Bipolar diagnosis overturned at last

Some good news which might encourage others …

I was diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder in 1998, four suicide attempts later, an inpatient in a psych ward last November, it was appreciated at last by one of the team that my problems might actually be autism, not serious mental illness. They screened me on the the ward then soon after returning home I received the full assessment and was diagnosed ASC in early January. It felt so absolutely right, all those years they’d mis interpreted my meltdowns as psychosis/mania, and my shutdowns as depression, the treatment with anti psychotics and anti depressants consequential from the mis diagnosis being little short of abuse. So I set about getting the incorrect bipolar dx overturned, and just this August I succeeded. It’s a huge weight off my shoulders, truly validating and has revolutionised my treatments, I’m off all psychotropic meds and at last getting the correct interventions for several physical health conditions which had been swept under the carpet. It is also important legally as there can now be no question over my capacity regarding legal and financial decisions  

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Parents
  • Congratulations from someone who is autistic and bipolar (type2). I’m happy with both my diagnoses but then my psychiatrist decided only to put me on an anti-depressant for when I’m depressed and decided in the end not to put me on a mood stabiliser because I enjoy being manic too much.

Reply
  • Congratulations from someone who is autistic and bipolar (type2). I’m happy with both my diagnoses but then my psychiatrist decided only to put me on an anti-depressant for when I’m depressed and decided in the end not to put me on a mood stabiliser because I enjoy being manic too much.

Children
  • Thanks Taltunes. They never defined my bipolar type, well how could they in a 40 minute superficial assessment. After the ASC dx I read DSM5 and saw immediately that my episodes just didn’t meet even the minimum times for hypomania, mania and depression. ICD is likewise. I was in the twenty + years on psychotropics a walking encyclopaedia of these chemicals and now clean I cannot overstate how beautiful, clear headed and optimistic my life has become.