Re: bipolar disorder is an 'episodic' disorder...

I absolutely agree that bipolar disorder is an episodic disorder, and that many people that have it don't believe they have it. My mother does have bipolar, so I understand this. But please understand that psychiatry is not an exacting science.When I was diagnosed with bipolar I will tell you the situation. I had a psychiatrist. I wasn't brought to one, forced to one, or suggested to see one. I had an addiction to Xanax. I was put on it in my early twenties, and I needed increasing doses to get the "feel good" effect. I also was told that I would have to be on antidepressants the rest of my life. I had no bipolar diagnosis and I was 30 years old at the time. I never had a "manic" episode, and am quite familiar with what they appear like and are because my Mother has bipolar disorder. I did a very foolish thing, which I would not recommend anyone do. Benzodiazipines such as Xanax are highly addictive and should be tapered off slowly. I decided I didn't want to take them anymore and flushed them down the toilet. Within two days I was paranoid, hallucinating, talking incessantly, restless, I was crying, shaking, vomiting, had a fever, headache, blackouts. I can't even tell you how bad it was. I went to my general practitioner, not realizing what complete damage jumping off the medicine can do. He told me to go back and see my psychiatrist. I decided to go to a new one, and he diagnosed me with bipolar. It took him about three minutes, all he asked me was if anyone in my family had it, a few questions and if I had racing thoughts. Well yeah I sure did. He then proceeded to put me on four medications in divided doses until I was taking a complete cocktail of medications. I think to load someone up on psychiatric medicine should be a process that is a little more in depth than a three minute questionare. ( I also crashed my car a few days later from being doped up, but that is another story)
Regardless, I may very well have "bipolar" if that need be the case. I know I am prone to being emotional, but if you have not been on psychiatric meds yourself, then it may be difficult for you to understand how damaging they are to your life, your body, your cognitive functioning. I have never been a danger to myself or others, never hospitalized. I was just a young girl, depressed and searching many years ago who got caught up on a roller coaster of psychiatric diagnoses and pills. It wasn't for me.
I hope you also realize, that yes, there is a lot of denial involved with bipolar disorder, but not everyone that is diagnosed with it has to be on medication, and not everyone that is told they have it actually does. Please keep that in mind.
Take care,
M. Tweet