my current dr is the only one who even thought i had add.i showed him a book about living with add.100 examples of which i had 94.i asked to to show me with such certainty of the presence of bipolar he could not.add seems to be circumstance driven were manic episodes are random.of the hundreds of times my actions were to say the least wrong every time there was confrintation.i am 53 yrs old and when i was 5 my mother had me on a leash because i would dart in the street.this is frustrating because when i show a list of about 50 patterns of past behavior they photo copy than put in file without reading it simply put how do correctly test if one or both are present
Q: how common is it for adults to be misdiagnosed with bipolar instead of add.
Answers (1)
2/ 7/09 4:54pm
Wow, Ozme, what a story.
It just reminds me that we, in the end, are really the managers of our own health -- and why I love sites like this is it is real people sharing real stories/experiences from real life.
There is no substitute for a great doctor -- but some doctors don't fit right, and all humans make mistakes. It is great that you keep pushing on this, and should work closely with your doctor.
BTW, Both ADD and Bi-poloar illness are such tough and complicated conditions. There really is not sure-fire test (like a blood test) that can give 100 percent certainty. But they are distinct issues (though there is sometimes over lap), only you and your doctor really watching the symptoms and the approach regularly can hone down what is best for you.
I think it is fabulous that you keep pushing.
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