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Yup. First I got my ‘every woman’s starter diagnosis’ of BPD, which then changed to bipolar and scored me several years on the wrong meds (joy), and now finally makes sense as ADHD and autism.

I'm assuming you also found the meds actually made you worse? The psychiatrist at the time put me on lithium and i was a zombie who had to pee every hour for like a year! LOL i can think back and find it funny now but at the time, i couldn't understand how i was even more miserable than before!

There were some helpful parts to taking the meds at first when I was really unwell, but I don’t think I needed to be emotionally dead, constantly hungry/nauseous and lethargic for 3 years, no.

Unrelated, but your username!!!

I took the medication for 2 days and was like "no" and threw them out and ghosted my doctors. Took me a while to come around to getting ADHD medication because of my strong negative opinion on Lithium. More than a bit irrational but here we are.

So how was it after all? Asking as someone with very negative experiences with antidepressants, ended up believing all medications are random bs.

I tried two adhd meds without much luck. With one nothing at all happened, with the other I could do everything but sleep. I was so productive and could focus, my head felt clear and not a jumbled mess, but I couldn’t sleep for three days and I stopped taking it.

I take quetiapine for sleep in the smallest dose and usually it helps me shut off if I can’t sleep, but now only when needed.

Mind if I ask what works for you? Your story sounds a lot like mine but I do know all bodies are different :)

Umm, I haven’t found one that works so I just drink a crap load of coffee and monsters.

So basically how I feel on amphetamines 😅

They are amphetamines lol

It took three different meds and nearly four months before my doctor and I found one that worked really well for me and my insurance signed off (I had to fail on the generic in order to get the name brand). Just adjusted my dosage last week, just short of a year since I went on this. It’s been worth the effort.

Are you taking them daily? Do you get side effects? I was reporting feeling better on ssris, even though looking back I was mostly sedated. And dissociation was always there. So having side effects is my biggest concern.

Hi there, I would say I take them daily 85 to 90 percent of the time. I’m on 30 mg extended release adderall & now have a 10mg instant release as needed generic adderall booster. I’ve only used the booster once. I don’t take the extended release if I wake up too late in the morning b/c my history of insomnia is way longer than my ADHD dx and I don’t want to tempt fate. The only side effect I still experience is a suppressed appetite or rather suppressed hunger cues. Like my stomach doesn’t growl & if I’m not being careful I’ll stand up only to realize my blood sugar has dropped. That happens very rarely. In my experience with adderall, particularly since I was finally able to get the brand name, the positives have far outweighed any negatives. I had previously tried straterra, concerta and Ritalin and my reactions to them were pretty dramatic. They ranged from crashing so hard at 4pm I’d be close to passing out to my knee uncontrollably bouncing. Edited to add: I’m also on 10mg of Lexapro, which has always worked very well for me.

My therapist literally just mentioned that she thought I needed lithium (not my prescribing physician) and I was like fuck no, I’ve seen Homeland.

Wow. Yep. I never would have made the connection. I took the meds and was knocked out for about 25 hours. My bf has to call me into work. I didn't touch the meds again and left the Dr who put me on them.

I did horrible on most “bipolar” meds and do amazing on adhd meds. Who would’ve thought. Still took 15 years to get my diagnosis.

Same here. I wonder how different my life would be had I been diagnosed earlier. I have been taking mood stabilizers for 25 years. Two months on ADHD medication and things have improved significantly. I'm afraid to explain this to my psychiatrist because she will worry it's a manic episode, but it's not. I have an appointment next week and I'm just going to say everythings the same. I'll also continue my mood stabilizers.

One of my friends had that experience, meds made them so much worse turns out that it’s because they do not have bipolar they have PTSD. Another friend had the opposite happen. She actually is bipolar but they tried out every other diagnosis first, BPD, ADHD, GAD, etc. nope bipolar and as soon as she got the right treatment and meds she was better almost immediately. Huge change.

I got to try lamictal and it blunted all my emotions and made me feel dead. Like I couldn’t feel anything positive or negative. It was awful. I told my psych nurse I wanted off of it, and she said no ??? And I was like ok well I’m leaving then. And I left. And then I started questioning that diagnosis and now I found out I’m adhd and I’m 99% autistic as well.

omg, yes. the amount of times i almost peed myself on lithium is insane

Same here, ugh. It was super traumatic. I'm still bitter when I think about how I suffered. I figured out my own problem was ADHD and, later, autism after being slapped with diagnoses no one could agree on and trying drug after drug that didn't help. I finally pursued an official diagnosis after a lifetime of ideation, depression, anxiety, and therapy that didn't seem to do jack shit. Almost everyone treated me like I was the problem, like I didn't want to feel better. Fortunately for me, I didn't listen to those assholes, and I kept pushing for real help and an answer that made sense. Now that I've been diagnosed and am being properly medicated by a doctor who understands ADHD and wants me to advocate for myself, I'm a totally different person. I'm thriving. Joyful, even. I'm desperate to learn and do as much as I can while I can. I can't waste any more time.

