Posted by polarbear206 on May 11, 2007, at 10:22:49
In reply to Re: NIMH on Bipolar Spectrum Disorder » polarbear206, posted by MaddieB on May 10, 2007, at 15:53:38
> > I don't appreciate your harsh attitude against me because I work in the field. There are many things I don't agree with!! As far as I'm concerned they can throw the DSM out the window. That should of been revampt years ago, and maybe people wouldn't have to walk around for years not knowing what is wrong with them. I acutually diagnosed myself with mild bipolar. I come here offer help and advice and stress to people to educate themselves.
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> Yes, my attitude was harsh in disagreement but not intended to be harsh toward you personally.
> For that I do apologize sincerely. I am happy to agree to disagree. I support you in your struggles and I hope you can do likewise. I've been diagnosed with many labels all across depression the spectrum but no one has yet to be successful in medicating me (even the bright minds at Mclean and MGH.) This has been since 1992. My next trial is by MAOI.
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> More work needs to be done. We are on the cusp of great change and if the study helps to enlighten some then where is the harm? But there is much more to the story yet to be oncovered. I am obviously frustrated. I know you are too.
> Best wishes to you and to us all. Maddie
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>Thank you Maddie. If you don't mind, I would like to know about your about your history and course of your illness. Maybe I can offer some insight.
As you can see, I am very passionate about helping others, I don't want ANYONE to go through what I did to get to this point. My symptoms erupted after the birth of my son 18 years ago. The anxiety and depression was overwhelming and consumed me. I was diagnosed with severe PPD and was hospitalized for 3 days. I was put on imipramine and klonopin, which I had an immediate therapeutic response. This was prior to Prozac coming on the market. The doctors couldn't get over how well I improved. I was well enough to go home. Well, that was short-lived, then 2 weeks later the merri-go-round started. My cycling was not classic BP-2. It was more subtle and I was still functional. I cycled with periods of bursts in energy, getting so many things done. It was a good energy!! Nothing that looked like classic hypomania. I mostly had a mixture of anxiety, agitation, atypical depression, esp. in the winter. I threw myself into researching about mood disorders. I diagnosed myself and it took a while to get the right cocktail of medication. I thank God for the newer drugs, esp. Lamictal, which has given me my life back. I wonder how different my life would of turned out, if I had the opportunity to take these newer meds back then. I would of had more children and not feel guilty about not being there 100% for my son. I still require and AD because my bipolar is depression dominated. Effexor is the only AD that has worked well for me. So as you can see, as Johann said in the above post, the public and medical profession need to take this spectrum more seriously. So through research studies and clinical trials, the word is getting out there. I just wish it would of been sooner.
PolarbearPoarbear
poster:polarbear206
thread:757178
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070509/msgs/757758.html