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Mis diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder

Alice-nice-Alice

My autism spectrum condition diagnosis in early January of this year has shed bright light into every area of my life and one particular area of huge importance is my interactions with nhs psychiatric services. To cut a long story short …

I was diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder in 1999, then treated with mind destroying meds which had massive negative implications for my physical health too for over twenty years. Well it is now absolutely clear to me that the bipolar diagnosis was wrong, the symptoms they identified as mixed episodes in particular and which played a significant part in their diagnostic process I now understand were autistic meltdowns and even allowing for subjective interpretations of my behaviour in those times clearly weren’t in line the DSM5 criteria in terms of episode lengths. 

I have initiated the process of challenging and then hopefully having removed the bipolar diagnosis with my psychiatric team though it’s very early days, I’ll update this thread as things progress one way or another as I’m certain I’m not the only person this has happened too. One member of my psych team has said off the record that they are concerned I might try to sue for medical negligence, it’s unlikely but I’m not entirely ruling it out yet  

x

Parents

  • You are so not alone. Misdiagnosis prior to identification of autism is common place. It used to be schizophrenia. Now most often bipolar in blokes and EUPD in women. Trouble is an autism diagnosis may or may not genuinely superceed another co-occuring condition. Where it does superceeded it, I think the patient knows best as to what truely does or does not fit them. I am a big believer that no one gets better if they have either a missed diagnosis or a misdiagnosis. They need to get it right before anyone moves forward.

    If you feel autism alone explains everything. Then it does. I believe you absolutely. Getting them to accept that is another matter and yes they do fear litigation.

    Innocent mistakes due to their lack of training, I can forgive. Willful not listening to and then damaging patient by treating conditions that are not there, I cannot.

    What I would say, before you go any further is this: submit a formal request through their information governance under GDPR for your records. Put a line in there that you want nothing withheld on the grounds of "serious harm" ideally and if it is you want to know that something has been witheld and you want to know why. They are required to document any decision to withhold.

    Going through this now myself. By consistently challenging I have now got an agreement to release everything.

    As for what I have so far, I can now see what was in their heads all along and am better equipped to make them get their house in order for my protection and by God I am going to push this to make them learn from it.

    I won't bore you with the whole saga, but I defo have a case to litigate and they know it. As it happens, and they should be grateful that all I am really interested in is that they get it right for my autistic brothers and sisters going forward and they ain't gonna get there until they start being honest with me now. 

    No, I won't litigate, if they will learn. But I sure as Hell will never personally engage with them again.

    I started to find my answers and get better when they stopped being involved with my "care".

    Good luck to you, hun x

  • in reply to Dawn

    Thanks so very much for this. I’ve requested my records but as yet haven’t received any useful replies from them. Your comment about them not withholding parts on the grounds of serious harm is really useful and timely as I’ve been drafting my next email to them so will include this. Thanks. Emma

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