I agree with Matt. I know in my experiences, I'll go on medication, feel great, and then discontinue the medication. I know, on an intellectual level, it's illogical to do so, but I'm so eager just to be ME without the pills that I talk myself into doing it. From what I understand this is VERY common for people who suffer from various mental illnesses (and, I imagine, some low or no symptom physical illnesses also, though I don't want to speculate).
And the 2nd part is the real trap: when you have a euphoric episode, and all of a sudden you're super-productive, and confident, and you feel like a winner. That's tough enough to resist, but even more so when you're so used to being depressed.
As for the question on diagnosis, there is a certain degree of interpretation involved in diagnosing a mental illness. Anybody can tell if a leg is broken, or if lymph nodes are swollen, etc. A mental health professional has to draw certain inferences based on his or her own observations and the accounts of the patient. Personally, even though I suspected my diagnosis was correct, I sought another (and was given the same answer). It's not unreasonable to do so IMHO.
Now, in terms of the "only one manic episode" thing, you could be a Type II Bipolar. For that type, often the manic episodes are very rare, and (in my experience) there isn't always a ton of qualitative difference between Type II BPD and clinical depression.
If you trust your mental health professional, you should seek his or her counsel on life-management skills going forward.View Thread
I was recently diagnosed, after spending my adult life pretty much knowing. I guess the one thing I really try to impress upon my wife (and when they get a bit older, my kids), is that it's not their fault. It's not anything they're doing or not doing. I imagine, for the families of BPDs, doubt creeps in about that from time to time.
I guess my point is this: try to keep that in mind at the times it seems most difficult to do so, and try to make sure your kids know it, too. These episodes are internal, and not a reflection on her love or happiness with her family. I appreciate the effort my wife makes to keep that in mind when I'm at my lowest points, and I'm sure your wife will appreciate it also.View Thread