The root of all evil

[mrgorth]

I saw my new therapist (http://home.comcast.net/~kervick/index1.htm) tonight. He suggests, and I think he is right, that the source of my intensity may be ADD or Bipolar 2 (whichever one is the less extreme). I don't like the idea of being labelled bipolar because of the Sally Field character on ER. Sue me. That said, if I can take something to make me more normal that would be great.

[varkam]

1. Labeling is always an issue.

There are several criticsms of "labeling" in the mental health professions. One such critcism is that you can loose the uniqueness of the person by giving them a diagnosis. A person is no longer an individual, but rather a disease. There has been an attempt to counter-act that in recent years, describing people as "A person with depression" and not "A depressive". It might seem like a game of semantics to some. Even if it is, I think it's an important game.

The benefit, however, is that you can identify and know what it is that you're talking about. Instead of just describing a cluster of symptoms, it can be given a name. Additionally, labeling allows the research to be goal-oriented as opposed to exploratory in nature.

In any event, just knowing what you're dealing with can help out a great deal. I hope things work out well with your new therapist - he seems like a fairly genuine guy :D

[Pharaoh]

2. Heres my assessment

you are a relatively sane kind compassionate human being living in a highly violent competitive society, a dog eat dog world which many of us aren't capable of dealing well with.
If drugs help you cope in this world(and they seem to be necessary for me) then do the drugs.

keep up hope buddy :toast: beer sometimes helps also :party:

[mopinko]

3. sally's character is bp-1

bp-2 is a lot less serious dx. lots of people live with it all their lives, never knowing. they probably aren't very happy or successful, but they don't go off the deep end, either.
add and bp-2 have a whole lot in common.
as varkam said, labels are troublesome. swallowing that label can be hard. but labels can help you see what is "you" and what is "the disorder", and maybe help you come to grips with why some of the things in your life are not working. hopefully this will lead to some meds that will help you be your best you.
your therapist looks like someone who is very interested in helping and healing people. that ought to go without saying, but sadly is not always the case.
hang in there. give the thing a chance. it might take a few trials to find the right meds. hang tough with that. there are lots of them out there that can really help, but none that work well for everyone.
keep us posted.
keep on truckin'

[EFerrari]

4. I'm with you. If I can take something to make me feel more like

me, that works!

:toast:

[mrgorth]

5. Doc put me on

Valproic Acid. 250mg capsules ramping up from 1 a day to 3. We'll see what happens.

[mopinko]

6. a good first choice, imho

an old and reliable drug. be on the lookout for the munchies, tho. i think weight gain is the number one complaint.