There is a book review of "Living Well" by McManamy in the APA, read it for yourself, it's not too favorable of a review from a medical journal. APA Living Well book review. Then of course I have an opinion about how Pharma and a self-appointed authority late bloomer bipolar author are part of this--and I speak as a late blooming dx'er myself, and I'm starting to question that, based on my belief that we can all have a mental health crisis at some point in our lives, and that people like me got swept into the over dx'ing and 50% of America is mentally ill discussion. Like a fish net cast out there, that paradigm snagged my youngest child and myself into a broad spectrum of which I disagree. She is not and has never been bipolar, after 8 years and many doctors it's "basic psychosis", she hears voices. I had a break down, and got over it. The meds I'm taking are such a low dose the docs can't decide if im a person who needs low doses or if its a placebo and human determination effect the med is having. I'm thinking my clarity is coming from within, because of my age, and anyone in there 40's should have been wildly out of control for years to base a diagnosis on. [just my opinion, that is getting more critical everyday, and for good reason.]

I was one of the semi lucky ones, diagnosed at 21, but even my pdoc says I should have been diagnosed about16-17. Doesn't matter now.

I am fascinated how people who are diagnosed in later years- umm, say 35 and older treat their diagnoses opposed to people like me who are diagnosed relatively young and struggle for years with it, and my family still struggles with it. Yes, this is talking in generalities, but it seems to me the later the diagnosis, the more acceptance one has and the more "Out of the closet" they are with the diagnosis.

As a BP advocate I cannot help but wonder if this is where the new pool were the new advocates will come from. Baby Boomers just diagnosed.

How will they play with the other generation?

Might be fascinating to watch.

Just a shame they didn't pick a better health journalist to join their club..... our boy in Seattle.

Shame when dx-ing us "late bloomers", they don't look at what life circumstances are going on at the time, and/or physical causes. I'll bet that is not included in the survey...I'm not taking-or looking at it, btw. I'm still too bitter. bipolar-my a*s.

It baffles me that one's situation isn't considered more when diagnosing mental illness. Back in 1997, my life was a mess and I'm sure that some over-zealous psychiatrist could have diagnosed me with some sort of disorder, but - as I usually put it - feeling fucked up in a fucked up situation is NOT fucked up. That is, in fact, NORMAL. Feeling NORMAL in a fucked up situation is fucked up.

Perhaps my use of the vernacular disqualifies my comments from consideration by reputable authorities, but whatevs. Fuck them :)

"feeling fucked up in a fucked up situation is NOT fucked up. That is, in fact, NORMAL. Feeling NORMAL in a fucked up situation is fucked up." -Puckett

It took me all day to think of that. Bravo.

Being a pure late-onset (i.e. I was put on an SSRI for anxiety and it all went downhill from there) 'bipolar', I actually found taking the survey cathartic. What, no option to say I was 'properly' diagnosed by no one but me? No option to say my symptoms came AFTER starting and WITH continuing 'treatment'? No option to say that the med that worked for me was "going off all the meds"? And on and on, with lots of comment boxes to vent in and ask how those Zyprexa lawsuits are going. Not too smart on their part. ;) Cathartic, I tell you!

Shame when dx-ing us "late bloomers", they don't look at what life circumstances are going on at the time, and/or physical causes.

Ditto-I got this bull-shit Dx at age of 38-LOL-I had been in and out of psy system since I was 17-When the Psy gave me this Dx-well we had shouting match-I say-Iam only Dxed with this cos your side shifted the Goal Posts 2 include any one it appairs-also cos of Mental health Section laws in NZ-well they cant section you under a PDisorder-but they can under bi-polor-SO they win on both fronts-now all over my psy file that Iam bi-polar-I saw new psy last week and said very clearly I didnt +Take on the bi-polor+ Dx cos I dont even fit the C...christ-Iam on one anti-depressant->-and a anti-anxiety-drug

they"re casting their nets wide on this one-also most leftlets-information threw Health Department is from Bigpharma-

Iam outta Public mental Health system soon-

Ya-Hoots