*14 March 2011* *WASHINGTON* : Bipolar disorder can often be confused with depression, unless there is a second opinion.
Researchers have found that as many as 69 percent of initial diagnoses of people with bipolar disorder were incorrect, underlining the importance of seeking a second opinion. For instance, a patient Eric Wilson struggled for decades with depression that often left him despondent, but never thought about getting a second opinion. After decades of broken relationships, multiple flirtations with suicide, and manic highs and lows, he received his final and accurate diagnosis of bipolar II mixed. A patient of bipolar disorder alternates between two extremes, an overly joyful or hyper-excited (manic episode) and extremely sad, hopeless state (depressive episode). This form of bipolar disorder is difficult to diagnose because the patients often are highly functioning and extremely productive, according to a Wake Forest University statement. With bipolar, the wrong medication can have devastating effects, plunging a patient into a deeper depression or into rapid cycles of highs and lows. Wilson credits the loving persistence of his wife and the wonder of his daughter for pushing him beyond that first incorrect diagnosis of his disease. “It was a very long process that required a lot of patience and a lot of flexibility, but it’s paid off beautifully,” concludes Wilson. http://www.thehindu.com/health/medicine-and-research/article1537369.ece -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Mental Health Advocacy (News 'N Views) India" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/MhaNewsViewsIndia?hl=en ------------- Affiliated Groups : MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY INDIA [email protected] Discussions on mental health law / policy / plan monitoring / human rights etc [email protected] India-specific news and views related to mental health [email protected] Information and support to carers of people with mental health issues [email protected] Mutual support and sharing of experiential knowledge, skills and social learning amongst peers
