Bi polar symptoms

[Lemonfunk]

Hello ,

This is the first time I've ever asked an online community for guidance or help ,

I have come to belief I am bi polar ... I'm in therapy atm but it's just started so haven't had a diagnosis buy in trying to work out what the hell is wrong with me I have begun ticking the boxes relating to this disorder , I tick them all on every test. I know I'm depressed and I have mood swings but the bi polar thing scares me ... and I scare everyone I love with my behaviour . I know drs don't like patients telling them anything so how can I bring up my concern for my mental well-being without getting off on the wrong foot ..

I need help and my family needs me to get help ..

i appreciate any replies I'm not in a good space atm and just want to get better

Thank you

[Sophie_M]

Hi Lemonfunk!

Thank you so much for joining our community here in the forums! We are very happy to meet you and there are several members here who we are quite sure can help!

The journey to a diagnosis can be truly stressful, even if the help it brings is truly liberating and clarifying. It is ok to feel frustrated and even a little scared but having the knowledge of what you are up against can be a genuine win as well. a good resource is to have a look through all  of the directories and services at Bipolar Australia, which you can find here

Don't ever hesitate in asking for further information and clarity from your Doctors and Specialists. Remember always that you are the only expert on you, and your professionals are there to support your health. Always tell them when things just don't seem to be working. If that EVER causes problems, seek second opinions!

We also want to invite you to reach out if ever you need any support at all! You can call us on 1300 22 4636 or click here to start a webchat with us.

Please do not hesitate to reach out, Lemonfunk - and thank you again for becoming a member of our forum community!

Regards,

Sophie M.

[Lemonfunk]

Thank you for welcoming me, its difficult to find a safe space

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi Lemonfunk,

Welcome! I'm really glad you decided to join us and looks like Sophie has given you some great support already. I'm sorry to hear how much you're struggling.

Sophie is totally right about the doctors. If your doctor doesn't like you telling them things, then they aren't the right doctor for you! I can say that from experience because the trick with mental health is that you do have to advocate for yourself a bit and work as a team with your GP. If you are concerned that you have Bipolar, you deserve to be taken seriously by your GP and your therapist whether you have it or not.

What is it that scares you about the diagnosis? Feel free to share or let us know how we can support you. You can say as much or as little as you like here.

rt

[Lemonfunk]

What scares me is the reaction I'll receive when people find out ...

my family already thinks I'm a psycho and tell me constantly so I'm afraid that when I have a mental health diagnosis then they will see themselves as right and I will lose more than I have already .

my supports have already told me they can't deal with my crap ... I've been struggling for yrs with debilitating pain from nerve damage and cluster headaches . I've been separated from my kids I have had to move into my mom's house because I can't control myself when I feel rejected or invalidated.

I'm loosing more everyday and getting help for me means just confirming what people say and think .. even if I get help I still have lost what's most important to me ..

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi Lemonfunk,

Glad to hear back from you.

Maybe it's worth exploring with your therapist what a diagnosis like this could mean for you, because it sounds like there's good things and bad things about it.

My family have said similar things and they aren't aware of my diagnoses. For me personally, it's a lose-lose. Your parents thoughts of you being psycho (other than being totally inaccurate and misinformed) are the same sadly whether or not you have a diagnosis.

It's sad to hear about your parents, and your supports (well, "supports") and I can only imagine what it's like to be separated from your kids.

A diagnosis is a heavy weight, but I wonder if it would help to acknowledge that one morning you wouldn't have that label, and that afternoon you might? Nothing about you changed. Nothing got worse. The people there this morning are still there this afternoon.

There's also the possibility that you could have therapy and not look for a diagnosis too. That instead of focusing on box ticking and what's wrong with you, therapy could focus on what's right with you and coping with the things you're struggling with.

I'm probably rambling now! Sorry 🙂

rt