Posted by Brenda on April 19, 2000, at 10:06:50
In reply to Re: To Jan - Don't listen to me., posted by Scott L. Schofield on April 19, 2000, at 9:21:38
> > Say What ? You're a bit too anylytical for me today. All I know is that sometimes I feel like crap and sometimes I don't.
>
> O.K.
>
> > And by the way, I don't make a practice of going off my meds.
>
> Good.
>
>
> > PS How did you guess I'd been hospitalized for mania ? I feel paranoid like you're in my brain.
>
> Don't worry, I'm not.
>
> As far as how I guessed that you had been hospitalized for mania, let's just say that I've been there. Mania, for me, is more embarrassing than depression, and I tend to keep it a secret. You probably regret saying anything about it. I hope you come not to. If you read this board, you will see that quite a few other people have described their manic episodes. This includes me. Different types of mania respond to different drugs. This is why an accurate description is necessary to receive appropriate treatment. I was not trying to pry from you private information just for the hell of it.
>
> You might as well forget everything I wrote in my previous posts. They probably don't apply to you. Perhaps you are not a rapid-cycler at all. If you have not been "officially" diagnosed as such, I would be careful using the term.
>
> Most of the people here who think of themselves as being rapid-cyclers do not appear to be so from their descriptions. Frequent changes in mood or "mood lability" are not the same as "rapid-cyclicity". The term "bipolar" also seems to be used a bit loosely, in my estimation.
>
> Anyway, if you are a true rapid-cycler, the addition of Neurontin, Lamictal, or perhaps Topomax is a strategy well worth consideration. You are definitely bipolar, though. If depression continues to be a significant obstacle in your life, using an antidepressant might be a good idea. Of course, doing so carries a risk of causing a switch into mania. However, the mood-stabilizers you are taking may prevent this from happening.
>
> It sounds like you have a good doctor. All three of the drugs that he has chosen for you are appropriate and demonstrate that he possesses good clinical insight.
>
> Good luck. I apologize for upsetting you. Listen to your doctor. He deserves more of your confidence than do I.
>
>
> Sincerely,
> ScottScott - I agree with your supposition that the "bipolar" designation is most likely overused. In my opinion, bipolar seems to be the current diagnosis for everything. The first pdoc I saw diagnosed me bipolar and put me on Topamax. I never believed I was bipolar - especially the bipolar II diagnosis. That one's getting to be very common. The symptoms closely match an anxiety disorder which is what I have, also depression. I was much improved when I changed pdoc's and told the second Doc I wasn't going to take it anymore. That I wasn't bipolar and I wanted the diagnosis changed. Thank god - this one listened to me. Mood lability is associated with depression as well as anxiety. My concern is that with all this bipolar I and II diagnosing going on, perhaps I'm not the only one who was misdiagnosed and put on meds that weren't necessary. Bipolar indicates the EXTREMES in poles, not mood lability. I've mentioned I work for a psychiatrist, and what I've seen is there is a lot of use of the term "manic" or manicy, when in fact it isn't mania at all, but anxiety, agitation or mood lability. Bipolar is a very serious diagnosis and the current trend to diagnosis as bipolar is rather alarming to me.
Thanks - that was my two cents. Brenda
poster:Brenda
thread:30276
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000411/msgs/30566.html