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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by llurpsienoodle on April 25, 2008, at 9:39:24
unfortunately my curiousity got the better of me at my pdoc checkup this am. I sneaked a peek at my DSM dx code, and it said "bipolar disorder II"
dammit! I thought that I had nipped that one in the bud. I dx myself with
anxiety disorder: PTSD and major depressive disorder.
now where's the hypomania, I ask you. WHERE's THE FRIGGIN' HYPOMANIA!!!!???
actually, I tend to bypass hypomania and go straight into agitation and irritability. however. since I have started wellbutrin and approx 300mg caffeine per day I have been feeling calm and hyperhappy. A tad reckless, perhaps, but me likes it!
***********
have any of you ever looked up your diagnosis? scared?-Ll
Posted by sunnydays on April 25, 2008, at 9:51:16
In reply to regretting taking a peek at my Dx, posted by llurpsienoodle on April 25, 2008, at 9:39:24
The happy and a tad reckless.... I know you like it, but my dear, my brother has bipolar too, and that sounds soooo much to me like hypomania. He loves that feeling too. But you know, talk with your T about it and about what you think. He may change his mind or be able to explain the reasoning to you better.
sunnydays
Posted by llurpsienoodle on April 25, 2008, at 10:16:33
In reply to Re: regretting taking a peek at my Dx, posted by sunnydays on April 25, 2008, at 9:51:16
> The happy and a tad reckless.... I know you like it, but my dear, my brother has bipolar too, and that sounds soooo much to me like hypomania.
yeah, you are right sunny. My brother has bipolar I with classic mania. he gets really bitchy when he's coming down off of a manic episode. I guess that's the downside to the hypomanic episode...
> He loves that feeling too. But you know, talk with your T about it and about what you think. He may change his mind or be able to explain the reasoning to you better.
>T is loathe to Dx me with anything. This was fuddy-duddly pdoc's Dx. But my last pdoc Dx me with bipolar too. (double dammits!)
(((sunnydays)))
how you doing?
-Ll
Posted by Phillipa on April 25, 2008, at 10:29:57
In reply to double da*mits » sunnydays, posted by llurpsienoodle on April 25, 2008, at 10:16:33
Li Sunnydays and your pdoc are right in my opinion as you seem to go from depression to feeling great with tons of energy. What do you think and how does it make you feel? Me I've looked as carry my chart and it says major depression/anxiety. Love Phillipa
Posted by 4WD on April 25, 2008, at 15:19:45
In reply to regretting taking a peek at my Dx, posted by llurpsienoodle on April 25, 2008, at 9:39:24
Hi,
I am diagnosed as Bipolar II as well and I have never had the hypomania. My mania seems to manifest itself as fear and anxiety.
I didn't look up my Dx - I just asked. To tell you the truth I don't believe there's such a thing as a hard and fast diagnosis except for major depression and straight Bipolar. And anxiety disorder. I think the rest are kind of fluid and they don't really know exactly what it is you have (according to the DSM) but they have to code you as something so they pick the thing that most closely remembles your symptoms.
Marsha
> unfortunately my curiousity got the better of me at my pdoc checkup this am. I sneaked a peek at my DSM dx code, and it said "bipolar disorder II"
>
> dammit! I thought that I had nipped that one in the bud. I dx myself with
>
> anxiety disorder: PTSD and major depressive disorder.
>
> now where's the hypomania, I ask you. WHERE's THE FRIGGIN' HYPOMANIA!!!!???
>
> actually, I tend to bypass hypomania and go straight into agitation and irritability. however. since I have started wellbutrin and approx 300mg caffeine per day I have been feeling calm and hyperhappy. A tad reckless, perhaps, but me likes it!
>
> ***********
> have any of you ever looked up your diagnosis? scared?
>
> -Ll
Posted by LLurpSieNoodle on April 25, 2008, at 18:54:34
In reply to Re: double da*mits » llurpsienoodle, posted by Phillipa on April 25, 2008, at 10:29:57
> Li Sunnydays and your pdoc are right
and my T also... btw. he did not refute the Dx.
>in my opinion as you seem to go from depression to feeling great with tons of energy. What do you think and how does it make you feel?I guess I was hoping that the "feeling great with lots of energy" was a sign that my mental illness was in remission. :( now I find out that no matter how I'm feeling, what the mood is, etc. it's all pathological. not the content of the mood, but its amplitude.
>Me I've looked as carry my chart and it says major depression/anxiety. Love Phillipa
I get that too.
-Ll
Posted by Phillipa on April 25, 2008, at 20:05:10
In reply to Re: double da*mits » Phillipa, posted by LLurpSieNoodle on April 25, 2008, at 18:54:34
Li you are a wealth of info and I feel we all get a little of each it's to what degree. Can you send a little hypo my way? Love Phillipa
Posted by Racer on April 25, 2008, at 22:45:56
In reply to regretting taking a peek at my Dx, posted by llurpsienoodle on April 25, 2008, at 9:39:24
Irregular Polygon Syndrome, since I'm neither a round peg trying to fill a square hole, nor a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. Instead, I am an irregular polygon, requiring a custom made niche...
> have any of you ever looked up your diagnosis?
Major Depressive Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Anorexia Nervosa/Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (depending on my weight that day...)