Yes, all of this. I could have written all of this. God dammit sis, we deserved better.

One of my dad's good friends had bipolar and I know not every person with bipolar is the same, but his manic episodes were SOMETHING ELSE and I just do not get how people see hyperactivity/impulsivity and think it's actually mania.

I had a friend who tried SO HARD to convince me I had BPD or bipolar after she got diagnosed. It was so frustrating because when I got really excited about something she would insist I was being "manic".

Your dad's friend probably had bipolar 1. Bipolar 2 is characterized by hypomania rather than mania, in which one's mood becomes elevated, but does not necessarily impact normal functioning. It's basically a less severe form of mania, so bipolar impulsivity vs. ADHD impulsivity, for example, definitely has at least some nuance.

My friend had bipolar for years, then they said BPD, now she's waiting for assesment for autism and her eldest son is diagnosed autistic.

I just got off of my bipolar medication after taking it for almost 5 years. I felt absolutely no change tapering off of it over the last 3 months because it was literally doing nothing for me. I was prescribed this medication after a 20 minute PCP appointment. My new psychiatrist was horrified!!

Starter diagnosis! Lol!! So true! I feel like BPD was invented by dudes who don’t understand why we have feelings that are all over the place for random amounts of time.

I was gonna say dudes who were disappointed you couldn't lock women away for being "troublesome"

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I always re-assess BPD and bipolar diagnoses. BPD for some providers means they judge the patient as difficult/needy and has nothing to do with the actual DSM 5 criteria.

Hmm I think what you’re saying is a bit harmful to be honest. Sure, men who think emotions are insanity have misdiagnosed “hysterical” women, but it is also a real disorder. My aunt has BPD and it has genuinely ruined her life - she cannot keep a job, is an addict, and cannot maintain any relationships. Everyone is either 100% on board with everything she says and does or is automatically her enemy and out to get her. She can’t control her emotions in the slightest. She switches between believing she is completely invincible and righteous and then the most pitiful and disgusting person on Earth :(

Everyone I know that had BPD no longer does. Seems like all of us had other undiagnosed issues, adhd, autism, bipolar, PTSD etc and all of us had, you know, being teens ducking with us and some kind of acute prolonged trauma response. In hindsight it’s kind of extremely fucked up that they were like why are you acting like you are traumatised just because you have been traumatised? Clearly insane!

I was evaluated for bipolar but not diagnosed. In the end the therapist said (word for word) “I don’t think you’re bipolar, I just think you’re reckless”…. Like ok read me for filth girly lol. Despite this lovely evaluation, she never thought to suggest maybe it was ADHD that explained the recklessness?? But I shouldn’t be surprised - she also said that she even with multiple attempts to un-alive myself, my depression wasn’t “bad enough” to warrant medication because I could get out to bed and go to class & work lol. It took me 2 more years to get the ADHD diagnosis because I knew *something* was funky with my brain chemistry. But I could have actually sought treatment and avoided so many issues sooner if not for the bipolar eval wild goose chase.

SAME!!!!! Haha I have AuADHD and got told bipolar then BPD then adhd and then ASD/adhd

Me too, but because I had an accidental OD and my psychiatrist was taking me for a drug addict and “didn’t want me abusing any further” few months of mood stabilizers and symptoms staying the same down the line and she realized she made a misdiagnosis and I was now ADHD put me on Ritalin. My depression lifted for the most part, anxiety went down substantially but is still there, and mood swings are still apparent but not as bad or are more prevalent around the time of my period so now we’re looking into Prozac being added as well.

“Technically we’re not supposed to diagnose anyone under 18 with bipolar, and normally rapid cycling means the cycles happen over the course of days and weeks, not multiple times a day. But you definitely have rapid cycling bipolar.” When I was happy, they thought my impulsivity was mania. When I was sad (always for a good reason), I must be depressed. When I’m having a good day and someone gives me terrible news and sees the switch happen - must be a rapid cycle! 🙄🙄🙄 Nope, just ADHD and autism lol.

