I have bipolar but they won't diagnose me!

rubytuesday

haz25a wrote: »

Can't seem to get the hang of quoting only part of posts. :rotfl:



Where's the OP gone anyway:question:

Haz you just remove the text you don't want to quote but make sure you keep the full quote bars at the beginning and the end.

He has started another thread.

rubytuesday

Ames do you have anyone to talk to who can offer you support when you are having these thoughts?

tomtontom

haz25a wrote: »

Nonsense!! If you don't know what you're talking about then I suggest you say nothing at all.

If the OP does have Bipolar Disorder, and it has already been explained in this thread that the diagnosis is not one which consultants give out lightly, then the OP will receive the correct medication (which is different to that of depression), the correct care and can go onto leading a better quality of life.

Well you must have access to far better mental health care than the majority of the population. I'm happy for you, but your experience is far from the norm.

(And yes, I have a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.)

tomtontom

the_devil_made_me_do_it wrote: »

Just to add...I don't think mental health services like giving out Bipolar diagnosis as it then means they have a duty of care to the client and can't discharge people.

A bipolar diagnosis does not bring with it any greater duty of care. If a psychiatrist/ CPN etc can justify discharge back to your GP then they can do so, and that justification can simply be that they cannot offer suitable treatment at this time - in effect you can be discharged from secondary care for being too ill.

The exception in terms of duty of care is if you have been under a sectioning order (ss. 3 or 37). In this case the MHT has a duty to provide aftercare, usually in the form of a CPA. This duty is irrespective of diagnosis - someone with depression or bipolar would have the same right.

Ames

rubytuesday wrote: »

Ames do you have anyone to talk to who can offer you support when you are having these thoughts?

Nope. As I said, I've used up my time with a support worker. I've spoken to my family three times since January. The first time was sister trying emotional blackmail to give in to her demands regarding our late mum's estate. The second time was in mid Feb when I was in hospital and called dad to let him know I was facing emergency surgery. All he wanted to talk about was whether I'd sell my share of mum's house to him and sister. The third time was in summer when dad called to know why I was holding up the house sale (I wasn't), when he used a mixture of gaslighting and emotional blackmail.

Although that's a good thing, because without them in my life telling me how useless I am, what a failure I am, etc etc things have actually been a lot better.

I've got a couple of friends I see a couple of times a year, but we're not close enough for me to risk our friendship by blurting out my thoughts to them.

My care plan says to ring the samaritans if I need help, but I have panic attacks using the phone.

One of the GPs told me to keep going to the practice and let them know how things are going to keep an eye on things. I did that and was asked 'do you know how to order a repeat prescription', he didn't want to know about my mental health getting worse (I wasn't suicidal then, so it wasn't important), and so I kind of feel like I'm wasting their time. I'll go back if the suicidal ideation becomes actual thoughts of doing it, rather than an exercise to calm myself down.

And hopefully things'll be easier once I'm fully moved into the new place. With hindsight I should have just done everything in one go, instead of trying to sort things out as I went. I've still got what would be a full move for some, and this is the third lot to go.

I did get a call today from the housing support service, which I was referred to in March, when I was reported to the council because my hoarding had become dangerous. I'm having an assessment with them on Monday, they day I give the keys to this place back. So too late to deal with any of the housing issues I've had/am having.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

tomtontom wrote: »

A bipolar diagnosis does not bring with it any greater duty of care. If a psychiatrist/ CPN etc can justify discharge back to your GP then they can do so, and that justification can simply be that they cannot offer suitable treatment at this time - in effect you can be discharged from secondary care for being too ill.

The exception in terms of duty of care is if you have been under a sectioning order (ss. 3 or 37). In this case the MHT has a duty to provide aftercare, usually in the form of a CPA. This duty is irrespective of diagnosis - someone with depression or bipolar would have the same right.

I haven't been under a sectioning order. My care co-ordinator told me that even if I have been well for a period of time, they can't discharge me back to my own GP. I still have to remain in the system and continue to see someone within in mental health services due to the nature of my illness. They can not discharge because due to the nature of the meds, a person needs access to a consultant psych. People may not get the level of support they had, but you still meet with your cpn or social worker on a less frequent basis.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Ames..I know exactly where your coming from. When I took really ill in the late 1990's I was never told what my diagnosis was. I only found out when I started Uni. At that time they had diagnosed me with Mixed Anxiety Depressive Disorder. I never understood why they had given me that diagnosis as I knew that my problems were far more complex that that. Whilst in hospital, I was prescribed the same meds as someone with Bipolar Disorder. I was taking Sodium Valproate, and anti-psychotic (can't remember the name of it) and a bunch of other meds.


Once discharged from hospital, which incidentally I shouldn't have been. I saw a new psych who was absolutely rubbish. In fact, this same psych saw me until recently when he decided to retire. I remember one appointment not really so long ago, I told him I have suicidal thoughts and his answer was "everybody has suicidal thoughts." I couldn't believe what he was saying. I just got up and walked out at that point.


This is the same psych who was adamant I didn't have Bipolar disorder. He just dismissed everything I said. He just didn't want to know.