Obsessive compulsive personality traits
Rule Out: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Bipolar IIA doctor at Stanford once included "Personality Disorder Not Otherwise Specified," but my pdoc laughed at that one -- "What happened with her? Oh, you're kidding! No wonder she put that down!" (She wanted to examine my hip -- "Uh, no -- I had an MRI two weeks ago, so I know what's going on. Anyway, you're supposed to be a psychiatrist!" "Well, I did do an ortho rotation. You don't have to be so condescending." I might suggest there might have been a personality disorder involved in the interaction -- but maybe not on my part...)
That's my dx...
Posted by med_empowered on April 26, 2008, at 14:25:45
In reply to My dx is IPS » llurpsienoodle, posted by Racer on April 25, 2008, at 22:45:56
my pdoc straight up told me during the initial consult: "you have a mood disorder, kind of like...bipolar type I, with psychotic features" I don't know if the "kind of like" means I'm officially Bipolar NOS or if it means I'm officially *BIPOLAR I* ("*" meaning an extra dose of crazy) or what...
If you straight up ask them, are they (the pdoc) supposed to tell you?
Posted by nellie7 on April 26, 2008, at 14:43:56
In reply to regretting taking a peek at my Dx, posted by llurpsienoodle on April 25, 2008, at 9:39:24
Hi Llurpsie,I also took a peek at my diagnosis several months ago and saw
"Schizoaffective Schizophrenia + ACE"
(no idea what the latter means). The "affective" part probably includes some kind of bipolar disorder.Despite having been told for years that I don't suffer from schizophrenia and having wanted to believe that, I have known for a long time that I probably do. After a psychotic episode several years ago someone must have put two and two together and confirmed what I had suspected.
Still, it was a real blow to see that and I find it very difficult to deal with the repercussions, including the understanding that my judgement is apparently even more impaired than I had thought. But if that is the case, ignoring it will only complicate things further...
Bipolar II is not as severe as bipolar I. Besides, naming a set of symptoms which you suffer from doesn't change their severity or introduce any which you aren't familiar with already. If anything, understanding why you tend to feel agitated, irritable etc. might help you to feel more in control and to know what you should do when things get rough.
Llurpsie, I hope you don't let what you saw get you down. It doesn't change the fact that you are a very talented, intelligent and charming person.
Take care,
Nellie.
Posted by twinleaf on April 26, 2008, at 21:36:05
In reply to Re: regretting taking a peek at my Dx » llurpsienoodle, posted by nellie7 on April 26, 2008, at 14:43:56
And so are you, Nellie. You sound extremely intelligent, write extremely well, and do not show any signs whatsoever of a thought disorder as you participate on this board.
Posted by undopaminergic on April 27, 2008, at 1:42:39
In reply to regretting taking a peek at my Dx, posted by llurpsienoodle on April 25, 2008, at 9:39:24
>
> now where's the hypomania, I ask you. WHERE's THE FRIGGIN' HYPOMANIA!!!!???
>Your style leaves an impression of some kind of manic exuberance or something along those lines that I can't find the words to express eloquently right now... these quotes from you are somewhat characteristic samples:
"WHERE's THE FRIGGIN' HYPOMANIA!!!!???"
"llurpsienoodle" <-> "LLurpSieNoodle" (ie. the spelling keeps changing "manically")
"((( * )))" (* insert name of current object of focus)Look at my stilted, lethargic, lacklustre style for comparison.
> actually, I tend to bypass hypomania and go straight into agitation and irritability. however. since I have started wellbutrin and approx 300mg caffeine per day I have been feeling calm and hyperhappy. A tad reckless, perhaps, but me likes it!
>I think I feel somewhat like that when a drug is working well, which is very rarely. Anyway, strictly speaking, I don't think bipolar can be diagnosed based on drug-induced hypomanic-like states.
> ***********
> have any of you ever looked up your diagnosis? scared?
>They think I have Asperger's... (And, more realistically, major depression and ADD.)
Posted by nellie7 on April 27, 2008, at 12:19:29
In reply to Re: regretting taking a peek at my Dx » nellie7, posted by twinleaf on April 26, 2008, at 21:36:05
Thank you, twinleaf, for your kind and encouraging words.Nellie.
Posted by Racer on April 27, 2008, at 15:56:41
In reply to regretting taking a peek at my Dx, posted by llurpsienoodle on April 25, 2008, at 9:39:24
>
> actually, I tend to bypass hypomania and go straight into agitation and irritability. however. since I have started wellbutrin and approx 300mg caffeine per day I have been feeling calm and hyperhappy. A tad reckless, perhaps, but me likes it!
>Now, I'm not a doctor, I don't play one on TV, and I have no qualifications to make any diagnosis -- which doesn't mean I don't have any opinions on this subject....
First of all, agitation and irritability? Like, maybe, mixed states?
Secondly -- a tad reckless, but you like it? That sounds a good deal like hypomania to me. I have also noticed that you seem to behave impulsively at times -- forgive me, not necessarily infrequent intervals, really. You've even mentioned that you wrote your dissertation in three weeks! That, my dear, sounds awfully hypomanic...
I get a horrible OCD thing going about diagnosis -- I go into a panic state about "OMG! Does this mean I'm bipolar? Does this mean I have this other dx? Et cetera?" It's horrible, and it's a total waste of therapy time, since I do end up wasting whole sessions about it, but there it is -- it's one of my crazy spaces. The point of telling you that is to try to get across that I can empathize with a fear of DX. On the other hand -- if it leads to a better medication regimen which results in a better quality of life? Wouldn't that be worth it?
Good luck.
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