Diagnosis?

[Jamesh77]

I think I'm suffering with bi polar symptoms. Anybody no How I would get a proper diagnosis? Doctor just gives me sertraline says anxiety /depression symptoms I just feel lost not knowing were I'm at!

[DMM218]

I don't know much about the criteria for diagnosis but if you can keep a mood diary that might help. Try and think back over the last year and write down times, events when you were high or manic. GP often see the depression, the negative but not the positive as patients feel great! So doing a diary tracks it better. Hope that helps.

[Jamesh77 in reply to DMM218]

Thanks I have wrote things down think I'll take docs on next visit

[joeyawesomo]

Hi James,

You could ask for a referral to Mental Health but expect a very long wait. The reality is funding for Mental health isn't there. Again this is just my own experience.

Alternatively you could use a private service and go private or use a online service that provides UK Psychiatrist in under 72 hours via video consultation.

A Psychiatrist is the only person who can diagnose.

More importantly whats important is getting better. Could I suggest creating a mood diary to monitor your moods?

Mental Health sucks in the UK, I personally went private as I wasn't getting anywhere with my own GP.

Hope you feel better soon

Joey

[Jamesh77 in reply to joeyawesomo]

Thanks I have wrote things down over time I'll look in to what you've said

[joeyawesomo]

Best of luck. If you go private I paid £300 for a Diagnosis / Treatment plan - I did it through the online consultation who then write to my GP with the prescribed medication. Really helped me.

[Suzie40]

What makes you think it may be bipolar? I've had depression on and off for almost 18 years and only in the last year has my mood started to bounce around between feelings of sadness and euphoria. I've started talking to my CPN about mood disorders, but I don't think mine reach the severity for a diagnosis of bipolar.

[Jamesh77 in reply to Suzie40]

I guess I just feel like a completely different person I seem to be spending money I don't have with no regard for the consequences my sexual actions can be erratic ie engaging in one night stands at other times just have no interest at all I seem to be always thinking never feel relaxed feel like Ive let myself and family down have had suicidal thoughts and that's just a few things?

[Charlie23]

Hi, Getting a proper diagnosis can be difficult. I experienced symptoms for 10 years before I was finally correctly diagnosed with Bipolar and ADHD. I went down the usual route of seeing my GP and trying to get referred to a community mental health team with little success. Eventually I went privately and got a diagnosis and treatment plan. I know someone else posted about going privately but I would highly recommend it. Also as previously mentioned keeping a mood chart/diary is extremely useful I have an app on my phone so I can keep track on the go.

[Jamesh77 in reply to Charlie23]

Thanks the reply whats the app you use?

[Charlie23 in reply to Jamesh77]

The app's called Daylio.

[Jamesh77]

Thanks

[jadie302]

i know what you mean. Idk what's wrong with me or if there is anything wrong with me or if i'm just being dramatic. my boyfriend is my only real friend and he lives in Florida until next year and i live up north. my dad finds it interesting because he said im either really animated or really nasty (i can be pretty irritable towards my family when i'm tired coming home from work or school). i have nothing to do but work and college and pay crazy bills. I miss having a life. I don't feel like i am worthless, i know i am that bitch (excuse my french). i dont know. im pretty confident i think. my boyfriend thinks im overly confident sometimes but i used to be reallly insecure and sometimes i have to fake it you know. but i know my worth. i have nothing to do anymore, and all i want to do is have fun or go shopping and buy all clothes and get my nails done and makeup and girly things. i love to buy things to make me feel better, especially when im lonely. but then i feel bad later on because i spent money. i don't have money for myself anymore. with car insurance, college textbooks, phone bills etc. i remember last summer i spent ALL of my money because i felt like my money was gonna be all gone on bills so i might as well just spend it on myself. but then it took me a really long time to recover and i learned that's not smart. so now im a really hard penny pincher. I make 20 bucks last a week for gas only. i just don't know. there's periods where i wake up EVERY night at 4 am for NO REASON. literally days in a row i will wake up at the same time. I even remember going to bed like at 1 am one time and STILL woke up at 4. my dad says it's hormones but idk. and it takes me like 30 minutes before i can go back to sleep. sometimes i get sad bc im lonely and i feel like i have no one. i remember feeling like this in middle school when i didn't really go out much. but when i go out i forget about it. i like going out. but i hate going out and being around people i feel like dont care about me. and a lot of people dont care about me. my "friends" used me. my dad doesn't talk to me anymore (1 month strong) literally at all. since the time he threw me out in the middle of the night. i dont know if im pmsing rn but i have been crying everyday for the past 3 days. ik sometimes it stupid things like yesterday i burned my pizza. i dont know if my birth control is taking over but i feel okay. i know since i took it i been more emotional. but it was cool earlier in the year when i had friends. and i also know that in middle school i didnt have birth control and i cut myself once to see if it would make me feel better but i didnt and i never did it again. i used to think of death in middle school too. i think i recall wanting to choke myself with my sheets and tied it around my neck tight. i thought middle school was just a phase you know. bc i got over it when i made friends and went out and partied a lot. but i feel very similar to how i felt then. sad bc im lonely. like i have no one. ive always been a good student though, i have a 4.0 in college rn. idk if you read this all thank you. let me know what you think. is it just hormones from birth control and pms or do i have a deeper issue.