Posted by BarbaraCat on October 25, 2003, at 11:41:37
In reply to Re: Lamictal, posted by Dalilah on October 25, 2003, at 11:16:51
Hi Dalilah,
What you said about diagnosis is so true. Our dx puts our complex symptoms into a neat little box and once there it's hard to see outside the box (or the bun). Our symptoms overlap into so many camps that it's hard to know if you're ADD, BP, OCD, BPD, GAD, jeez how can you tell and so what. How we're feeling needs to be a constant exploration and re-evaluation. You gotta find what works.Glad to hear you're doing so well. I recall not too long ago you were having a rough time and had just started with lamictal or were considering taking it. I'm not sure if you were on lithium also, but you were in somewhat of a turmoil about taking the meds. It's real heartening that things have worked out for you.
One of the things that keeps getting validated and keeps me taking my meds is to see the positive effects the right meds can make in someone else. I kinda recall where I was up until 1-1/2 years ago pre lithium/lamictal. It was so bad that my brain can't remember much of it, only that I was in deep pain. I read my journals from that time and go 'oh yeah, it really was that bad'. So even if I sometimes get tempted to go au natural thinking I'm so much better now, posts like yours keep me taking my meds like a good girl. - Barbara
> Hey St. John,
>
> After reading Barbara's post, I have to agree. I first tried lamictal alone and it didn't do a thing for me. When I had it with lithium, it made a significant difference.
>
> I too, had the switch from being diagnosed as unipolar to bipolar - it's quite common. But either way, you could try lithium. There is no rule that you must be bipolar to take it. I know some unipolars use it.
>
> In the end, I think that the diagnosis doesn't really matter. There are so many different types of mental illness and so many variations of each diagnosis. All we care about is getting the meds that work for us, right?
>
> Dalilah
poster:BarbaraCat
thread:238206
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031025/msgs/273109.html