Should i be on meds now or not?

[gemmamisty]

(thank you bulldozer)
Hi, i'm new to this site and community. I did join a site a while ago for bi polar. I have bi polar at least i think i do it's quite confusing. I saw a therapist for 18 months, which was a real shock when i realised because i thought i was seeing her for just a few months. She believed i have bi polar, i know this as i have a letter from her to my gp refferring me for assessment, one thing that stood out in the letter was that she mentioned my mood swings from tears to laughter and back within minutes, i'm pretty sure i do this but it seemed more noticable in writing if that makes sense. I saw a psychciatrist twice for 20 minutes who diagnosed me with episodic major depression (in 2007 age 30) and said i could well be bi polar but he just saw me majorly depressed (i had been in hospital with a fractured spine leg and hip from jumping off a bridge) so he could only diagnose that. I also saw a lot of psych doctors when a teenager and spent time in a psych ward for a week or two as i was suicidal. I had lots of attemps from age of around 13-pills, slit wrists etc. I have to say that i have stopped drinking and taking drugs which were definately a huge huge trigger and i did need help to stop as i was an addict. I still do have suicidal thoughs but i don't think iw ill carry them out. I still have big mood swings but they are more manageable and my partner tells me they have reduced dramatically since stopping drinking and drugs. I do have periods of highs but my highs and lows seem to change all day long. I do not take meds and have been told that they are not necessary. I'm very confused about weather i should be on meds, the feeling i got from the psych was that i wasn't a severe case and shoul be ok on my own.  Sorry for such a long message, can anyone help?
x

[bernie40]

If your therapist sent a letter to your GP raising a concern then I would advise speaking with your GP again to arrange a referral to a psychiatrist for evaluation.

As LCC has said in her response it is very common for BP2 to go undiagnosed because the "highs" are not as extreme as in BP1 and they cause you less problems than your lows (although I am not trivialising the "highs" commonly known as hypomania in BP2).

It could be that you have cyclothymia another member of the BP family which is less extreme than BP2.

Whichever, it is important that you get correctly evaluated in order to receive the best treatment.  Although BP can have long periods of time where you feel relatively stable it will always come back and bite you on the bum and you never know how bad the episode is going to be.  

If you aren't happy with the outcome of your GP visit don't be afraid to go back and ask for another GP.

[LeftCoastChick]

I'm sorry to hear you've gonet through a horrible time, you should be proud of yourself that you cleaned up!  Honestly, and only my opinion, you should be on meds and sooner rather then later - mood swings, heavy depression and hypomania (moderate highs) are main symptoms of BP2, which is what I have.  With a close to deadly suicide attempt, don't you think it's in your best interest to get on to meds? Find a psychiatrist that will help you. Be absolutely blunt and don't minimize your emotions and mood swings, that's the only way you can get help. Most folks don't see their pdocs when they are in their high moods, so the pdocs only think you are depressed.  I was actively planning my suicide, when the lightbulb went on, and I walked into my local ER. They kept me for 4 days to ensure I wouldn't self harm, sent me home with a med that helped and set me up with a good shrink. Though that was the lowest period I'd had in a couple of years, I"m glad I went through that, so I could get the help I needed.  If you think something is wrong, go with your gut instincts.