Hi all,

I have been treated for depression for a number of years but Im still a mess so I finally managed to write down a lot of things that have and are happening with me and my doc has diagnosed me as bipolar. I am now waiting to see a psychiatrist so I can get the help I need but I've no idea how long I've got to wait. Does anyone know? Is it 3-4 months like standard therapy or can I be seen sooner? I just want to get better asap

It with depend really on your local NHS authority. I was lucky where I live we have an immediate counseling service, it was only 6 sessions but it really started to help in controlling my feeling and understanding why I felt the way i do. I did have to then wait a little time to get cognitive therapy which is still ongoing - monthly - but helps you cope,

With this and medication I feel 80% back to being me, i am lucky that my work understands and when I am bad working from home is the option (80 mile commute each way)

I hope you get the help you need and start to cope. I know we are all different but I think once I understood why I felt the way I did it helped me deal with it and begin to cope. Good luck and believe in better days

I hate being bipolar. It's awesome

Thank you so much 😊

Seeing a Psychiatrist for the first time is not like therapy so the appt. should come through quicker than 3 - 4 months.

It's similar to medical issues - you see the doc quite fast but, might have to wait quite a while for the op/treatment.

Good luck.

My mum's appointment took a good few months and appointments since take a while also.

Once my GP actually sent the letter I was seen in a couple of weeks by a psychiatrist.. When I was assessed I was seen two weeks later by the psychiatrist. My symptoms were severe and putting me and others in danger so I was seen quickly. Writing down how you are feeling is a very good idea. I've written down my feelings and given it to my psychiatrist a few times and she finds it helpful as do I.

My GP referred me to a psychiatrist about 5-6 years ago. I saw the Doctor assigned to me once, after close to 8 months of waiting. After that appointment he kept cancelling appointments before he finally wrote to me telling me he was retired. at this point one of his colleagues was supposed to take me on as a patient. I was promised a letter or phone call within two weeks. Never got a phone call, never got a letter, tried several times to contact the Doctor myself to no avail. This was at a point where my GP was still trying to find the right balance of medication for me, so I was literally all over the place in terms of moods. Ended up telling my GP after 6 months of trying to get to see the new psychiatrist that I would rather kill myself then waste my time on somebody who was obviously unprofessional and did not give a crap about the patients they were supposed to be helping. Was a real shame as well as the original Doctor in the only appointment I had, actually made me feel a little at ease, and I left thinking it was going to be a real help.

Hopefully OP you get a more professional Doctor, that is actually going to help you. Just be prepared for a bit of a wait whilst a Doctor is assigned to you and for their schedule to open up.

Do you really think that's an appropriate comment to make in such a serious topic? Perhaps you should grow up and troll somewhere else.

To the OP:

I was diagnosed almost seven years ago now and so, combined with the fact that the NHS seems to operate differently depending on which part of the country you are in, my advice might not be worth much. However it may help a little.

I was treated on and off for depression for a number of years. I say on and off; it was more me taking myself off the anti-depressants because I was getting too much. I went to see my Doctor in February 2010 having completely broken down. We discussed my situation, the reasons behind my taking myself off the anti-depressants and my Auntie's diagnosis of Schizophrenia. He suspected I was Bipolar but wanted me to see a psychiatrist (I was told that GPs cannot actually diagnose Bipolar; it has to be a psychiatrist). He gave me some anxiety tablets to take in the meantime (take one every time you feel anxious) and I had to see a counsellor twice a week to let them know how I was feeling and that I was still alive; although it's quite a blur (I was quite ill at the time) I'm pretty sure the main reason I saw them twice weekly is because I was quite a high suicide risk at the time.

Eventually I got a phone call to tell me they had an appointment available with the psychiatrist. This was around the April time. I had one hour long session with him and he sent me on my way diagnosed me as Bipolar and discussed medication with me straight away. I was put on said medication and over the next couple of months my GP tweaked it to get me on the right dosage and I still attended the weekly counselling sessions (they weren't very long, about thirty minutes each time) where I was also given CBT to help to deal with the situations in my life which had helped push me towards the diagnosis. These sessions came to an end once I was settled on my medication but I was then offered a place in a group to meet and speak to others with the condition. This was towards the end of the year and we had ten weekly sessions running through to Christmas.

Since then I've not really had any dealings around my Bipolar. I've had a couple of episodes since but I've not been hospitalised. I'm now on the lowest dose of my medication I've been on since I started it and I've been stable for two years. With the correct help now and the right medication you'll be fine; try not to worry too much and just take every day one day at a time. If you feel down it's okay; just remember that it will pass; you won't always feel that way; I've found that mentality has really helped me even in my darkest times. Good luck and I hope all goes well for you. If you need to chat there are plenty of us here.

Totally inappropriate, what did you get out saying that?

OP, I hope your PCT doesn't have you waiting too long for some treatment.

Best of luck

What a stupid comment to make.

I would at one point wish it on you. But my mind is alot brighter now & OP it sounds bad but it is a nice feeling to finally know what is up with you. It makes a difference.

A laugh, I'd imagine.

i thought it was amusing, pretty much sums it up for me.

it`s also a well used meme.

Well it can be!

But if you are in the process of being diagnosed stupid comments like that will send you backwards. All & all i wish the OP the best of luck.

you maybe, i found a sense of humour helpful and still do and i`m certainly not the only beeper who laughs at aspects of it, it won`t help you if you can`t.

the dx is the easy part [if it`s a correct dx] and a bloody relief.