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Thursday 30 August 2012

Diagnosis: Who Knows?

Pin It I had an appointment with my psychiatrist this week.

How draining.

He asked me what my biggest problem was at the moment. I told him it was anxiety. I am constantly worried about multiple things. I have been like this since I was a very young child, and still am today.

This anxiety affects me on multiple levels, as it leads to me not being able to sleep, which causes various body aches and pain, more migraines, feeling more irritable and impatient.

He feels like I've possibly bean misdiagnosed. He said that last time he had spoken to me, he had stamped me as bipolar, but couldn't really specify the type (OK, he didn't say stamped, but you get what I mean).

Now he feels that possibly the 5 psychiatrists I've seen before him were wrong, that my problem is more likely generalized anxiety disorder.

I agree that I most likely suffer from that disorder, but it's hard for me to swallow that I might not be bipolar after all.

I definitely get periods of hypomania. I'm high, super alert, engrossed in something or other, I talk too fast, my teeth chatter, I get shaky. I don't sleep and feel fine for days (until my body goes into shut down mode and gives me migraines that bring me to my knees in order to force a semi coma on me).

He's recommending my doctor add Seroquel to the Lamictal I'm already taking, which is suppose to help with anxiety and sleep. It can lead to weight gain, which I'm not too happy about, but if you follow the link above, you'll see a ton of other horrifying side effects to be considered. I suppose I'll start it and see what happens.

I'm willing to try anything at this point. My fears and anxiety have me paralyzed, and I'm stagnating instead of living. I suppose it would be better to be happy and chubbier that to keep feeling worthless and unproductive.

Much love,
Felicia

5 comments:

  1. My daughter(Borderline Personality Disorder) takes Lamictal,Risperidone,and Klonopin. She has symptoms of many things including Schizophrenia.

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  2. I was on Seroquel for a while and detested it, I am still trying to cope with the fallout. I hope it works better for you.

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  3. Yes, my psychiatrist diagnosed me with GAD earlier this year. He said something that is so obvious it floored me. He said, "People with GAD just worry all the time." That describes me to a T and it was somewhat of a relief to have a (rather obvious) label attached to how I was feeling.

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  4. Have you ever considered investigating a underlying biochemical disorder such Pyroluria and the related conditions under and over methylation. Took me 8 years to find out I had Pyroluria and man did I suffer until I found out. It's a bit alternative looking at Pyroluria but I had tried everything else and I wasn't only being affected by mental issues but also by a type of chronic fatigue. Good luck with finding a healthy you.

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  5. Thank you for your comments everyone.
    @rolling my eyes: sorry to hear about your daughter's struggles. It is so hard to see our children suffer. My oldest is 7, and I worry about him, as he is very much like me when I was his age. I'm trying hard to guide him and teach him lessons to help him avoid my mistakes, but also worry about stiffling him. We are who we are, after all.
    @ driving peace: seeing many professionals recently, as I explained what I worry about (everything) and when (all the time) I have anxiety, a couple of them have said this simple phrase: "wow, that must be exhausting). Like you, this simple phrase really hit home. Yes, it is damn exhausting.
    @pyroluria life: I will have to look more deeply into this subject, thank you. I answered a simple quiz on one website and seems plausible, some of the symptoms I don't have, but other family members have exhibited. Kinda hope I don't have it though... Dang, that's quite a tongue twister!

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