Science has proven that bipolar disorder, unipolar disorder (depression), and schizophrenia - in all its types - are interconnected in numerous and unique ways. What's your experience with any of these? Have you been diagnosed with one or more? Are you worried you may have one of these illnesses? How about your friends? Your family? Your neighbor? Do they struggle with depression or bipolar disorder? How about schizoaffective disorder, an illness which combines schizophrenia and bipolar disorder or depression?
How have any one of these mental illnesses touched your life?
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My psychiatrist was very frank with me and said that I have either bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder. He's been good and true to me for the year I've been working with him, but it’s hard for me to understand what he is trying to tell me. For all he is doing, he's practically writing it out in big, bold black words, saying "You're crazy". I'm now very afraid of whatever diagnosis they'll give me, because it will follow me for life. My psychiatrist is leaning more towards bipolar disorder, but my psychotherapist is leaning towards the schizoaffective diagnosis. I can almost imagine them sitting in either of their offices, playing rock-paper-scissors or flipping a coin just to pick a label for me. I pray it's only bipolar disorder.
My psychotherapist, whilst saying that I'm schizo, says that they won't diagnose any patient with schizophrenia until that patient reaches the age of eighteen, and I'm only fifteen now. I just want to get a diagnosis and get it done and over with. That in and of itself would take a great deal of stress off of my shoulders.
How have any one of these mental illnesses touched your life?
____________________________________________________
My psychiatrist was very frank with me and said that I have either bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder. He's been good and true to me for the year I've been working with him, but it’s hard for me to understand what he is trying to tell me. For all he is doing, he's practically writing it out in big, bold black words, saying "You're crazy". I'm now very afraid of whatever diagnosis they'll give me, because it will follow me for life. My psychiatrist is leaning more towards bipolar disorder, but my psychotherapist is leaning towards the schizoaffective diagnosis. I can almost imagine them sitting in either of their offices, playing rock-paper-scissors or flipping a coin just to pick a label for me. I pray it's only bipolar disorder.
My psychotherapist, whilst saying that I'm schizo, says that they won't diagnose any patient with schizophrenia until that patient reaches the age of eighteen, and I'm only fifteen now. I just want to get a diagnosis and get it done and over with. That in and of itself would take a great deal of stress off of my shoulders.
May 5th, 2008 at 10:19pm