Has your doctor ever considered treating you with a mood stabilizer like lithium, Depakote, or lamictal? One of those might really help you. I believe that meds can really help- they are not a cure, but without them, most of us can't function at all for long periods of time. In your case, misdiagnosis is possible, perhaps you should your ask your doc why she hasn't considered bipolar in your case?

Thats why i switched doctors because i thought something else was wrong. my therapist did mention today that the doctor may put me on one of these drugs. i dont see the doctor till july 20th. i am going through our local mental health facility since i have no insurance and it is usally a long wait. thanks for the feedback :)

Cls... My meds have made me want to live again and my daughter said " I got my mom back" after I was put on them.
It took years before I was diognosed correctly. Big hugs and God Bless you!
Sunny

Let me start by saying that there is no such thing as "Normal." We bipolars have to come to grips with the reality that suffering and pain are a part of life. Suffering and pain is a part of every life, bipolar or otherwise.

Meds do help...but they will never full extinguish the pain and suffering that is a reality of the universe. We have to learn to change our thinking. We have to learn to accept ourselves. There is divinity in every soul on this Earth...some just choose to concentrate on the negative. Regretfully I'm still one of those people. There is hope out there, though. If there wasn't...u woudn't exist.

Trust in something bigger then yourself and trust whatever that is (whether it be God or whatever) to get you through the struggle.

Take Care

And don't put your hope in a magic pill to cure all your sadness because that I promise u is something that never will exist.

Meds keep you stable, no doubt. But they also deaden you, and have terrible physical side effects. Bipolar is over-diagnosed. It seems like a fashionable catch- all these days.

I was on meds for 10 years and experienced a continually decreasing quality of life. I addressed the major issues in my life - quality. Like sleep, exercise, nutrition, spiritual, intellectual, artistic. I have been med free for 5 years. I like my life, I have lost 70 or 80 lbs, and if others don't like the way I am, that is their problem.

I think that rather than trying meds, address your lifestyle first. If that doesn't work, consider it as an alternative. I know I was diagnosed with GAD at one point. Turned out it was a side effect of the drugs I was on - I am not even talking about bipolar meds, but meds for my auto-immune disorders. That is what I call give meds to cover up the side effects of meds.

There really are no magic pills. Take control of your life, and you will be better off. (I am not just speaking to you cis, but the entire community generally) Please don't blast me, I won't respond.

I think alot of these disorders overlap themselves and you just might be having both bipolar and gad.

Thank you all for your advice. Makes me feel some better. I am hoping doctor will start me on new medicine and have better luck than what i have had so far.

Yes. My meds make me feel as normal as I possibly can ever feel, but it's not a cure all. I still have manic and depressions, but not as severe or as often. I've learned to just accept , these are the cards I was dealt. These are what my symptoms are, they come and go, I can recognize when I am manic and I can recogonize when I am depressed and I know they both just have to take their course. So I "am" more patient now with it than I use to be.