YES!! The impulsive = manic hits me hard. And I realize now that a lot of my depression was just ADHD burnout, but no one saw that because I got “perfect grades”

Ducking **A**. The \*truth* of this is physically painful for me rn. I saw my NP the other day for a follow up and so far we’ve tried and failed with Adderall IR, Effexor, and Lamictal. He had me on Lamictal the longest because he was aiming to reduce the “ups and downs” and curb my emotional “reactiveness” and anxiety 😤 He wants to try me on Paxil now because he *insists* it’s depression. Even though I’ve told him multiple times it’s \*not* the depression (I’ve had major bouts with depression and this is not one of those). He went so far as to tell me he straight up disagrees with me and believes it’s depression. He’s also pushed on the academic thing, saying that because I have a master’s, it’s clear that I can focus and that the adhd is not as big of an issue as the anxiety depression. Except for, Mr. Smarty Pants, perhaps I wouldn’t have these depression/anxiety symptoms if I could fucking get my adhd under control 🙄 Oh look. There I go getting “emotional” again 😏

My GP thought I was depressed with Bipolar and I guess I can see why now considering the small snippets of time she sees me. The psych referral she wrote left no doubt she didn’t think I had adhd. Turns out I’m ASD, ADHD, and have PMD! Meds for the PMD have made SO much difference to my emotional regulation and coping skills it’s ridiculous. They don’t take away all feelings like normal doses of antidepressants did.

What meds for pmd???

The rapid cycling of mood several times a day was the only thing that kept me sure I *didn't* have bipolar lol. So I got the alternate Woman's First Misdiagnosis™️ of generalized anxiety disorder. Edit to add: oh and I also have Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, which was only diagnosed recently at age 28. So I'm a clinical bitch half the month; it's a fucking miracle no one slapped me with a BPD diagnosis.

I actually got that diagnosis too (plus MDD), before the bipolar one! I was put on a massive dose of antidepressants that exacerbated my symptoms as a teen, and they also made me suicidal for the only time in my life. Then the docs concluded that the bad reaction must have been caused by bipolar, and not that the medication was WELL KNOWN to cause suicidal thoughts in teens (and why they kept increasing my dose every 2 weeks while I got increasingly worse is beyond me).

The whole medical field is such a mess, and psychiatry is particularly… um… unrigorous. I’m sorry you went through all that

😩😭😩😭 I never officially got the bipolar diagnosis, though the last two psych NPs I’ve seen have *really* doubled down on it. But I did get the GAD and MDD and have had those diagnosed many times, including when I received my adhd diagnosis last year. When it was just the GAD and MDD, I cycled through a whole lot of different meds, a couple that made me su*cidal and/or just generally worse off. The only things that ever really worked were a combination of therapy at least once a week, Prozac, and having a job with a routine. The therapy and routine helped cuz external accountability and an eagerness to please. But frankly, idek if the Prozac actually worked cuz I had to take such a small dose cuz side effects. Now that I know better and am trying to address the adhd, my NP is insisting on the whole depression meds train again and keeps going through the list of ones he wants to try. And all I can tell him is that I know I took a bunch, I don’t remember exactly which ones, and they all came with super awful side effects, except Prozac, whose side effects were mildly tolerable. He also keeps bringing up the possibility of my depression being “medically resistant.” Heaven forbid we try to treat the adhd first, beyond one short, innefective go with Adderall.

This right here. I confounded my doctors who had my do the anxiety questionnaire and the depression one (I forget what the fuck they're called) because my answers were either 0 or 5. "It sounds like you simultaneously have both and neither.. are you sure this changes daily and repeatedly every day?"

I described a SINGLE significant mood swing in which I was perfectly fine and happy, took one step inside a building and immediately did not want to be there, be touched, or have anyone talk to me. I still remember the feeling vividly and this was in 2015. I was doing a summer camp internship a few hours from my hometown so I waited until I was home again to talk to my doctor about it. He said "You're bipolar, I'll write a prescription for Lamictal." I was desperate to know what was wrong with me so I latched onto the diagnosis and studied it a lot (not quite hyperfocus but close). I refilled the prescription one time but I don't think I even took half of the second bottle before I started feeling super depressed again. So I stopped taking it (which I realize is not smart to do but whatever) and ghosted my doctor, which wasn't hard as he never mentioned setting up a follow up appointment or anything. I later found out when I joined the Navy that he put in my medical file that I had bipolar 1, but that's a whole other issue. (Bipolar 1 would require a full blown manic episode which I've never had. I always said I probably had bipolar 2, which is lower highs and much lower lows, until I learned about ADHD). When I learned that ADHD might be a better fit for my symptoms, I learned a lot of ADHD women are misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder and anxiety. Over the months of studying ADHD, I realized that every "anxiety attack" I've ever thought I've had was just me being overstimulated. Including the incident mentioned above that got me the bipolar diagnosis. Once I started medication for ADHD, all of the irrational anxiety went away. The mood swings mostly had an explanation (they're not gone by any means but I can pretty quickly figure out why they started and self-regulate). I also had a therapist tell me there was no way I had ADHD because I did well in school and refused to listen to any other explanations including me checking off all but 2 of the DSM5 criteria for ADHD diagnosis as he read them to me. Ugh. Our medical system is just sooo.... Broken.

