Pick a Diagnosis

Pick A Diagnosis

Diagnosing a Mental Illness

I was put on an antidepressant right after my first child. I don't remember getting a diagnosis. Ten years later, l was diagnosed with depression by my GP. Seven years after that, 2011 l think, I had a major spiral of depression and addiction. I was given a new diagnosis: Bipolar. This diagnosis never felt right, but that is what the doctor said. It wasn't until I got my addiction under control that I figured out I wasn't Bipolar.  So I was back to Clinical Depression. This was not a perfect fit, but that is all I had.  Three years after the spiral, I am still struggling. I am getting better, but I'm not cured yet.  I have done a lot of reading, and I came across an article about Major Depressive Disorder. I am going to do more research, but this seems to fit. 

Now for the intended post:

My point from the above rant, was that diagnosing a mental illness is challenging.  There is not perfect box of symptoms that fit everyone. My depression is unique from your depression.  There are many different types of Mental Illness and everyone has different symptoms.  In my experience, If you have any kind of depression, you are put on antidepressants. while I do agree, antidepressants are usually necessary, they aren't a complete cure.

The area I live in does not have access to good mental health tools. Maybe in other areas, there are better resources. For me, I have been left to research and teach myself about my depression. It has been good for me. I have learned a lot about myself and about my depression. It is not about a diagnosis. It is about the whole person.

It is a disease of the mind. Medication helps, but I started getting better when I began researching "me" more than just  a diagnosis.