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1514494 tn?1333584884

Has she got bipolar?? A little help??

Hi Guys/Girls,

Iv never posted on this forum before but im looking for a little help and advice n regards to my mum.

Shes 45year old, She has suffered with what we thought was depression for 10years now, But to me this isnt depression let me explain a little please bare with me...
Shes Diabetic, insulin dependant (since being about 28) Im the Eldest of 5 children and shes been married to my dad for 28years, This all seemed to start when my nan passed away nearly 10 years ago but what i say when i mean it isnt just depression i mean one week she can be up all night cleaning the house shes on the highest of highs, she can be up for 4 days at a time sometimes more sometimes less, The next minute u cant move her off the sofa shes not interested in anything she doesnt bathe shes vile to everyone, She feels guilty as in the fact if she didnt meet my dad she wouldnt have had my brother who had ADHD and MS hes currently in remission with MS and medicated for ADHD what i more mean is she doesnt regret having him but feels its her fault hes got the conditions he has! She doesnt want to go anywhere or do anything, Then next min i speak to her shes on this 'high' again and lifes great and so is everyone in it ( i dont live with her but visit regular and speak on the fone daily) She also seems to spend alot of money on things she never uses...

Now shes been to the GP and over the past years has tried her with various antidepressants and promised her the world THESES WILL WORK...to be honest they dont touch the sides shes no different,

Now after being fed up of her behaviour (i know horrible thing to say) iv looked to google for some answers and im directed to bipolar disorder 2 it sounds exactly like her it literally describes my mum!!!! (((((Bipolar II Disorder (hypomania and depression) – In Bipolar II disorder, the person doesn’t experience full-blown manic episodes. Instead, the illness involves episodes of hypomania and severe depression.))))
Iv spoken 2 her about this and convinced her to go back into our GP and see what he thought.....HIS WORDS!!!>>>> " DO YOU HEAR VOICES WHEN PEOPLE ARNT IN THE ROOM?? HER REPLY NO!! DO YOU HILLUSINATE??SEE THINGS THAT ARNT THERE??HER REPLY NO!! DO YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE SUPERPOWERS..ERMM NO??!! OK YOU HAVNT GOT BIPOLAR THEN AS I HAVE A FEW PATIENTS THAT HAVE BIPOLAR AND THESE ARE THE SYMPTOMS, TRY THESE NEW ANTIDEPRESSANTS AND COME AND SEE ME IN A MONTH!!'
I was honestly shocked that he has not taken her history and what shes telling him into account, he is only a general practioner and doesnt specialise in a certain field i would have thought alarm bells would have rang and hed have sent her to a phycologist.

Im really looking for a little help here and guidance as to weather we stick at this or we drop it if that is the exact symptoms and you have to suffer with them to be diagnosed with bipolar??

I really apreciate any help in advance!!
7 Responses
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1514494 tn?1333584884
Thanks for your input, My mum went to the docs yest and hes finally agreed not to try any more antidepressants and send her to see a phycologist! So hopefully she will have an appointment and a diagnosis soon!
Thanks Again I really apreciate it!
Helpful - 0
1255505 tn?1272819115
Oh and PS...anti-depressants can be disastrous for people with BPD. In my case, even St. John's Wort.
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1255505 tn?1272819115
1. GPs shouldn't be diagnosing psych disorders.

2. Since BP II, especially mixed states, aren't as obvious, I think it goes under reported and under diagnosed.

3. It's a thin line between BP I & BP II. The kindling theory says episodes will progressively intensify over time, most especially if untreated. This is important.

I think your mom may fall into 1 & 2, and in time possibly 3.

I fell into 2 & 3. Even though I was being treated with Depakote, they never diagnosed me BP...until my last big episode. It's hard to say if I was psychotic or not, but I was certainly on the line...super powers and all.

I went in for a routine blood test, and if it weren't for my smart GP insisting on my getting evaluated again.....who knows how I'd be.
Helpful - 0
1514494 tn?1333584884
Thanks for your wellwishes, Im really going to persue this and hopefully we will get somehwere!!


Anyone elses imput will also be apreciated :-)
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Avatar universal
Good luck with things.
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1514494 tn?1333584884
Hi Linda,
Thanks soo much for taking the time to give me ur input, I really apreciate it, I feel like a dog with a bone at the minute!
Answer to your questions-
She cant go to see a phyciatrist without the GP referring her ( we dont have a self referral service)- Completely off topic here but could be linked- I know she saw a phyciatrist maybe 8years ago she had a addiction to buying washing powder- Say if she saw someone in the supermarket and there coloured washing was brighter than hers shed ask what they used and buy it, She was mad on the stuff but used it once and put it away until my dad found her 'stash' Literally every cupboard was full!

I did want to go to the GP with her but i had an ear infection in both ears so had to see my own GP literally at the same time :-( She says she wants me to go with her then always makes an excuse at the time or cancels the appt, I think shes scared ill be brutally honest with him,
She only has 1 GP in her practise so im not too sure about a second opinion, And no i dont think shes honest with him but then i think shes in denial about the moods ect?Maybe she just doesnt realise how vile she is sometimes?
I know she has an appointment on tuesday and i think im going to insist on going in with her, I really feel at this moment in time this is worth pushing!

Thanks again Linda!

Amy.
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Avatar universal
Unless you can convince her to go to a psychiatrist I don't see things getting any better. Antidepressants make bipolar 2 worse. They could be contributing to the behavior issues.

What the doctor is describing is bipolar 1. What your mom has sounds like bipolar 2. Would she let you go to the doctor's with her? or go to a different doctor for a second opinion? The average time it takes to get a bipolar diagnosis is 8 years. So your experience is not unusual. It is also possible she is not being 100% honest with the doctor. If she goes in with a written sheet of symptoms it will be easier than trying to recount verbally.

Good luck.
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