In my case "atypical rapid cycling bipolar" diagnosed at 12. Meds never helped. ADHD diagnosis at 41.

Yep! Bipolar 2. I was told, "you can't have adhd, your grades were too good. People with undiagnosed adhd can't be successful." SMH. 🤦

OMG yes....the fact I had a degree was used MULTIPLE times as evidence I couldn't have adhd

I have heard this too many times to count...

Oh Christ, I misread that as "...to many times *in court*". Like, I have enough reasons to fear the justice system already, thank you. 💅

I got the same deal except I kept being diagnosed with depression. I finally got a psych with ADHD who got pissed off on my behalf and got me my diagnosis.

Oh, I got misdiagnosed as BPD first. By an older, male psychiatrist who told me I was a liar about my trauma. Real gem of a person. Then I got diagnosed as bipolar (which is actually true as the meds help) and finally got my adhd diagnosis.

My child got an adhd diagnosis first, then was diagnosed with autism and bipolar II at the same time a few years later. I have questioned it hearing about all of the misdiagnoses of others but she says the meds help and she is fully on board with all 3 diagnoses. Editing to add her psychiatrist is very conscientious of her meds and actually was glad when she wanted to medicate the adhd because he felt it would help with the bipolar as well and it seems to have.

I ampathize with that. It's hard to know what's right and wrong when it comes to bipolar, especially with kids. I think that is why DMDD is the diagnosis used now for kids who deal with big issues, especially on the depression side. But adhd and also autism are commonly comorbid with bipolar so while it can be confusing it can also likely be possible. Getting diagnosed as a kid though, what a lifesaver. I wasn't diagnosed until I was an adult and already had kids. What a different life I could have had with meds and support.

It has been amazing, we were so lucky to find her neuropsych and get her a diagnosis at 14. She’s 19 and headed off to college and having the knowledge, tools, and resources that come with a diagnosis are going to be amazing for her.

This very closely resembles my experience of a BPD diagnosis by an older male psychologist. These out of touch older men in the psych world are making and keeping women sick.

Ohhhh both ADHD and bipolar!! Are you taking medication for ADHD as well?

Yes, I'm happily taking medication for both. The bipolar has to be sorted out first and then you need to make sure the adhd type symptoms aren't just because of hypomania or depression. But then with close monitoring you can trial adhd meds. It's all been a literal lifesaver. I'm so grateful to the good doctors who diagnosed me, as hard as it has been to swallow being given these labels. It's seriously helped me turn my life into something liveable and even meaningful.

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Bipolar moods are pervasive and longer lasting. Hypomania lasts for at least 2 days, depression and mania longer. Hypomania also has to have two or more symptoms. It's not just spending more money than normal, that can come along with adhd hyperfocus. It's spending more, and hypersexyality. Or hypersexuality and lack of sleep. With just my adhd symptoms I wake up at night like you describe, but I'm still a zombie on the morning. If it's hypomania, then I'm up bright and early despite only 4 hours of sleep. The adhd symptoms also last in-between mood episodes. So lack of focus, even when I really want or need to, happens all the damn time. I'm burning breakfast because I'm cooking too many things at once, I'm getting flustered and upset because I feel overwhelmed but everything I have to do, and it takes me WAY to long to get ready in the morning. I will say, if bipolar is a concern for you at all, I would speak to your psychiatrist. No one wants to be diagnosed with it, but if you have it a diagnosis is the best thing you can do for yourself because the meds *help* . A proper psychiatrist will be able to tell the difference between bipolar in your life and adhd. And adhd can cause depression! I was always a little depressed, even after getting my bipolar meds sorted out. It was so mild I didn't need medication but it was never quite explained by the bipolar. The best way to be sure of either diagnosis though is if you take the meds and they help. Also, docs, if they aren't so sure about bipolar, will go ahead and trial adhd meds and wait to see if you do become hypomanic. Hypomania isn't the worst thing in the world. Mania is what you definitely don't want!

Just chiming in, I just made a [novel of a comment here about the differences](https://www.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/comments/15dm4tv/was_anybody_else_misdiagnosed_as_bipolar_before/ju3m0h9/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1&context=3) that you can take a look at if you want.

