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Help me understand Bipolar!

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sue-april47
sue-april47

There are lots of questions I want to understand about bipolar. I have researched it on the web and read the medical findings but I would like –if possible- to get feedback on people who are suffering with this illness.

My daughter is 43yrs old and has been acting giddy/ being excitable/angry/ shouting at people for no apparent reason for a few years.                                                                                                     Everything you say to her is brought into question and she nearly always finds a reason to take things the wrong way -and many times she has said “do I sound Paranoid” 

Finally after seeing people suffering with mental disorder on the t.v. she recognized that something might be wrong with her! – so we checked out the symptoms on the internet together. After we talked; this prompted my daughter to go and see her doctor who in turn is making her an appointment to see a specialist dealing with bipolar.

Now! What I would like to know is, when she is starting to become excitable (making herself the centre attraction) which is very funny at times but can become embarrassing, or even worse -trying to get someone annoyed to start an argument - do I tell her to calm down and point out that it looks like she is stating another episode _OR_ will this make things worse?

She hasn't been put on any medication by her doctor, presumably because he is waiting for her to see a psychiatrist, so I need to know how to help her in the mean time confused

Please advise - Thank you

 

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • jmcg2014
    jmcg2014 sue-april47

    Posted

    All I would say is a bipolar diagnosis takes or should take a very long time. There may indeed be issues but not necessarily bipolar, best to not go to any appointments with a preconception of bipolar,psychiatrists tend to not like that at all. Just go over the historic symptoms, and current ones and the psychiatrist will point you in the right direction for your daughter
    • sue-april47
      sue-april47 jmcg2014

      Posted

      Thank you for your prompt reply.

      I must admit that I prosumed that my daughter did have this disorder already; especially when her doctor mentioned that the symptoms  resembled bipolar. 

      Then out of relief of getting a diagnosis and comfirming that we can get help- common sense went out the window and I was thinking that we only had to see a psychiatrist to confirm what the doctor has said, and it was just a matter  of sorting out the right meds.

      I wasn't seeing the psychiatrist as someone who is not only

      a qualified medical doctor but someone who is  a specialist in mental health. rolleyes

      So thank you jmcg2014for your help

       

    • jmcg2014
      jmcg2014 sue-april47

      Posted

      A psychiatrist is the only one who can diagnose bipolar, while a gp may suspect it, he really shouldn't say such things. It may seem unimportant, but if a patient has a misleading or incorrect diagnosis it can change their mindset which isn't helpful to the psychiatrist when they are making a diagnosis. The doctor may well be correct, but the psychiatrist will need to follow a set procedure for diagnosis - which may be lengthy as a misdiagnosis is even worse than no diagnosis. The psychiatrist is a good place to start though,they'll take good care of her I'm sure
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