This is one of my favorite psychiatric scientific slants to date. Anybody can be labeled bipolar. In the last few days you've had at least two folks post who described themselves as bipolar and taking antipsychotics even though they've never been hypomanic.

And of course if you've been depressed and become cheerful, you are hypomanic, so all people labeled as depressed can become bipolar (unless of course they die before cheering up, even for a second) and thus get the stronger, more expensive, more dangerous antipsychotics.

Next step, all bipolars are schizophrenic. Ever had a friend or loved one die and then thought about them so strongly that you heard their voice even though you knew it was a memory and not real? can you recall the sound of someone else's voice? Guess what you're hearing voices - welcome the to the USA diagnosis of slowly creeping schizophrenia.

What you say, mood swings and hallucinations are also symptoms of taking and/or withdrawing from adhd medications - welcome home adhd = bipolar = schizophrenia.

Ever disagreed with the government and/or mainstreem media - well, now, that's a bizarre or unpopular belief, otherwise known as a symptom of schizophrenia.

And when labeled mentally ill, thank goodness we've got all of those forced treatment laws in place that mandate us taking meds sold at great profit to the state by the big pharma companies.

Well, I think it makes perfect sense. Most people do not bother seeing a doc until they are depressed. It is usually their PCP and they don't take the time to do a full history. Just write a script and send them out the door. They average 11 yrs before finally being diagnosed properly. Speaking from personal experience. My mania was my favorite times. After the depressive episodes, the mania was like being a new person. Totally take on the world. It only became a problem when I would begin showing signs of psychosis.

I'm not surprised considering that the supposedly when the new DSM V comes out they are moving unipolar to a sub catagory of bipolar and schizophrenia to bipolar as well.

I have lost my sense of wonder when I see things like this.

This wouldn't be so serious if everybody took, and did fine on, cheap generic lithium. What the heck. The problem is the atypicals which we all know kill you if you don't just stop with diabetes. And they cost an arm and a leg (very bad joke for a diabetic. Sorry).

1 out of 4? That can't possibly be the case.

Wonder the criteria for mania in this study.

Cheap generic lithium? i had been on lithobid on and off since I was 21 and no side affects other than a 10-15 lb weight gain, My medical plan changed back in March this year, and by May my life has gone down the toilet. I'm getting my period now every 15 days like clockwork. It's given me another 2 gynecological problems as well, one which will requiring surgery next month. I have headaches on a good day and migraines on a bad. I've had pretty much constant suicidal idolation since July, with a bout in August an a bout this week where I was so close to jumping into that abyss it scared me, and the two friends I reached out to may have been lost because of this, which will break my heart.

My whole personality seems to have changed. I have no energy for anything, and it's made me paranoid to the point where I;m ready to put the tin foil up around the windows. And the worst part is the eyes.

When I wake up either from sleep or a nap, I literally cannot see, I am blind for a few minutes until my eyes can focus. I've seen a doc on this and yep, lithium poisoning. It should go away once I go off lithium, but to wake up and and not see is pretty scary.

I would give anything to go back to lithobid. But it's 160 for 30 days supply, and I cannot afford that, I am on disability. So it's 5 dollars a for the generic.

Next week I am getting a complete medicine overhaul. I just want to feel better. I would gladly put up with the migraines if the other thoughts and things would go away.

I'm wondering how this ties in with Bipolar III or bipolar disorder caused by antidepressants and/or electroshock. Psychiatrists lack common sense and therefore completely disregard the possibility that they have caused the mania. The establishment's explanation is that depression treatment "uncovered" the patient's "latent" bipolar disorder. What a pile of crap. Every single episode of mania that I have experienced was immediately preceded by drug therapy, electroshock or, in this most recent case, a regular (non-electric) accidental closed head injury.

In other news, I'm reading Jerome Groopman's "How Doctors Think." It doesn't deal with psychiatry except for half a dozen sideways digs but deals with cognitive errors in general that physicians tend to make. It's a gread read and I recommend it highly to your readers. It's extremely relevant to the bias inherent in psychiatric diagnosis.

Re: the Lithobid comment, it is a time released version of Li that typically is easier on the body w side effects vs. the Li Carb, and is popular due to the extended release formulation, it keeps the med constant, as to help the mood remain even. I would advise that if blindness and other severe side effects seem to be from Li use, I would get to an emergency room. My daughter took Lithobid for 2 years and the issue that came up was thyroid went off the charts. As far as paranoia, it might be prudent to get Seroquel or another antispychotic on board, at least short-term, if psych agrees. Good luck.

My 20 year old son was diagnosed with mood disorder and psychoses back in Mardh 2007, college freshman. Was hospitalized 1 1/2 weeks, put on seroquel and paxil, his psychiatrist took him off both gradually in the next few months. Slowly he was back to his old self ,working and taking a couple of courses. He wanted to be tested for ADD, he had some trouble focusing at work, was put on ADD meds, and in 3 weeks time started exhibiting symptoms of hypomania and then mania,which reaked havoc in his life.
I am convinced that the ADD meds caused this, it is listed as a precaution in the vyvanse presribing info. Wondering in anyone else has experienced this.

Sorry to gear about the generic lithium experience. My daughter got lithium toxicity, due to yet another idiotic psychiatrist not knowing what was happening, but I don't know what kind of lith. she was on. I only know that when I - that is I - figured out the deal from Kay Jamison's book, and rushed her to the ER, her lith. level was FOuR (it's supposed to be 1) and she almost died. After dialysis and ten days in the ICU, she came out okay. Lithium was always the key to my children. They each went for years doing well on it. I don't want to tell the rest of the story.

Sorry - the symptoms of lithium toxicity were as if she had cerebral palsy. Slurred speech, unsteady gait, had to quite driving, a lot of sleeping, poor appetite. I think they don't teach this in medical school anymore because she was sent to a neurologist who didn't know what was wrong either. If you ever feel this way, RUN to the ER.

Strange and very interesting. I was just talking this morning with someone at the Mood Disorders Association up her in Vancouver, telling her that I'm suspecting that there's a lot more bipolar sufferers out there than the 1% that is commonly quoted. I don't know if it's just that I'm getting involved in working in the area of mood disorder support, but I'm running into so many reports of cases. It has to be more than 1% of the population.

Please check out my new website about Living Room, a faith-based mood disorders support organization. www.livingroomsupport.org.

My first time here and I'm glad I found you.