Question:
it seems that a number of people on this list have simply
diagnosed themselves as manic depressive/bipolar based on their own
assessment of their symptoms. Is this true? Is BP becoming a
self-diagnosed illness like alcoholism?
Answer:
Before I was diagnosed two years ago, I had no idea what Bipolar
Disorder was. I had heard of Manic Depression but didn't really know what it
meant.Yes, it is possible some people who feel they are bipolar but haven't
been diagnosed are posting here; they may find the information they
need to discover whether they should get a diagnosis.
I haven't been diagnosed and certified because I never really entered
the system. However, I was observed by friends and acquaintances in
the mental health field over the years during different mood episodes
and all agreed I am a cyclic personality. (Except the one who observed
me during a very bad mania episode and thought I should be tested for
schizophrenia)
Only a small percentage of people who show symptoms of serious mood
disorders ever seek help for it. That does not mean that the ones that
don't seek help do not have the illness, nor does it mean it is a fad
of the month to have it. Some people, seeking attention, may pretend
to have it, but that just means they have other emotional disorders
and should still be taken seriously. Some people will be wrong--but I really think that if the
thought "I might be bipolar" comes as a *relief*, that person
probably does have some sort of psych Dx. ;-) (After all, a
"normal" would probably be repulsed by the thought of being
labelled bipolar--it's only someone who finally has an "explanation"
for all the crap that they go through who would find it to
be a relief.
