Why didn't the doctor tell me 4-5 months ago I am bipolar?

Question

So, for the past 5 years I have been suffering from bipolar disorder. I know what the disorder is, but it never crossed my mind as me having it. Sorta of like in denial that im not bipolar.

So the doctor gives me a bunch of medicine and i get slightly stable now.

Basically i first went to this doctor 5 months ago. There he talked to me and decided to put me on pills to help me concentrate and slow down my fast thinking. So I told him I might have ADHD, and he agreed.

THIS WHOLE TIME, i thought i have been taking meds for ADHD(im sorry im an idiot).

NOPE, its for bipolar, because i went to the doc yesterday curious to know what the h**l it is, and he says that i am bipolar type 1.

Why couldn't he have told me? I seriously thought i have been taking meds for adhd, but its lamictal and zoloft, which i just realized is for bipolar patients. I remember i asked him what the diagnosis was, and he said "we should know in 3 weeks", and that was 5 months ago.

Answer 1

Some people don't exhibit clear enough symptoms, so a physician working on their best diagnostic guess will try a medication to see if the symptoms get better or worse.  In your case, your physician tried a combination of medication and told you he would know in 3 weeks.  

At this point, your medication is working, so don't sweat the small stuff.  Just keep taking your medication and if you need to resolve some issues, consider going to a therapist. They will be a good resource to learn some healthy coping skills.

Good luck,

Tex

Answer 2

It could have been in the beginning...that he was doing med treatment on ya in the hopes of coming to a diagnosis.  Sometimes physicians have to take stabs with different meds to find out what works the best.  If he put you on something...and you just kept getting refills for 5 months, because they did in some way help you...well then, maybe he wasn't sure...but if it was helping...then why change boats in midflood.  As long as you feel somewhat stable...continue on the regimen that you are on....if you think at some point, they aren't working...then bring it up to your doc again.  He'll probably change something even if it's a higher dose to try and correct the problem.

Answer 3

Bipolar disorder is a form of severe depression. Just 6 months back I also suffered from chronic depression(to be precise it was 10 years old). I overcame this condition through the use of Omega-3 fatty acids and avoiding trans fats completely. It will cure you within 100 days of including the OMG-3 oils in your diet.

At least they cured my condition. For more information and medical reviews of omega-3 visit the link given.

Answer 4

he probably did it so youd take the pills though im pretty sure your not allowed to lie to a patient like that.... i do however know alot of people who refuse to take their meds for bipolar/depression after seeing a doc cuz they want to deal with it themselves... which is really stupid btw... just take the pills and dont worry about it... if they make you feel better then its all good

Answer 5

Any neurological disorders are h**l to diagnose and even worse to treat properly. It takes a lot of trial and error unfortunately to find the right meds and then the right combo and dosages. the problems are due to chemical imbalances and it's like finding little itty bitty needles in a vast acreage of haystacks. It's taken me three years and countless tries and only now have found the correct combo, I hope. Be patient the human brain is an extremely complicated animal. I suggest also, seeking a different opinion. find a doc that will give you a few minutes of their time to get to know you, they are out there. You need a psychiatrist to get things going for I would say a year and after when you feel stable then maybe change to a therapist. Bi-polar and depression while going hand in hand are not the same thing.