Hi All,
I am literally dumbfounded. I've been diagnosed, medicated and treated for 23 years (I'm 45) for Major Depressive Disorder and yesterday a relatively new prescribing psychiatrist said he thought I had Bipolar II. From what I've read so far, it seems he's right! It never even occurred to me because I never once have had a manic episode. I've had periods of EXTREME depression, followed by periods of "being ok" and have engaged in risky behaviors on and off thru the years. The various antidepressants help, but not greatly. About 3 months ago, I couldn't shake the latest depressive spell, which I thought was due to trying to cope with a chronic illness. I considered ECT but tried Abilify instead. The doc thinks with my history and the fact that I had some improvement with the Abilify, Bipolar II is likely.
I'm fine with that because it opens up a whole new avenue to find a more effective treatment. I now want to learn alot more about Bipolar II. There are a lot of books and would love to get a recommendation instead of just picking one willy-nilly. Thanks in advance :) I have new hope and that makes a huge difference for me.
Stephanie