Thursday, January 31, 2002

OK, So It's Not Bipolar...

I went to my new psychiatrist today for the first time. He read my history, and we talked about a lot of stuff:

He tends to believe that I show symptoms of depression and ADD/ADHD. I'm going to take this test related to the ADD/ADHD stuff and see how I score. Doc seems to think I'll score high for ADD/ADHD.

Also, I'm having to change my meds, which I don't mind that much. One of the side effects of the Depakote is weight gain. Since I've been on it, I've gained about 30 lbs. So I'm looking forward to not having that. I'm increasing my dose of Wellbutrin, and gradually moving off the Effexor-XR and on Celexa.

I felt really great after the appointment because it was as though I'm getting a better understanding of who I am. I can get messed up about having these disorders, and when other things go awry in my life, I'm not always able to tell whether it's the disorder or some other weakness in my character.

Well, heck. I've gotta get home to my lovely wife and beautiful daughter.

1 comment:

andyosier said...

This comment is very late, Dan, but I wanted to tell you that this is exactly what happened to me when I was diagnosed with ADD.

I was diagnosed with chronic depression about ten years ago, but none of the meds I took really worked long term. They thought maybe I was bipolar, but I was never diagnosed. A few weeks ago, I went to a new psychologist who specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. He said we should take a look at Adult ADD, and referred me to a psychiatrist. He was able to tell pretty quickly from my history and a narrative my mom wrote that I had a classic case of inattentive type ADD. The diagnosis was a revelation for me as it pretty much explained all the problems I have been having since I was about six years old. Now I know that they can be dealt with and I have more hope for the future than I ever had before.

Thanks for sharing.