Did you know that 69% of patients who have bipolar disorder are misdiagnosed for 1 decade?
Yes, our world of psychiatry today is NOT perfect. Psychiatry is a guessing game of testing a variety of cocktails until the patient responds to one magic elixir.
Doctors manage to miss an important life-changing diagnosis for the following reasons: Anyone suffering from a manic episode will feel a euphoric high as if they are on speed and presume there is not anything wrong with them. In fact, some patients may believe their spouse, friend, or loved one is the one who requires treatment. Why would anyone want to see a doctor when their creative juices are on overdrive, they don’t require much sleep, and can conquer the entire world? Think Bradley Cooper, Limitless.
Because Mania is a cruel joke. That’s why. The moment they plummet into depression is the moment of clarity and desperation. The moment their world comes crashing down, they have a foggy brain, become incapacitated, and wake up to smell the cappuccino. This is the moment they desperately seek medical attention—from anyone who can make these feelings of sadness and desperation stop.
The even more unfortunate thing is that most of these patients will fail to tell the full story to their doctors. All they see is depression. Psychiatrists today only have one way of diagnosing a patient: the clinical symptoms the patient is presenting. Even worse, when a patient presents depression but is actually a bipolar patient, they are advised to take an anti-depressant. Guess what the anti-depressant (alone) does? It kicks starts a manic episode in a bipolar patient. An anti-depressant must be paired with a mood stabilizer to have a higher chance of avoiding mania.
And so, the cycle of hell continues as they see-saw through life with manic and depressive episodes, deeming this to be normal. Not surprisingly, it can continue for a decade (or more). Not an eye-opener that 90% of marriages fail as a result.
Intelligent doctors can pick up on signs of bipolar disorder and use the administration of an anti-depressant alone as a litmus test to diagnose bipolar disorder.
Unfortunately for us, our court-appointed psychiatrist (while in the midst of our divorce) diagnosed depression instead. What’s worse is my husband’s father (a psychiatrist) also missed the mark. Talk about a lack of support for my 3 innocent children, who could have become statistics.
For over 2 decades, the cycle of hell continued until it finally came to a head in 2016, whereby my husband sought treatment, hospitalization, and got the correct diagnosis. Our long road to recovery begins after 18 months of mania. Don’t wait 2 decades to untether your life, as we did.
My manuscript is ready for publication. Currently working with Hollywood producers on a film adaptation of my memoir.
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