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Bipolar or Autistic? Answers on a post card.............

picitup

Ok, so the title is quite tongue in cheek.  I do like to face challenges with a bit of humour Grin

I was diagnosed as bipolar a number of years ago and have taken meds for that condition for some years.  The symptoms as I saw them were a period of high activity followed by a long low where I couldn't really function and mostly lay on the sofa all day.  It's no surprise that this caused some relationship issues with my wife.

I've often chewed over whether I'm autistic and have read a lot over the years.  My background is all technical, being well into electronics and computer software.  i anted to be a computer programmer for many years and when I goth there, was as happy as Larry!  Long hours staring at the computer, often alone and sometimes through the night, it really was the bees knees and I achieved much I was very proud of.

The turning point in thinking for me was last time I had some mental health support.  I was going through a highly inactive stage and saw a number of professionals many of who were asking me if I thought I might be autistic.  Some of the support was occupational therapy from a lady, who also asked me and I questioned why she was asking.  She said she thought I had an over concern with facts.  She said there was nothing wrong with facts, but I had a high reliance on them.  I think that was true.

They gave me the AQ questionnaire to fill in and my support worker said I "was definitely on the spectrum" which peaks my interest, but of course, doesn't tell me anything.


They referred me for an NHS assessment, but the wait is 5 years lol, so am trying to sort out another test, possibly by the NHS RTC pathway.

So........ A mood disorder with unusual highs and lows or a bit of a creative with occasional autistic burnouts.  If you have any thoughts, I'd very much like to hear them, no need to worry about the post card Joy

Cheers

Steve

Parents

  • I'm bipolar and recently went manic. The crisis team were looking for an excuse to discharge me so said I was probably autistic therefore they wouldn't help me with the bipolar relapse. 

    I got a private diagnosis and it turns out I am autistic. However, that was entirely irrelevant to the fact I was having a bipolar relapse!

    Got re-referred to mental health and this time got a proper psychiatrist appt. Got a top up to my lamotrigine and then an antipsychotic to add in.

    I'm not psychotic now, which kinda shows the meds work for me I suppose.

    It's really hard to know if bipolar meds are working. A bit like the joke about the guy selling alien repellent to spray on your lawn. You know it's working because no aliens show up...

    Coming off meds is obviously something best supervised and supported by mental health. If they're not interested in a referral then rope in the GP.

    I would hazard a guess that if you tell the GP you want to stop and if they won't help titrate downwards you'll stop immediately that they will support you by reducing the dose to avoid the danger of you just stopping them dead. Either that or magically your referral to mental health will be accepted. 

    Wishing you good luck however you decide to act.

  • in reply to Tears_before_bedtime

    Hi    Thanks for your reply.   I'm sorry you had a manic phase, it must have been very difficult.  Your comment about them looking for an excuse to discharge you, rings quite the bell for me and it's appaling.  My feelings are that I have been dumped royally from the MH team which I suspected was coming for some time.

    In 'the old days'  I would get a high or low mood and call them for a meds review.  Quick chat with a psychiatrist, meds wiggling and I'm sorted.  I had a stroke at 60, 6 years ago and some time later had low mood so called them.  Without a meeting or conversation, they referred me back to the neurologist who dealt with my stroke.

    Now, I know what a low mood looks like for me, as does my wife.  I still had the number of the neurologist and explained the situation.  She had no idea why they had done this and called them, referring me back to the MH team.

    Then I got a chat with a psychiatrist and I described the issues and they decided to send me for an MRI scan to check for dementia which scared me in a way I had never been scared.  Anyway, scan all good, in fact pretty impressive for a coffin dodger.  I ended up thinking of things in a seriously negative way, but all better now.

    So what's happening?  Of course, I have no idea, but suspect they wanted rid and tried to crowbar me into neurological issues to get rid.  To be honest I'm so upset and angry, my Garmin Watch was telling me to do breathing exercises last night Joy

    I've tried my best to sort this out in a professional polit way, but am on the cusp of kiccking some serious *rse and the GP, MH team will all get a peice.  Not physically, of course, but I think I'll get their attention.  Phew!

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  • in reply to Tears_before_bedtime

    Hi    Thanks for your reply.   I'm sorry you had a manic phase, it must have been very difficult.  Your comment about them looking for an excuse to discharge you, rings quite the bell for me and it's appaling.  My feelings are that I have been dumped royally from the MH team which I suspected was coming for some time.

    In 'the old days'  I would get a high or low mood and call them for a meds review.  Quick chat with a psychiatrist, meds wiggling and I'm sorted.  I had a stroke at 60, 6 years ago and some time later had low mood so called them.  Without a meeting or conversation, they referred me back to the neurologist who dealt with my stroke.

    Now, I know what a low mood looks like for me, as does my wife.  I still had the number of the neurologist and explained the situation.  She had no idea why they had done this and called them, referring me back to the MH team.

    Then I got a chat with a psychiatrist and I described the issues and they decided to send me for an MRI scan to check for dementia which scared me in a way I had never been scared.  Anyway, scan all good, in fact pretty impressive for a coffin dodger.  I ended up thinking of things in a seriously negative way, but all better now.

    So what's happening?  Of course, I have no idea, but suspect they wanted rid and tried to crowbar me into neurological issues to get rid.  To be honest I'm so upset and angry, my Garmin Watch was telling me to do breathing exercises last night Joy

    I've tried my best to sort this out in a professional polit way, but am on the cusp of kiccking some serious *rse and the GP, MH team will all get a peice.  Not physically, of course, but I think I'll get their attention.  Phew!

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