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Struggling with My Bipolar Diagnosis

Venni3

495d

Having a hard time believing that I have a correct diagnosis of bipolar 2, and I’ve had this diagnosis for over a year now. I’m unsure because it’s not easy for me to measure if my natural hormones are causing mood changes to happen, or if my moods and behaviors are actually bipolar. I’m taking lamotrigine 200mg and wanting to get off of it, which is such a classic thing for a bipolar person who has convinced themselves they don’t have it will want to do. It’s so difficult to know if I should stay medicated or if I genuinely don’t even need it. I have ptsd and other anxiety disorders which overlap a lot with bipolar symptoms, which is another reason why this is so puzzling to me.

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Bipolar 2 disorder

Lamotrigine

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    • ATrainwreck

      495d

      My number 1 piece of advice is to bring this up with your therapist or psychiatrist but preferably both. Misdiagnosis can happen as 1 therapist may interpret symptoms differently than another. The biggest thing is if the medication helps. If not then it's definitely time to revaluate, even if that just means a change in meds.

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      • Venni3

        494d

        @ATrainwreck I’m not sure how to tell if the medication helps or not? It’s difficult to notice as I’ve been on and off other medications for years that weren’t good matches and it’s hard to know if this one benefits me or if it just doesn’t have as many side effects as others. My therapist retired last month but before we discussed this a lot and he agreed with me that I may be misdiagnosed. Talking with my psychiatrist about getting off medications isn’t easy, I have to be cemented in my decision to want to get off of it. Thank you so much for your response btw!!!

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        • ATrainwreck

          494d

          @Venni3 First thing I would say about the medication is that if you havent noticed your symptoms (the ones the medication is supposed to target) decrease then the medication isn't helping. I think finding a new therapist would also be helpful. But request that they not look at your chart before hand. Tell the office that you feel you may have been misdiagnosed and don't want the new therapist to have a biased diagnosis. Have fresh eyes go into it with no previous notion about what your diagnosis may be. It will likely feel like you've started over when it comes to therapy but it should give you the answer to your question.

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☝ This content is generated by our users and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision

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