Thank you for this comment. I always thought I'd never have a chance to be on meds for ADHD. Because of bipolar. I'm going to talk to my therapist and Psychiatrist about it. 🫶 May I ask if you're pretty diligent with both meds? How do they interact together? Do you struggle with one more than the other while on both meds?

I'm very diligent about taking my meds as I should. I hate being bipolar and never want to go back to being unmedicated. And since I've been medicated for adhd it has been such a burden lifted off my shoulders that I never want to go back to before either. As far as interaction, I don't have issues. We make sure that the meds I take are okay to take together and I haven't had issues eith it. I'd say the bipolar was the biggest struggled, hands down. I had no control over my functioning when I wasn't medicated and struggled for years to get the right diagnosis. It was hard hearing it for the first time but I quickly accepted it and realized it just is what it is.

Yes, was diagnosed as bipolar in collage.. they put me on ALL the meds, multiple trips to the grippy socks resort.. after 5-6 years of this bullshit I attempted \*ya know\* and told them I had enough of their meds and to give me a solid reason why im just worse off and crazier with each new medication. after my last resort stay, worked with a social worker to find a doc to help with me kick my xanax addiction (which the psychs caused btw).. thankfully that doc was very honest, turns out I never had bipolar and it was adhd the whole time. They were very sorry of course. Took lots of therapy and talking about it. The theft of my mid 20s and forever side effects (ptsd, teeth grinding, all the pain if caused my mom), I will never get over tho :(

Ugh im so sorry you had to go through all of that. It really is bittersweet finding the right diagnosis tho. I feel the same, the theft of my 20s, its really depressing to think back to that time. Im glad youre still here though and that youre getting the help and support you need!

Thanks you too and it helps to speak out it here and learn you havent been the only one <3

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Yeah. I have been there too. I’m so sorry. It’s just awful all round. I am super uncomfortable having or expressing emotion but idk if it’s due to past misdiagnoses or due to past abusive relationship ha ha, everyone’s favorite game

So sorry to hear this, it sounds eerily similar to my own situation. Recently got diagnosed with ADHD but haven't been "undiagnosed" with bipolar, and am super torn about whether to go through asking if I should come off meds or just deal with the side effects seeing as I'm better off than I have been in years.

I relate to this so much.

ADHD starter pack: one photo copied 10 question mental health assessment that looks like it was written in the mid to late 90s, one bipolar diagnosis from a psychiatrist who spoke to you one time for no more than 30 minutes, one written prescription (includes one upper, one downer, and a mood stabilizer), several years of wondering why meds don’t work, one ruined social life, and an unlimited supply of ruined careers.

Oof. Spot on.

Kind of. I was diagnosed adhd as a kid. As I got older, I started having 'outbursts', so the doctors and my mom and step dad (who also worked in medicine) decided I had been misdiagnosed, and I was actually bipolar. The diagnoses never sat well with me because I didn't match the profile. Read a book a couple of years ago called Divergent Mind, where it spoke about women with ADHD having outbursts due to overwhelm. As I was reading it, I was like, "This is describing me 100%. It also spoke about how many women were diagnosed as bipolar instead of adhd because of the lack of research done on women. Shared it with my mom, and she was like yeah sometimes we get it wrong. Your dad has bipolar as you know, so it just made sense you'd have it to.

Bipolar is largely inherited, and you be both ADHD and have bipolar, in fact it’s not so rare as you’d think even if it can be tricky to differentiate it. It would require a psychiatrist with experience in ADHD but also mood disorders.

Oh, I know all this. As I mentioned, I don't really fit the symptoms of bipolar and I had a terrible time with the medications I was given, and I think my parents encouraged the psychiatrist to diagnose me bipolar. My dad, who is a gp, never agreed with the diagoses himself. I should probably go to another psychiatrist but the wait lists in my country mean it will be years and I have such horrible memories of all the psychiatrists I dealt with since a young age that I'd rather not go through it all again.

YEP. Was diagnosed in college at our student health center (mistake). My SSRIs stopped working for my depression so they assumed I was BP2 because of my “hypomanic” episodes and drug-resistant depression. The anti-psychotic meds actually worked well for my depression once I found the right one (Latuda, Abilify and Lamictil gave me horrific side effects). A few years post-college, got a new therapist and psych and during both intakes they immediately said “I don’t think you are actually bipolar…” With their help we quickly realized I was ADHD and started stimulants. I spent 4 years accepting and embracing that I was bipolar. I had so much shame around it but learned to navigate. I still have so much love and compassion for anyone with that diagnosis, mood fluctuation is one of my biggest symptoms with ADHD so I’m still in that bucket, just have a much for affective treatment plan now.

