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Possible misdiagnosis of bipolar?

owl_enthusiast 
I am wondering if I was misdiagnosed as bipolar (on the NHS) 15 years ago and if in fact my issue is not bipolar at all but something else. My mood has been stable for the past 14 years and I came off bipolar medication more than a year ago with no noticeable impact on my mental health.

I have been seeing a cognitive analytic psychotherapist for the past couple of years who believes the issue is complex trauma rather than bipolar.

I, and my partner, also suspect I have autistic / neurodivergent traits. However I am female so this would likely not have been considered 15 years ago.

I am wondering whether to go to the GP and ask for a second opinion about the bipolar diagnosis but am not sure how best to make my case?

I'm wondering if anyone else here has similar experience and / or has advice to offer? Thanks very much for your help.
  • in reply to Amelia

    Thanks Amelia, very glad you are finally being listened to after so many years, best of luck with the autism assessment! Kind wishes!

  • in reply to DormouseAtRest_25

    Thanks Dormouse much appreciated, I didn't know that my partner could be the "informant" instead of my elderly parents - my partner did go in with me to the "initial screening" I had and the psychologist found being able to ask them questions, very helpful.

  • Hey! i've just joined recently and this really resonated with me. So i was diagnosed 13 years ago with depression, then a year later they told me i was bipolar, a couple of years ago they started looking into whether i had bpd (borderline personality disorder) until finally someone actually listened and i recently started seeing a mental health professional who believes i am infact autistic, i have currently been referred for assessment but she said shed be surprised if it comes back that im not autistic. i definitely recommend speaking to your GP about it and keep pushing if you can, it took years for them to finally listen to me! good luck with it all! <3

  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    Yes, you can have both bipolar and autism. There is another comment on this post with a link to the web page about it. I’m coming off my medication  because my psychiatrist doesn’t think I have bipolar disorder but only time will tell once I’m off the medication.

  • in reply to owl_enthusiast

    Unfortunately I don't think your misdiagnosis is uncommon, there have been lots of women who've been diagnosed with bi-polar or personality disorders instead of autism.

    Is it possible to be bi-polar and autistic?, I'm not saying you are, I'm just asking the question in general.

  • in reply to owl_enthusiast

    If you are happy to do so; you could talk with your partner about the possibility of their being your "informant" instead of your elderly parents during an Autism assessment process (it is not uncommon among those of us assessed in later adult life).

  • in reply to DormouseAtRest_25

    Thanks Dormouse this is very good advice!

    Since my original post, I have visited a psychologist specialising in autism assessment, for an initial screening (private appointment), and have been told I show autistic traits in several of the diagnostic areas. I haven't gone any further with the process after that.

    I haven't talked to my GP about it yet but am still mulling that over.

    The main reason to get a diagnosis for me would be to correct the bipolar on my NHS medical record, however my parents are elderly and one has become disabled recently so I don't want to put them through the strain of providing info/interview for the assessment?

  • in reply to MountainFairy2000

    Hi MountainFairy , so sorry you have been though such a traumatic time! I had a breakdown crisis at the age of 30 leading to my bipolar diagnosis, however I now suspect this was severe autistic burnout crisis.

    Since my original post, I have visited a psychologist specialising in autism assessment, for an initial screening (private appointment), and have been told I show autistic traits in several of the diagnostic areas.

    I do now suspect I was given the wrong treatment re. medication for 15 years, so I can understand how you feel on that.

    I'm glad that your psychiatrist is helping you to get to a better understanding of what might actually be going on for you, that is great. Accurate knowledge is power!

    I wonder how many other women are being told when in crisis (in my case, solely on the basis of a one hour emergency appointment) that they are bipolar when in fact they are autistic? Like you say, I hope this is rarer than it used to be.

    Very glad you have got better info at a much younger age than me as this means you have more time and freedom to make important life decisions based on correct information.

    Sending you very kind wishes Slight smile

  • Hello.

    There is a detailed article on the main website about Bipolar and Autism:

    https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/mental-health/bipolar-disorder

    Perhaps you could print the article and use two different colour pens or highlighter markers; then you could mark all the things mentioned which make sense (match your experience) in one colour and the things which don't make sense (you don't feel they match your experience) in a different colour. 

    You could then see what you think about the outcome, and whether that could help focus your next conversation with your GP.

    Two things struck me when thinking about your post:

    - you and your partner suspect you might be Autistic - does your GP believe you meet the screening criteria to be considered for assessment around Autism?  (Your GP might mention screening tools - questionnaires - often referred to as AQ-10 or AQ-50 - for more information; please see the last link in my reply), and

    - there is a sentence in the article which could be important for any Autistic person (in England) who also has a mental health situation being supported by the NHS:

    "In England, there is statutory guidance for adults that states autistic people should have support adapted to their needs if they have a mental health condition."

    If you are thinking about whether or not to seek an Autism assessment - this article may help refine your thoughts:

    https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/diagnosis/before-diagnosis/deciding-whether-to-seek-an-autism-assessment

  • Hi owl_enthusiast, 

    I have just joined this group and stumbled across this post. I am currently coming off medication for "bipolar disorder" after my psychiatrist diagnosed me with autism. He strongly believes that I have been misdiagnosed after monitoring my mental health for over a year and a half.

    It seemed like a crazy concept at first as I never suspected that I was autistic. I don't have the stereotypical characteristics of ASD special interests or struggle with language and communication. After experiencing symptoms that looked like bipolar disorder, the diagnosis made sense to me but I can now see that my environment and lifestyle didn't fit my autistic brain. I felt like I was drowning and unsurprisingly this caused repeated mental health breakdowns. 

    I am high masking after spending a lifetime understanding the world through my mothers perspective. Constantly seeking reassurance and feeling extremely anxious and overwhelmed to the point of paranoia at times. Severe mood swings from low and empty to dancing and jumping with joy. Repetitive and obsessive behaviours that look like OCD. Highly-focused obsessive interests instead of special interests and hiding within a friendship group at school with an obsession of excelling academically. Empathy overload and feeling things very very deeply. Constantly having to rewrite the black and white internal narrative in my mind so I could see the grey lines. The list goes on... 

    My journey has been a hard one with multiple hospitalisations, terrifying psychotic episodes, crippling depression/ autistic burnout and having to drop out of my third year of university twice resulting in the hospitalisations. I turned 25 yesterday and I could cry for the girl (if my medication would let me!!!) who managed to survive her early twenties but I am also so incredibly proud of her. I hope that I can use my story to help other women with ASD so they don't have to suffer as much as I did. 

    I don't know if there is a chat function on this page but if you would like to chat, please reach out.