Thank you SO much for your article!
I believe bipolar disorder is GROSSLY overdiagnosed, overtreated, overmedicated and excessively used as a ticket to a disability check. I am severely Bipolar 1, classic pre DSM 1 case and perfectly stable (enough) again since my last attempt at "loosing the label and the meds." The ONLY time I nearly lost my job was after my first severe episode in 1995. Details aside, my family, friends, co-workers and bosses ALL had seen the frightfully bizarre behavior escalate, so they KNEW from time proven experience that I did not fall under any termination criteria. I needed to be in a hospital under close attention and care. I did not know anything was wrong. THEY knew something was terribly, terribly wrong. They just didn't know what to do having never seen such insanity before. (Bipolar is extremely rare- not 2% of society as the statistics claim. Mood swings are common in the human experience, even extreme swings. Bipolar is much much much more extreme, and usually has NO social, financial. emotional or other precipitator.)
I am still working full-time, take the minimum dose of ONE medication and do not consider myself nor am I disabled. I am different. I am so different I need treatment. I cannot compare this difference to any medically provable illness, disorder or disease because there are not medical tests to measure it. this is unfortunate but true. However, no one can measure ANY emotional reaction or response to specific stimuli, yet we can indeed experience sheer joy and great sorrow. I have experienced the polar extremes..(although joy and sorrow are not "feelings" when in these states.)
I have no idea if it's my brain, mind, body, soul or spirit that "take me there" but I suspect it is a combination of all since the state is a deep awareness or complete lack of all of the above. Awareness strikes and grows in the manic progression, and dives into a nothingness in the "depressed" state.
I parenthasize "depressed" and "manic" because I do now know what "mania" FEELS like if it is less severe, and I do not know what "depression" FEELS like in low or lower levels.
It's interesting to note that my "manic" episode(s) have ALL been gradual, so as not to alert me nor others till the final (at least MY final) stage. This creates the illusion that this is NORMAL enthusiasm and energy untill it is gradually and then suddenly unrecognizable. The "depressed" stage has ALWAYS dropped like a boulder. "Psychotic" suicide attempts were the result twice. I parenthisize "psychotic" because I have never FELT out of touch with reality. My interpretation and perception of reality never waivered during these episodes. The other reason I parenthisize manic, depression and psychotic is because they are so loosly tossed around, much like love and God.
This overdiagnosiswill probably continue and escalate due to everyone's license to do so and all of the power and money at stake. It's as if the world has gone financially and powerfully and seriosly bipolar in and of itself. It is most disturbing that it is a growing market, ESPECIALLY among our children!!!
I pray that the power behind the word God will use the anti-psychiatry AND the proponents of strickter regulation of criteria and diagnosis can meet at that powerful point someday.
Meanwhile, I will trudge along, alive to tell my story and voice my opinion.
To be is definitely better than not to be. I would not be at all if trained, professional, ethical and experienced sychiatrists had not intervened and continued to partner with me in my trial and error care. My hope is that I may help at least one true bipolar human to survive to tell their story as well. And so on and so on. One rare such person at a time.
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Thank you SO much for your article!
May 5, 2016 - 10:03amI believe bipolar disorder is GROSSLY overdiagnosed, overtreated, overmedicated and excessively used as a ticket to a disability check. I am severely Bipolar 1, classic pre DSM 1 case and perfectly stable (enough) again since my last attempt at "loosing the label and the meds." The ONLY time I nearly lost my job was after my first severe episode in 1995. Details aside, my family, friends, co-workers and bosses ALL had seen the frightfully bizarre behavior escalate, so they KNEW from time proven experience that I did not fall under any termination criteria. I needed to be in a hospital under close attention and care. I did not know anything was wrong. THEY knew something was terribly, terribly wrong. They just didn't know what to do having never seen such insanity before. (Bipolar is extremely rare- not 2% of society as the statistics claim. Mood swings are common in the human experience, even extreme swings. Bipolar is much much much more extreme, and usually has NO social, financial. emotional or other precipitator.)
I am still working full-time, take the minimum dose of ONE medication and do not consider myself nor am I disabled. I am different. I am so different I need treatment. I cannot compare this difference to any medically provable illness, disorder or disease because there are not medical tests to measure it. this is unfortunate but true. However, no one can measure ANY emotional reaction or response to specific stimuli, yet we can indeed experience sheer joy and great sorrow. I have experienced the polar extremes..(although joy and sorrow are not "feelings" when in these states.)
I have no idea if it's my brain, mind, body, soul or spirit that "take me there" but I suspect it is a combination of all since the state is a deep awareness or complete lack of all of the above. Awareness strikes and grows in the manic progression, and dives into a nothingness in the "depressed" state.
I parenthasize "depressed" and "manic" because I do now know what "mania" FEELS like if it is less severe, and I do not know what "depression" FEELS like in low or lower levels.
It's interesting to note that my "manic" episode(s) have ALL been gradual, so as not to alert me nor others till the final (at least MY final) stage. This creates the illusion that this is NORMAL enthusiasm and energy untill it is gradually and then suddenly unrecognizable. The "depressed" stage has ALWAYS dropped like a boulder. "Psychotic" suicide attempts were the result twice. I parenthisize "psychotic" because I have never FELT out of touch with reality. My interpretation and perception of reality never waivered during these episodes. The other reason I parenthisize manic, depression and psychotic is because they are so loosly tossed around, much like love and God.
This overdiagnosiswill probably continue and escalate due to everyone's license to do so and all of the power and money at stake. It's as if the world has gone financially and powerfully and seriosly bipolar in and of itself. It is most disturbing that it is a growing market, ESPECIALLY among our children!!!
I pray that the power behind the word God will use the anti-psychiatry AND the proponents of strickter regulation of criteria and diagnosis can meet at that powerful point someday.
Meanwhile, I will trudge along, alive to tell my story and voice my opinion.
To be is definitely better than not to be. I would not be at all if trained, professional, ethical and experienced sychiatrists had not intervened and continued to partner with me in my trial and error care. My hope is that I may help at least one true bipolar human to survive to tell their story as well. And so on and so on. One rare such person at a time.
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