Okay, so I won't go in to a long essay here about all my problems, as that would be one verrrry long post and I don't want to bore you!
Anyway, so after many bad outcomes after my behaviour and actions etc I decided that maybe it was time to just consult my GP on the 4th of November as many people have pleaded with me to seek professional help as it's like I'm two different people. I suspected depression or something of the sort. So you can imagine my shock when after having a 35 minute conversation with my GP he said that he suspect that I have Bipolar Disorder and that he would refer me to a psychiatrist for a consultation and treatment. He however warned me that I could be waiting up to 12 weeks before getting an appointment!
Further shock came when a letter arrived informing me that my appointment would be for the 20th of December! At first I found this rather overwhelming or some reason, I think it's because I figured I wouldn't be getting seen until at least after the New Year.
Coming to terms with this was difficult at first, and remains a challenge!
Anyway, my consultation will last for 2 hours, my question really is if anyone else has BP and what happened at their initial consultation etc? I've never had any contact with any mental health professionals so I am somewhat anxious.
Could anyone give me an insight possibly? I'd certainly appreciate it =)
Thank you x x
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So my GP diagnosed me as having Bipolar Disorder..
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Hi Tiaras,
I was diagnoised as bi-polar in my late teens so I guess I have a bit of insight into what you're going through.
Personally I didn't get on with the psychiatrist I was referred to, but he was just one out of many and I'm sure there are more good ones than bad out there. Also I was young, scared and not in a very good place mentally, so I'm sure that didn't help our relationship! However in addition to the psychiatrist, who I didn't really see that often during my treatment, I was assigned a CPN (community psyciatric nurse) and she was absolutely lovey. She came and visited my house at least once a week and really helped me to deal with things. She was always available if I needed her and encouraged me to reach out to another person, something I'm not very good at. If you get the opportunity to have a CPN I'd recommend it. I'm not sure if they do that these days, but I can't see why it would have changed.
I know how hard it is to deal with this kind of diagnosis - I wasn't expect it at all and to be honest I still remain sceptical about it all years later! I didn't find that the medication helped me, in fact it made things worse. However that's just me and I know the medication helps a lot of people, but for me the depression aspect was more of an issue than the mania and the medication made me lower, which increased wasn't good and my episodes of hospitalisation increased while I was on medication. Unfortunately my psychiatrist didn't seem concerned by this!
Anyway, I'm not meaning to sound so negative, obviously it wasn't a good time in my life and that tends to show when I talk about it!
I think the important thing is to be completely honest with the psychiatrist and to open up, as much as you can, to those around you. At the end of the day you have really done the hardest part - going to the doctor - now you've made that first step you'll have people there to help you the rest of the way!
Good luck!
I was diagnoised as bi-polar in my late teens so I guess I have a bit of insight into what you're going through.
Personally I didn't get on with the psychiatrist I was referred to, but he was just one out of many and I'm sure there are more good ones than bad out there. Also I was young, scared and not in a very good place mentally, so I'm sure that didn't help our relationship! However in addition to the psychiatrist, who I didn't really see that often during my treatment, I was assigned a CPN (community psyciatric nurse) and she was absolutely lovey. She came and visited my house at least once a week and really helped me to deal with things. She was always available if I needed her and encouraged me to reach out to another person, something I'm not very good at. If you get the opportunity to have a CPN I'd recommend it. I'm not sure if they do that these days, but I can't see why it would have changed.
I know how hard it is to deal with this kind of diagnosis - I wasn't expect it at all and to be honest I still remain sceptical about it all years later! I didn't find that the medication helped me, in fact it made things worse. However that's just me and I know the medication helps a lot of people, but for me the depression aspect was more of an issue than the mania and the medication made me lower, which increased wasn't good and my episodes of hospitalisation increased while I was on medication. Unfortunately my psychiatrist didn't seem concerned by this!
Anyway, I'm not meaning to sound so negative, obviously it wasn't a good time in my life and that tends to show when I talk about it!
I think the important thing is to be completely honest with the psychiatrist and to open up, as much as you can, to those around you. At the end of the day you have really done the hardest part - going to the doctor - now you've made that first step you'll have people there to help you the rest of the way!
Good luck!
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Hi Nina,
Thanks for your reply, it gave me a little insight in to what feels like another universe to me! I too am sceptical, I feel completely normal; most of the time I convince myself that is everyone else with the problem and not me! lol
I went to see my GP today, as my psych appointment isn't for another 4 weeks; he seems to want to keep an eye on me for the time being. He had me fill out a Bipolar questionnaire, and I scored 58/60 which was "extremely high" direct quote. He then prescribed me Citalopram which he said should stabilise my moods. He wants to see me every two weeks, but I'm not really sure why =S
He referred me to a psychiatrist, who happens to be a friend of his and I really like my GP, So I hope this guy is equally as nice and down to earth!
I think it's just the element of fearing the unknown for me, I always thought I was normal, I really did, but then again, it's rare to find a self-confessed mentally ill person I guess.
I just know that in the last 6-5 years I've lost everything, literally everything; it is literally only when I hit rock bottom that I started to wonder if something was wrong with me.
Thanks again for replying =) It makes me feel a little less alone.
