Need Advice

[FreeThinker91]

Hi............

I am a 25 year old gay male and from the age of 18 i have been experiencing severe maina and depression symptoms. I have been back and forth to the doctors and they have said that i have depression...... which i am not happy with as i think that my symptoms are more than that of depression....... I just feel alone...... Even when i am in a room of people i still feel alone.... My boyfriend doesn't understand and just thinks that i am being moody..... but i really am not....... I'm generally sad and i do not know why....... i wish that i could be happy and not have a care in the world but unfortunately it does not work out that way...... I really do believe that i have bipolar disorder and also my dad and sister also suffer from this....... I have just moved to a new city so i am going to go to the local doctors and see what can be done about this....... I'm just scared....... Any advice please.................

[Photogeek]

Hi there and welcome, I think you are quite right to see a new Dr. In your new city and make sure to tell him all. It's usually quite easy for a Dr. To tell if you are BiPolar so I'm surprised that you think the diagnosis is wrong.

The main thing is to get a balanced mood, It's normal to feel alone when Depressed as we can feel isolated, but there is lots that you can do, your Boyfriend probably doesn't realise how hard it is for you, I think we need to understand this. And rather than expecting partners or friends to understand us, we must begin. To take charge of our lives and be proactive in our recovery.

Ask yourself questions like what can Improve? DIet. Excercise. Sleep. Social Contact and self help. There is help and maybe your Dr. Could refer you for Counselling or give you some pointers, but the one thing I would say is that Depression. Requires a lot of things to be addressed, lifestyle etc. and it's not just down to Medication as there is no magic pill. Let us know how you get on with new Dr.

Hannah

[chloe40]

Hi there FreeThinker91

A very warm welcome to our friendly Forum. Please acquaint yourself with our Community Guidelines on the right hand side on this page while you await replies, many thanks.

Chloe

[ShaneNwqy]

Hi there buddy.

Names Shane and I've been where you are now. Firstly you're not alone in this mental health issues are more in the public domain than they ever have been the key is to find a doctor that listens and you can talk to. I've personally had various ( let's say interesting ? ) experiences with doctors some are much better than others , I've seen one that drew me a diagram of I think it was supposed to be a flow chart , of mood swings and said it was all normal and that we all feel up and down, in my mind at the time I was picturing beating him with said flow chart a bit like you tap a puppy on the nose with a rolled newspaper but I resisted said urge 😂 .

In your case as you've moved to a new area gave you been in contact with the charity mind? They usually can offer a wealth of support and may know of doctors that are more in keeping with today's medical practices rather than the archaic approach by others.

I'd also say persevere with doctors until you find the right one, if you're not happy with a diagnosis remember you can ask for a second opinion with another, also don't be afraid to question medical diagnosis if you believe the doctor hasn't listened. Ask about referrals to the mental health team as they specialise in mental health care where as doctors are general diagnosis.

Lastly don't give up on it. It gets better and whilst there will always be rough times , me personally I've always got through them and you will too.

[Fi68]

Hello, I have been diagnosed as Bipolar Disorder Type 2 with complex PTSD. Just to let you know GP's don't diagnose this, a consultant psychiatrist has too, the GP may suspect you have it and will refer you onto secondary mental health services. Even if this happens, unless you have a clearly documented medical history of depression and hypomania/mania don't expect a quick diagnosis. It took 4 years before I was diagnosed and started on the right treatment. One reason for this is because it is a severe mental disorder and has implications for social and occupational activities, also the medications used to control the symptoms can become dangerous and need very frequent monitoring. Of course everybody experiences fluctuations in their mood, believe me if you have experienced a manic episode you soon know about it when you come down from the high. I have lost jobs, moved house, ended relationships, started relationships, broken the law, taken all sorts of things that were harmful, spent ridiculous amounts of money - many thousands, and travelled to other countries all in the space of a four day manic episode. It really is that extreme.

Balance is the key, it's no use expecting medication to sort the problems out. It helps keep you stable enough to be able to sort out all the s**t caused by the mania and depression. Whatever happens, whether you get diagnosed or not, learning to live life with balance is so important. Moving to a new city will be stressful and can be so lonely, so make some contacts, find out what services are available to young people with mental health concerns, eat well, sleep even better, get out and about, find the parks, use the local newsagents on the corner, if you put the effort in now you will reap the rewards. Good luck.