New - here is what is going on!

[chocpretzel]

I just posted this on another website - I figure what the heck - the more the merrier! I will copy and paste! (It seems that more people are out and about here_

So, I want to make this a short post but don't know how I will manage that! About 4 or 5 years ago I became very very depressed. There was a lot of things going on - it was horrible. Recently, I went to the doctor for ADHD (after putting this off year after year) I briefly spoke about the depression to him and he mentioned Bipolar II. I said, oh no I was just depressed - I was immature and blah blah blah. So, I get prescribed Vyvanse and nothing - just extreme tension and irritability. I see him again and he offers to subscribe me Lamictal for my "disorganized thoughts". Now, I am a case manager in the mental health field and he knows this, so he is aware that I know what the Lamictal is for. I still say, no oh no, and I get a prescription for Focalin. And it seems to help a bit with my memory and all. I look on the internet and explore Bipolar - thinking I have missed something. the first thing I read is people waking up really pissed off and I think , Whoa! Then I read on and read about mixed episodes and I am just shocked. When I was depressed I had racing thoughts, would sleep for a few hours over a couple days, punched multiple holes in my apartment walls, put my hand through a window when I was angry, got into arguments with people I didn't know, spent thousands of dollars, had a few "minimal" audio-hallucinations (hearing my name called, hearing my phone ring, hearing music at night when my head hit the pillow). So, (I am trying to make this short) I recently saw him and said that I felt that he was really on to something with the bipolar bit and i felt that my depression was a mixed episode and he said that he thought so too. So, he proceeds to give me samples of abilify - I started a new job so the old insurance "expired" and I don't have insurance until July - and then gives me samples of Zyprexa and says "this will put you out" and then left (I was at the front desk when he gave me the samples. So, this is what I am left with. So, I have no idea what is going on! God-Bless, I have a weird life!

[chocpretzel]

Thanks for you reply. I think my main problem is that I don't know what I am treating really (And I can't see the psych until I get insurance again). At first he (the psychiatrist) implied that he felt it was Bipolar II but to my understanding there isn't mixed episodes in Bipolar II? I am really confused about the whole situation. I think my best bet now is to use the program at my work where you get 5 free therapy sessions and see what happens from there and see what they can determine. I am really out of sorts with this whole situation.

[ILADVOCATE]

I've taken many of those medications but as everyone reacts differently you might look at some up some of the websites we have linked up to find out specific clinically accurate but consumer friendly information on the different medications. I found Lamictal to be a good mood stabilizer as have many people. Abilify is an antipsychotic with mood stabilizer properties and Zyprexa more so but I found it to be very sedating and Abilify not to be but each person's experiences varies. Learn more about your treatment is the best advice I can give you for now. Then you can speak to your psychiatrist more.