Thanks for your reply, it gave me a little insight in to what feels like another universe to me! I too am sceptical, I feel completely normal; most of the time I convince myself that is everyone else with the problem and not me! lol
I went to see my GP today, as my psych appointment isn't for another 4 weeks; he seems to want to keep an eye on me for the time being. He had me fill out a Bipolar questionnaire, and I scored 58/60 which was "extremely high" direct quote. He then prescribed me Citalopram which he said should stabilise my moods. He wants to see me every two weeks, but I'm not really sure why =S
He referred me to a psychiatrist, who happens to be a friend of his and I really like my GP, So I hope this guy is equally as nice and down to earth!
I think it's just the element of fearing the unknown for me, I always thought I was normal, I really did, but then again, it's rare to find a self-confessed mentally ill person I guess.
I just know that in the last 6-5 years I've lost everything, literally everything; it is literally only when I hit rock bottom that I started to wonder if something was wrong with me.
Thanks again for replying =) It makes me feel a little less alone.
Hi
I also have bipolar and it has been a big shock for me. I didn't realise I had it in spite of having done some really really reckless things in the last ten years including bankruptcy and losing my 21 year old marriage including my two children until I saw East enders and the Stacey storyline. It suddenly clicked that I could have this. I was aware of depression as that has been with me ever since I can remember but the mania was something else.
The psychiatrists out there are usually good. I am going to my third one just after new year as I have moved house a bit recently - the first one was absolutely fantastic and it was easily a two hour appointment of gentle conversation which felt just like normal talking. AS a result of that I was put on some medication and assigned a CPN nurse who was again absolutely brilliant. Unfortunately, I moved three months later and spent 7 months waiting to see a psychiatrist and then it wasnt the top honcho but a deputy psychiatrist who was sympathetic but absolutely nothing got done. I was given a social worker and she was worse than useless and dismissed me before I had been dismissed by the clinic. Absolutely dreadful.
I cant comment as yet on this new one but it would be interesting to see how you get on. Please let us know.
I also have bipolar and it has been a big shock for me. I didn't realise I had it in spite of having done some really really reckless things in the last ten years including bankruptcy and losing my 21 year old marriage including my two children until I saw East enders and the Stacey storyline. It suddenly clicked that I could have this. I was aware of depression as that has been with me ever since I can remember but the mania was something else.
The psychiatrists out there are usually good. I am going to my third one just after new year as I have moved house a bit recently - the first one was absolutely fantastic and it was easily a two hour appointment of gentle conversation which felt just like normal talking. AS a result of that I was put on some medication and assigned a CPN nurse who was again absolutely brilliant. Unfortunately, I moved three months later and spent 7 months waiting to see a psychiatrist and then it wasnt the top honcho but a deputy psychiatrist who was sympathetic but absolutely nothing got done. I was given a social worker and she was worse than useless and dismissed me before I had been dismissed by the clinic. Absolutely dreadful.
I cant comment as yet on this new one but it would be interesting to see how you get on. Please let us know.
Hi
I also have bipolar and it has been a big shock for me. I didn't realise I had it in spite of having done some really really reckless things in the last ten years including bankruptcy and losing my 21 year old marriage including my two children until I saw East enders and the Stacey storyline. It suddenly clicked that I could have this. I was aware of depression as that has been with me ever since I can remember but the mania was something else.
The psychiatrists out there are usually good. I am going to my third one just after new year as I have moved house a bit recently - the first one was absolutely fantastic and it was easily a two hour appointment of gentle conversation which felt just like normal talking. AS a result of that I was put on some medication and assigned a CPN nurse who was again absolutely brilliant. Unfortunately, I moved three months later and spent 7 months waiting to see a psychiatrist and then it wasnt the top honcho but a deputy psychiatrist who was sympathetic but absolutely nothing got done. I was given a social worker and she was worse than useless and dismissed me before I had been dismissed by the clinic. Absolutely dreadful.
I cant comment as yet on this new one but it would be interesting to see how you get on. Please let us know.
I also have bipolar and it has been a big shock for me. I didn't realise I had it in spite of having done some really really reckless things in the last ten years including bankruptcy and losing my 21 year old marriage including my two children until I saw East enders and the Stacey storyline. It suddenly clicked that I could have this. I was aware of depression as that has been with me ever since I can remember but the mania was something else.
The psychiatrists out there are usually good. I am going to my third one just after new year as I have moved house a bit recently - the first one was absolutely fantastic and it was easily a two hour appointment of gentle conversation which felt just like normal talking. AS a result of that I was put on some medication and assigned a CPN nurse who was again absolutely brilliant. Unfortunately, I moved three months later and spent 7 months waiting to see a psychiatrist and then it wasnt the top honcho but a deputy psychiatrist who was sympathetic but absolutely nothing got done. I was given a social worker and she was worse than useless and dismissed me before I had been dismissed by the clinic. Absolutely dreadful.
I cant comment as yet on this new one but it would be interesting to see how you get on. Please let us know.
while this is a serious condition,soothe yourself with the idea that out of the mental conditions that you could have had usually worse than Bipolar.There is:Schizophrenia,Scizo-affective,Psycosis or one of the many Personality disorders.And you don't have them.Feel lucky.
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