Posted by fairywings on December 16, 2005, at 12:19:33
In reply to bipolar and psychotherapy, posted by tarabara on December 15, 2005, at 19:22:05
i think that most ppl take steps forward and steps back, steps forward and leaps back... the most important thing is that you like your T and feel a connection. have you trusted him up until this point? is he kind, does he listen, does he make you think?
a diagnosis isn't who you are, and it's not necessarily accurate. my guess is a lot of us have had different diagnosis from various practitioners. maybe, given the amt. of time you've been with your T, he knows better what the diagnosis is than the psychiatrist. or, like mine, maybe he's not hung up on a diagnosis - which i think is a blessing. sometimes diagnosis can really bog you down, not to mention make your life more difficult. just a thought. I hope that didn't come off too strong, or judgmental, i'm not trying to, i'm just saying does it matter to you, will it make a difference in the work you're doing, will it change who you are?
some psychiatrists specialize in bi-polar, and tend to diagnosis it a lot. from what i've been told at my T/pdocs office, it seems to be the diagnosis of the day. i'm not saying you're not, i'm just saying, if things have been pretty good, it shouldn't change between you and your T just because of a diagnosis. if you've trusted up till now, why wouldn't you continue to trust? of course trust for those of us with trust issues will always be a problem and difficult to establish, until we can work through it, no matter what the diagnosis. maybe talk to your T and ask why he thinks the way he does. maybe ask if once the meds kick in, and there's a significant difference in the way you feel, you could take a look at any bi-polar issues you might struggle with. if therapy is working for you, even if you have peaks and valleys, i'd stick with it. a good T is a blessing.
once you go on meds for bi-polar you'll know better if the pdoc has hit the nail on the head. and, if they do make a big difference maybe the pdoc could help you with the issues relating to your bi-polar diagnosis since he seems to have a grasp on it, and feels it applies to you.
i'm really sorry about your painful past. i hope your T has been able to help you through some of this.
fairywings
poster:fairywings
thread:589431
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20051216/msgs/589570.html