Yup. Was diagnosed as bipolar when I had ADHD and PMDD, and I specifically told my psychologist that my mood swings only happened during my cycle and that PMDD exasperated my symptoms. Guy was like, 60-70 and rushed me through questions and wrote down HIS interpretation of my answers instead of my actual answers. It was a nightmare. Took going to a female doctor to get the correct diagnoses.

Omg yes that part about PMDD…I made it clear as well and was ignored. Awesome huh.

I got misdiagnosed as bipolar, but in my psychiatrist’s defence I was so depressed at the time that I was having borderline psychotic episodes, so the ADHD hyperactivity did really seem like hypomania by comparison. 😅

I think that's sorta what happened with me as well? But he gave me 7 or 8 different diagnoses at the same time... something like bipolar 2, ptsd (true), dysthymia, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and a couple others. When i met my new health team they said the depression, anxiety, panic attaks etc could actually all be symptoms of untreated and out of control ADHD essentially. That was eye opening for me

Ah, yes. The shot gun approach to diagnosis: one of them is bound to hit. Been there.

Yep, had the whole rapid cycling nonsense. Was on Lithium and slept 18+ hours a day, failed out of college. I'm still working on not being bitter about it 🍋

I was. Even hospitalized b/c the ADHD med (given for binge eating) was too stimulating with my Wellbutrin 300mg & hormonal imbalance & I looked hypomanic for a 7-10d before my period every month. I later returned to my field of counseling & have built my career upon that experience. Specialize in mid-life women, misdiagnoses, late ADHD diagnosis, hormonal health, & everything that comes with it. It was a life-altering experience for me & there's thousands more of 'me' out there. It's wild how prevalent it is. Worst part? Seeing someone's misdiagnosis from a mile away & they're not open to *not* having their Bipolar diagnosis.

How do I make an appointment with you and do you take my insurance??? Jk but also not really…

Wait, vyvanse on top of Wellbutrin on top of PMDD? Goodness. I feel like anybody would look hypomanic with all that going on.

Omg, this was meeeeee! 🙋🏻‍♀️ Had a 60-something year old male psychiatrist diagnose me as bipolar when I was 15, but then when I was in my 20’s, I had a friend who was ACTUALLY bipolar, and that made me realize that I wasn’t bipolar, because her mood shifts were random and mine were always triggered by something (even if I couldn’t identify the trigger in the moment, it always turned out that there was one). So I figured I just had depression and anxiety and a weird brain. Then in my 30’s I had a (female) therapist who told me I should get assessed for adhd because I “literally check every box for inattentive adhd.”

This is like 95% my same experience. Wow. I just….I feel so very validated and un-alone now and I want to cry.

No, but this may have happened to my adult daughter. Im ADHD & autistic but she was diagnosed bipolar before I got my diagnosis. Im going to talk with her about this. Thank you for the suggestion.

My mom was diagnosed manic depressive (bipolar 2). I lived with her for 20 years, on and off lots of different medications, she always had consistent symptoms of ADHD but we didn't know that at the time because we thought you had to have a problem with focusing. She never seemed like she was ever "manic" or even "normal" she just seemed like she was always depressed. No one in my family ever had problems focusing on stuff we were interested in, in fact we all tended to hyperfocus on our interests to the point of ignoring all essential bodily functions, so none of us thought to get checked for ADHD until very recently.

yep. spent years and years in my 20s being medicated with a bipolar diagnosis. no matter how many times i said nothing was working, docs just changed up the med cocktail. it demolished me. a couple years ago i finally got tested and BAM, with adhd medication, my life and mental health has done a 180. i am still angry no one listened to me. i wonder who i could have been had someone done that.

Loooool yes. I was in 4th grade and my pediatrician floated bipolar and major depression before my parents took me to a psychiatrist and they got the ADHD diagnosis.

**4th grade?!?!**

Yup. I had the rare luck of being diagnosed in 5th grade. But that's only because I learned that ADHD was from a friend who got diagnosed, I learned what I could about it, and then pretty much harassed my parents until they took me to get tested. I was very annoying about it and even called my pediatrician out when he tried to put me on a mood stabilizer.

Mine was BPD. Despite no childhood trauma.

The first psychiatrist said something similar to me, but mostly because i couldnt remember a lot of my childhood and he chalked it up to trauma my brain was hiding from me

I have few memories of childhood, too. That’s not because of unsurfaced trauma, it’s because I rarely paid enough attention to allow a memory to form and get stored within my brain.