I used to try to explain how I was feeling, either depression or hyper episodes, and same as you, he suggested I was depressed. There was no way I could suffer with any type of mania as I regularly suffer with suicidal thoughts and self harm. I recently had a spell of seeing things and feeling that I wasn't in touch with reality. The new psych tried to convince me that I may have a brain tumour and that could be causing my visual disturbances. Yet he still increased my medication. I knew I didn't have a brain tumour as my dad died of one. I was angry and frustrated and strongly vented my anger when I saw my care co-ordinator. Obviously she wasn't very happy with my opinions of the new psych, but that's just tough.


My main trigger is stress. I haven't been well for weeks now, even now affecting me physically. Although I haven't seen the psych, my care co-ordinator had spoken to him and suggested I attend Psychology. I have attended a variety of Psychology assessments over the years and have always been discharged as my issues are chemical or they palm me off saying I'm not ready for it, after I've told them my life story. I have now said I will attend, but I'm not getting into my past anymore. Too many people know my history. I'm also going to tell my care co-ordinator that this will be the last time I see a Psychologist and if it doesn't work out, I don't want to hear anymore about it.


I could keep going writing about my experiences with mental health services, but I'll keep that for an autobiography lol.

Indie_Kid

Some of you have truely awful experiences. I had no help either. The doctor diagnosed with me with depression and referred me to a CPN. That appointment took some 4 months to come through. It was a waste of time. Due to my physical and mental state, I was taking a year out from education. The CPN was more interested in what I was planning on doing than trying to get to the bottom of what was wrong and helping me. I never heard from her again.

tomtontom

the_devil_made_me_do_it wrote: »

I haven't been under a sectioning order. My care co-ordinator told me that even if I have been well for a period of time, they can't discharge me back to my own GP. I still have to remain in the system and continue to see someone within in mental health services due to the nature of my illness. They can not discharge because due to the nature of the meds, a person needs access to a consultant psych. People may not get the level of support they had, but you still meet with your cpn or social worker on a less frequent basis.

You have a care coordinator, do you know how rare these are? Just look at the stories being told here and you'll see your CC is not telling you the full story.

Ames

the_devil_made_me_do_it wrote: »

I haven't been under a sectioning order. My care co-ordinator told me that even if I have been well for a period of time, they can't discharge me back to my own GP. I still have to remain in the system and continue to see someone within in mental health services due to the nature of my illness. They can not discharge because due to the nature of the meds, a person needs access to a consultant psych. People may not get the level of support they had, but you still meet with your cpn or social worker on a less frequent basis.

It must be a regional thing, or maybe because I was 'downgraded' from Bipolar to Cyclothymia. I've been discharged back to my GP, and one of the ones (who I refuse to see any more) changed my antipsychotics when I went with an ear infection because 'we don't normally give them like that'. When I ended up in the ICS which is an acute day patient service, they changed them back.

I don't have a CPN or social worker. I had a CPN after the acute episode, but they're limited to three months. I had a social worker after I self referred, but they discharged me after a few months.

There's literally no long term help and support round here, at all.

The 'everyone has suicidal thoughts' rings a bell with me, but thankfully not from doctors. I think that MIND's '1 in four' campaign has seriously backfired, because people think 'I got down when my goldfish died, so I'm one of the 1 in 4, and I got over it, so people with other mental health conditions can too'.

The GP didn't think I was depressed when I said I was hypomanic, he just had no idea what the term meant. Which is really scary considering how important a GP is in getting the right treatment.

It's shocking that your doctor thought it was a brain tumour - I hope if they thought that that they referred you for a scan! I don't see things, but I do hear things, but doctors have never been interested beyond the 'but it's not voices telling you to do things? It's fine then'. It might not be voices, but it's not much fun when you can't sleep because of the noises, or you're having panic attacks thinking the phone's ringing when it's not real. And I'm sure that's a fairly 'simple' thing to sort out with medication, if they had the resources.

Because that's what it comes down to. Mental health funding's always been bad, but it's got so much worse in the last few years. It doesn't seem to exist at all except for acute cases, or minor cases. Basically, if you fall between 'sorted out with a few months on meds or six sessions of CBT' and 'absolutely need to be sectioned', then there's nothing.

I know how you feel about psychology, too. I've begged for it, but it's not available. I did once get an assessment after 9 months on the waiting list. He was really helpful and I went away full of hope. Next appointment he backtracked saying because I had ME (which turned out to be a misdiagnosis) he couldn't help me because he didn't want to make the ME worse.

Next time I asked for it I was given a couple of charity numbers. One of the services had stopped, the other had closed it's waiting list. I knew that because of my voluntary work, so why didn't the GP who gave me the numbers?

I've just asked again, at the suggestion of my phsyiotherapist, and again been given a charity number. Once I've got the house move sorted I'll try them. Not holding my breath though!

I know what you mean about the autobiography, I've kept meaning to write a memoir of when I was at the ICS (I kept a detailed diary), but no-one would believe it!

Indie, I can kind of see where she was coming from with trying to keep you motivated and doing things - one of the areas of the outcome star is meaningful use of time - but it should have been as well as discussing support, not instead of.