the strugge of being misdiagnosed
when i was 17, i was hospitalized in two different psychiatric hospitals. prior to being admitted, i was diagnosed with major depression and anxiety. amongst my hospital stays and post therapy sessions, i was also diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, PTSD and bipolar disorder. during this time, i was struggling heavy with my depression and anxiety, i was actively self harming and using drugs and alcohol and fell into psychosis. i was medicated heavily, anti psychotics, antidepressants and anti anxieties. a few years later, i stopped taking my medication and stopped seeing my doctors. naturally, things got worse. i began seeing a new doctor who started me on seroquel, to treat my insomnia and schizoaffective symptoms. i have been on seroquel for about 7 years now, it helps, but i hate what it’s done to my body. anyway, i had a session with my doctor recently who finally told me what i had always suspected, that she doesn’t believe i have schizoaffective, that she does in fact think i have MDD with psychotic features. i remain on seroquel, for i fear to change or add any medications to my regimen due to trauma. i worry i have never been treated properly, that my past therapies were focusing on the wrong issues.
today, in present time, i am struggling with my bipolar symptoms, my depression, my addictions with SH and PTSD and my sleep disorders. i can’t afford therapy, i have no one to talk to. i don’t know what to do, so here i am.
@AlexaAmoroso2
I am so sorry to hear all that you have been through, it's so brave of you to be so open and honest. There are many options here, you can browse through a list of listeners and find one who you think best fits you and chat privately. You can chat in the support rooms, they are safe spaces and non judgemental with some great people or you can chat here in these forums, with other people who are going through similar and can relate and offer advice about their own experiences. Welcome to seven cups and I hope you find the support you need 💜🥰
@AlexaAmoroso2
I'm sorry this is what your experience has been like. I think probably the majority of us in this community have had many similar experiences to yours (me being one of those people). Something about being on the schizophrenia spectrum makes things so complicated our doctors fall into old patterns, like diagnosing every other woman in the hospital with borderline personality disorder. Everything started out when I was 17 and got hospitalized as well, so we have the same starting block.
In my experience, I knew I had bipolar disorder when I was 20, but the doctor at the hospital who I'd never met before decided I couldn't have it because I'd never been hospitalized with a manic episode before (which is in no way a criterion for diagnosis.) I went three years being misdiagnosed because of that. Then I finally got the bipolar diagnosis and it changed everything. I'm on seroquel for sleep too.
This stuff is hard and our society needs a lot of work when it comes to stigma and medical expenses, etc. But here at 7cups we've got each others' backs. It's good that you posted your struggles here so you can get some of that support.
It sounds like you're in a kind of whirlwind right now, and I'm really sorry about that, but it will be over quickly, so for now we'll do our best to help you persevere!