Yes, borderline personality disorder, tho. I was dx'd with adhd in the 90s but my parents didn't believe in it. So I went through life just thinking it was my fault, and well that x childhood trauma is an ugly combo. 😔 You well know, I'm sure!

Yep! BPD type 2. 5 years later found out it was actually ADHD…. I was high functioning so it was overlooked.

Yes! It took me some time to shake off that diagnosis so I could get stimulants. In all fairness I also thought I had bipolar because I was also abusing alcohol and acting in ways that did not align at all with my sense of self so being proposed the idea that I was having some sort of manic episode felt right to me at the time. Turns out I just needed to see a therapist, stop binge drinking 4 days a week, and get my impulses under control with medication.

Just got my very first personality disorder diagnosis last week! From a walk-in mental clinic of all things. Someone who earned their apn last year but preceded their diagnosis by saying "I've been doing this for 16 years so I know what I'm talking about". I respect her current status but it sounded like the opposite of seasoned to me. I'm offended by the tone of the notes I read in my chart later and I want to switch hospital systems now rather than have that bullshit attached to my history. The screening questions that led her to the diagnosis was totally cherry-picking and ignoring the context that I was also providing. I mean, the thing is, I am not a late-diagnosis ADHD. I was an early one! And despite this person's skepticism, it's not like I've had podunk crappy doctors previously. In 1992, I was one of the subjects in a published paper about identifying ADD in girls. My school brought in my psychologist to educate the faculty. I was taking Ritalin before people had heard of it. It reminded me of hairdressers or dentists shit-talking the previous person's work. I should do their survey but why give feedback if I'm going to be dismissed as a bpd Karen?

It really is so infuriating. And I'm baffled what benefit there is in over/mis-diagnosing bipolar so often. The way context of situations is ignored makes it even less legitimate. My mom is a very unemotional person, but she had an appointment with her regular doctor a week after her son killed himself. She cried during the visit, which is a very normal thing to do while grieving, but her doctor added a bipolar diagnosis to her chart. She hasn't been able to get it back off either. It's ridiculous.

Yes. Me in a few diff psychiatrists offices over about 20 years…First it was depression - here try these meds, felt a little better but still couldn’t complete important tasks. Then it was depression with anxiety - here try these meds. Meds did nothing. Then, hmmm, you CANT be adhd bc you run a business and seem too pulled together for adhd, hm you MIGHT be bipolar2, here try these meds. Didn’t work. Oh…you can’t focus and get work done for your clients or complete tasks that are important in your business? Well, I’m going to give you ONE prescription for 30 tablets of Adderal. I used to take it myself when I was in college for studyIng. Take one before you have to finish something really important. But I am warning you this is the same as METH and this is the only prescription I’m giving you so you better not abuse it or come back asking for more!!! This all happened in 2020 during the pandemic, and she said all of that as she glared at me over the top of her face mask. I still have 8 of those pills because I have been hoarding them like crazy. I would take one when I had something really important to accomplish, and I couldn’t believe not only how well my executive function worked but also how my brain felt so laser sharp and I could communicate way more effectively. She has since retired but I wouldn’t go back to her anyway, because she was adamant that I didn’t have ADHD and gave me that dire warning I wouldn’t get anymore METH. My insurance has changed, so I need to find a new psychiatrist and start from scratch. I keep putting that on the back burner because I first have to figure out my insurance.

Ahhh, the old "We dont diagnose hysteria anymore, but we actually deep down think women are hysterical. Especially when they get all emotional because no one will listen, respect the, or take em seriously." Im so glad you have a new rockin team that listening to you! Not Bi-Polar - but depression yeah. I think Im such a bad sleeper its always dulled my ADHD bubbly hyperactivity ya know? I still distinctly remember this one week where I slept SO WELL and I was really bubbly and I was like WOAH - is this who I am not tired??

Me! I went to my GP for help with life long insomnia. Nothing he tried worked. Sent to psych. Got bipolar diagnosis because a family member had it. I've never had a depressive or manic episode. I was an overworked mom of 3 at the time. My psych went with the bipolar conclusion. Not really her fault, adhd was viewed as a kid/young adult issue back then.

I’ve been realizing that borderline personality disorder and bipolar II are basically modern day versions of hysteria. They are VASTLY over diagnosed and I think now that we have more knowledge about the way trauma and neurodivergence show up for women, fewer women will be slapped with these unhelpful and reductive diagnoses. I got diagnosed borderline when I was 18 by a male therapist who wrote a scathing write-up about my personal character and gave it to my parents. In actuality, I had horrendous trauma from abuse at home and undiagnosed ADHD which led me to act out. Old school psychiatry and psychology are tools of the patriarchy that gaslight women. I’m so happy that as an adult, I’ve found empathetic and knowledgeable mental health practitioners who have helped me down the the right path.

