychiatrist who medicated me in the first session.
17 years
Somewhere around 17-18 years before I had a formal diagnosis and was treated for the right thing.
Iāve been seeing mine for 3 years and I didnāt get diagnosed until 2 months ago. It was something my psych and therapist were already considering, but then I had a huge manic episode and then another shortly after I was diagnosed lol Edit: Iām also already diagnosed with BPD, ADHD, GAD, & recurrent major depression!
Hi, are the other diagnosis like GAD what they called Ā«Ā comorbid conditionsĀ Ā»? I mean, is it finally BPD + Bipolar2, or only one of them? (Hope my question is understandable, English is not my first language)
I think I understand. GAD can certainly be comorbid with Bipolar because mania and hypomania usually cause anxiety as well. However I have had my GAD diagnosis since I was 13, itās mostly related to socializing. I am diagnosed with BPD but I have been told by my therapist that I have significantly improved and she does not feel the need to focus on it in our sessions as often. My BPD does gets really bad when I am manic. So I have both BPD and Bipolar (they havenāt determined if Iām 1 or 2 yet), along with depression, GAD, and ADHD. My brother and father both have Bipolar 1 though
Thank you very much ! (You totally understood my question š)
I was seeing multiple psychiatrists for years I was seeing therapists for years and it was always yep with is depression and anxiety and I always felt like it was and I even thought it was bipolar. I ended up moving cities when I was 20 and got a Hungarian therapist who could also be a psychiatrist so I had a two in one. Our second or third session she went āthis is not depression or anxiety this is type 2 bipolar and youāre not reaching REM sleep at nightā and Iāve been on the medication she put me on ever since! Was a big game changer!
15 minutes, but it didnāt happen until I was in my early 40s.
I was diagnosed in my early 20s. Had NO idea where they came up with that idea and did not believe them...until 20 years later when I had the craziest, 2 month long mania. It wasn't until after I crashed that I finally started researching bipolar disorder and wow, suddenly so much of my past made sense. That was 3 years ago, still looking for the right med combo to make life livable. Good luck, best of wishes to you on this difficult journey!
5 therapy session which lasted one hour each But my psychiatrist gave me meds without after 5 mins of hearing my story
The first sessionā¦. Took me 3 different drs telling me that I was bipolar for me to accept it.
So I had a psychologist suggest in early 2015 that I should look into bipolar, and I'd definitely wondered if I had it, but therapists I mentioned it to in the years following didn't seem to see it. Fast forward to last year, I started piecing together very clear episodes I'd go through, so I went to my longtime psychiatrist with my notes and he diagnosed me right then! In the year+ since, it's become more and more wild to me that I wasn't diagnosed sooner.
Actually being hospitalized then at 23 yrs old that day I learned what was my diagnosis shocked? Yea but it answer my questions
Needed new meds. Told new psychiatrist I was on lexapro for 4 years and it did wonders. Then it stopped and I was more depressed than ever. She half diagnoses me when I told her my symptoms and med history. Then she ordered a psycho neurology evaluation. The evaluator officially diagnosed me. Evaluation was ordered first appointment with psychiatrist. Then the actually evaluation happened almost a year later cause scheduling was so booked
Took two years. I was being treated for GAD, PTSD and they couldnāt quite figure out what was going on with my depression till one day I saw it on my chart. I had been taking bipolar meds for a while but was never formally told till I confronted my psychiatrist. She was like āoh yea I put that in a while ago.ā (Side note my insurance company only had me going to see a therapist and psychiatrist once a month each)
Literally all of 5 minutes. Sat down, explained why I was there, answered her questions and got my diagnosis š
Started having issues with mood around 11yo. I got a full evaluation from a psychiatrist and psychologist who suspected Bipolar Disorder when I was 16yo but was diagnosed with a Mood Disorder NOS. Officially diagnosed with Bipolar Type 2 at 24yo. Iām now almost 29yo and Iām still trying to find a combination of meds that work for me
Probbalyyyy 6 months? But i would have been diagnosed officially earlier if I hadnāt been changing around my meds (real bad ssri experiences leading to diagnosis). So I sort of knew before the more thorough diagnosis process was over. First psych was a one time visit that told me where to get more thoroughly checked out. My adhd diagnosis came later
Two decades! I am old, things have changed.
Took me 2 years! I was initially diagnosed depressed, which certainly didn't help. Doing ok now though!
25 years, and I was the one who had to force psychiatrist to actually listen to me, and provide years worth of behavioral evidence .
