Diagnosed bipolar l today terrified!!

[Simlevy1977]

Hi need some advise been diagnosed with bipolar l today after 15 years of being treated for depression having told doctors for years I have intense highs and lows, have been put on depakote does any body take these as am worried am on 250mg morning and 500mg at night worried about side effects and the fact I have been diagnosed, very tearful. Just looking for some support from people who understand

[momodee]

Hi, there-

I was in a similar situation... i was treated first with an anxiety disorder, then several years later with a depressive disorder.. finally I went to a psyciatrist instead of my doctor and he diagnosed me with bipolar 1.
An upside to being diagnosed is now you and your doctor can work on the right medication. there are tooons of different meds out there for bipolar, and the right combonation (usually bipolar is treated with a "cocktail" of 2-3 different meds) should make you feel NORMAL and well. This is not to say that you should feel overly 'giddy', or sedated. But when me and my doc finally found the right combonation, i felt I had a whole spectrum of normal emotion, from happy to sad, without the extreme ends of both. I tried zoloft, ability, and something else i cant quite remember- now I am taking lithium and limictal.

It is easiest to think of your diagnosis as part of your personality. being bipolar isn't all so bad- like me you probably feel emotions very intensely and passionately. I am guessing you may be creative or inventive. You probably think about more about ideas than things and often are contemplative. At least, that is what I have experenced with bipolar friends of mine. Being bipolar is a bumpy ride, but can sometimes be even more rewarding.

If you have any questions, please let me know, I was diagnosed about two years ago and would be glad to help.

[Simlevy1977]

Thank you for your reply, I now use this forum daily, it's nice to know I am not alone in this and am starting to get my head around what I can do to help myself along side my medication. Side effects don't seem to be to bad thankfully feeling a little weird, confused and fuzzy but other then that nothing I have really noticed. Regards sim

[hopefulforfuture]

Hi i am a chronic depressive 39 years old on and off antidepressants ..
For sometime  i am on Depakote and let me tell you  except for weight gain i didnt have any sideeffect .. Dont worry too much  ..

Also  i know it feel very bad when you get diagnosed think that from now on your treatment will get more effective as mood stabilisers help bipolar ...

And in many people it takes many years to get a bipolar diagnosis ..
And lastly this site is wonderful .. And lots of info including videos . Read other peoples questions and answers , comments etc
welcome to the club ( dont worry 1 in 4 people have mental illness )  and 80 million people in world have bipolar  
refer statistics  .. hey check the videos here .. pretty good ..
keep in touch  
regards