The nurse practitioner I'm seeing about my ADHD diagnosed me with bipolar disorder

She literally could not have surprised me more if she tried

This makes no sense to me but it's scaring me a lot :(

I don't really remember having manic episodes? Depressive maybe but it's usually after something bad happens to me and not really consistently....

I told her I put off making this appointment cuz I've been feeling really bad recently, then she just asked me a few questions like if people say I talk too much sometimes or if I do things impulsively and prescribed me an antipsychotic (aripiprazole) wtf

I asked some family and they haven't noticed anything like this... idk :(. Has this happened to anyone else? Am I just in denial? I'm afraid to take this drug she gave cuz I really don't need to be even more tired all the time... or tardive dyskinesia or something (unlikely, worst case)

  • very_poggers_gay [they/them]
    ·
    8 months ago

    actually got an ADHD diagnosis from a psychologist at this clinic. It's weird, this is my 2nd visit with her (nurse practitioner) about it and after the atomoxetine she gave me didn't help she wants to treat me for bipolar

    Sorry I'm double replying to you, but it sounds like the nurse is abandoning your ADHD diagnosis and assuming bipolar because your current ADHD meds weren't working? If so, why not try a different medication for ADHD if that is what your psychologist (an actual mental health professional) diagnosed you with?

    Most psych meds, including those for ADHD, are kind of random with how much they work for different people. I don't know the statistics for ADHD meds, but I know like 50% of people who try an antidepressant don't experience any favorable effects. Not responding well to a specific treatment doesn't mean you don't have the thing you're trying to treat. I have a few friends with ADHD who had to experiment with different dosages from different medications before finding what worked for them.

    Sorry i get kinda frustrated hearing about shitty mental healthcare, it can be such a brutal process but it shouldn't be guts-pain