Vania Zuniga writes how being diagnosed with Bipolar disorder was “the best thing that ever happened to her”. She tells how resistant she was to first being diagnosed with depression, then having to take medication, and finally coming to accept the Bipolar diagnosis. Vania says,
I was one of the 71% of people misdiagnosed with depression
In her article in Prevention, Vania tells how she had her first episode at 20. She was in college and was socially active. It was her friends who pointed out that her behavior was out of the norm for a college undergraduate. She was staying up all night for multiple days and taking on more tasks than she could complete. By her own account she
was tearful as well as paranoid and scared of things that wouldn’t have freaked me out in the past. I stopped putting on “real” clothes and just wore whatever was within reach. I just didn’t care anymore about anything. My friends encouraged me to see our school counselor, so I did.
However, it would take a 2 psychiatric hospitalizations, family meetings and intensive outpatient treatment before she accepted that she needed help and became more compliant with treatment. Vania would go on and off her medications and did not fully utilize her therapy sessions.
Now she is greatful that she recieved the proper diagosis. She is better able to manage her moods and has become a wife and registered nurse. In her own words,
Getting a proper bipolar disorder diagnosis is like putting together different pieces of a puzzle, which makes it something that’s not easily diagnosed.
As she said, it is a process to obtain the correct diagnosis. Thorough investigation is needed by the therapist, psychiatrist, and your primary care physician. You may even need a psychologist to administer objective tests to help clarify your diagnosis. Some physical health problems can look like psychological disorders. Those need to be ruled out as well. Do you have hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, diabetes or any neurological issues? Do have other acute medical issues that caused a drastic and sudden change in your mood or personality? Mental and Medical health professionals will work to put the puzzle pieces together to diagnose and treat you.