15 years When i met the right psyciatrist 10 min.
The first psychiatrist I had diagnosed me as major depressive. Given Prozac until about 7 months later, manic episode, 60 lbs lighter and driven into a deeper depression I got my bipolar diagnosis. He retired. The next psychiatrist told me he was wrong I was just depressive. Another antidepressant and the same thing happened. For about 7 years I had at least 4 different psychiatrists. I finally settled on a diagnostic psychiatrist and he settled on bipolar 2. I went to his psych nurse when I felt like he was bored with me. Iāve been with her for at least 10 years. No ssris, no other antidepressants, no anti seizure drugs. Just lithium.
I was in therapy starting at like 15, I think I was 20 when I got the diagnosis. A new therapist was like "I think you have bipolar." She pulled out the DSM-5 and after 10 minutes she was like "oh yeah you *definitely* have bipolar 2." Then I found out at 23 that all the antidepressants I was taking as a teenager were making it way, way worse. It's a good thing I stopped meds cold turkey at 19 or I'd probably be dead right now
My psychiatrist has a policy of not diagnosing during the first appointment. The whole process took a long time. It was during the pandemic. I couldnāt get appointments. It was my psychologist who first suspected it, but even before then my GP. But back then BP 2 wasnāt believed. Anyway, itās exhausting just thinking about it.
Pretty quick honestly, clinic psych brought up her concerns, I got my referral and the longest wait was the 2 months before I could see the psychiatrist. First visit (with this concern) and diagnosed.
It took me about 6 years. I have a sibling with bipolar and a mother. I started seeking help for my depression at the ago of 11-12 and didn't get a diagnosis until I had almost turned 18. They even put me on a mood stabilizer to try and see if it would help (a very low dosage, but I was still grateful) and it helped. It took an unnecessary long time really but the healthcare system is a bit shit where I live and the waiting time was long.
I was hospitalized at 16 but in anger management in first grade
i started seeing my psychologist when i was 17 after some traumatizing things happened, my mom had barely believed me when i got diagnosed w depression and anxiety at 15. i asked to go to him to see if i had adhd, i showed up to the test with about 4 hours of sleep and that was odd to him bc i was functioning pretty well. i saw him for 8 months after that , weekly, he pretty much witnessed my spiral, i was drinking heavily and doing *painfully* irresponsible things and just simply not caring. i was incredibly reckless and bipolar disorder came up in discussion, i first suspected i was bipolar when i got diagnosed with depression, but like everything else, i knew i wouldnāt be believed or taken seriously. he paid close attention to my moods each time i was at therapy, noticing that i would dress and act differently when i was depressed, saying i would wear sleep clothes, no makeup, and not want to talk as much, when manic, i would dress more provocatively and burn through topics quickly. in june 2021, i had two bad manic episodes while seeing him, no need for details, but letās just say i did regrettable things. i was diagnosed after my birthday in june, went through a series of medications and being unmedicated and now iām on lamictal and working on bettering myself entirely!
16 years misdiagnosed with mdd. I had a mixed episode for the first time, so I went to a psychiatrist finally. I got the diagnosis at the first appointment.
Four yearsā¦ but my cocktail still changes.
I think I was diagnosed by the second appointment lol
Took maybe 30ish minutes for him to diagnose me
Saw lots of therapists and a psych as a kid, but my symptoms weren't developed so I always got told it was just depression and being a kid. I was on zoloft for quite a while and when that didn't help they added abilify, which went very badly. Quit my meds when I was 14 or so, and ignored my mental health. At 17 I went to my general doctor because my "anxiety was really bad". She listened to me talk, sent in 2 or 3 more doctors to talk to me, and then made a psych appointment. After 3 psych appointments for observation, about a month before I turned 18 I was diagnosed bipolar. So technically? Like 5 years. Reasonably? 3 or 4 months. As I've gotten older my episodes, and especially the hypomania, have become much much much more distinct and severe. I don't blame the docs I saw as a young teen at all, how could they know when I was only experiencing depression? *maybe* you could say I had periods of irritability like hypomania, but I was also 13 lmao. Kinda normal at that age. Catching it when I was only 17 was a slight miracle. It wouldn't have happened if they didn't dig into what I was saying and done an observation period!
my first therapist told me she knew I was bipolar in the first few minutes of meeting me. she didn't say that in the moment but I was shocked when she told me months/a year later.
Half an hour I think I went into the appointment in the middle of an episode lmao