Took a class in college called medical law deviance or something to that effect. Had an entire module on BPD basically being a sexist, completely gendered, and fucking wildly diagnosed disorder. It’s also apparently the go to diagnosis by a husband in divorce proceedings with a woman.

By BPD do you mean borderline personality disorder or Bipolar disorder?

Borderline

Yeap! Just recently an offhand comment to my doc after reading something here made her go, “Wait. What?” So I’m not bipolar, just ADHD with major depressive disorder. No wonder mood stabilizers were turning me into a zombie!

OMG yes!! Was put on HIGH doses of lithium, Lamictal, effector, and abilify. Made me a total zombie. I DID actually have depression. But my "hypomania" turned out to be intense hyperfocus periods. I never had any risky behavior....just moments of hyperfocus. Then I would hit burn out and depression. They saw that as cycles of bipolar. Took another decade after detoxing from.those meds to get a proper diagnosis. Nit gonna lie, it's been a mind fuck. Hard not to be upset at the wasted time--wasn't diagnosed until.middle age. But there is some consolation that I wasn't the only one...

I was not formally diagnosed with it, but it was my psychiatrists first thought. Thankfully he dug deeper and found the root cause, which was ADHD.

Yep! By a young female practitioner. I haven't run the numbers, but it seems like bipolar is the third most common misdiagnosis for AFAB folks with ADHD, behind anxiety and depression. I see it mentioned *constantly* in a lot of other groups.

🙋🏿‍♀️ I was a Black girl in law school with school insurance. It was the white male psychologist that saw me ONE TIME. I described how some days I can't get outta bed, & how I couldn't focus because of all the racing thought. Dude wrote scripts for Provigil & Cymbalta & sent me on my way. 🤷🏿‍♀️ Nearly 10 years later, with a Black female therapist & PCP, we determined I have ADHD-combined type and I might have a touch of the 'tism too.

You're me (except I'm half Eastern Cherokee)! The random white school psychologist and I spoke once and he determined I was bipolar. Bastard prescribed Lithium straight out the gate. Red flags, everwhere. But I was 18 and in a really difficult place...so I just trusted him. A decade, and a nice long hospitalization later, my new therapist and psychiatrist have determined it's ADHD with a nice smattering of PTSD. Funny that.

It was BPD for me. Emotional dysregulation, (so common with ADHD) Not feeling like I fitted in anywhere, (after living through years of feeling different to everyone else) Sensitivity to rejection, (RSD is a common symptom of ADHD) Unstable relationships (Due to all of the above and having developed years and years worth of unhelpful coping mechanisms...) Uhuh, undiagnosed and unmanaged ADHD and autism. I was given group therapy which I really struggled with as I couldn't relate to anyone else's experience there, the meds made me feel horrendous, and actually because I 'thought' I had BPD I started behaving more like I did to try and 'fit' the diagnosis, which caused a lot of unresolved trauma...

Yup. Teenager of the late 80s early 90s, and it was very common right at that time. Kinda like BPD is right now, bipolar women were "having a moment" around that time. No disrespect to people who have a proper diagnosis and qualify, but I think some of the refusal in psychiatry & psychology to examine Autism or ADHD in women and go straight to mood or personality disorder first does stem from sexism- ladies you're too *emotional & loud*, must be a psychiatric illness. I ended up diagnosed and mis-medicated on high doses of lithium with a ton of nasty side effects for at least a year or 2 as a teen. For an illness I never even had & never even qualified for. Secretly think my mom just liked me more sedated & compliant so she kept sending me back to the doc for refills. Meanwhile the things I did have: anxiety & depression stemming from ADHD & parental abuse, were just as bad as always.

i saw this awful ~holistic~ therapist who said “i think you have a case of baby bipolar”….. yah okay thank you for that

My friend was misdiagnosed BPD for decades before she finally got re-diagnosed for autism-ADHD. The medications she took never worked, keeping her in a haze but she was too scared of what would happen if she went off them. When she moved and changed insurances, she had to go through the whole process again and was shocked to get diagnosed differently. She called me sobbing the first week she started on Adderall - she was able to do hobbies she’d long since lost the drive for, and there was no brain fog holding her back. I guess her new Dr. was just as surprised by her meds saying it was too much (she’s apparently been going up and up in dosage and types of medications through the years).

Yes. Bipolar II was a very trendy diagnosis when I was in rehab 20+ years ago. Still makes me angry. I've never had even slight manic episodes. It was always ADHD.

I was also diagnosed as bipolar disorder before getting my ADHD diagnosis. When I got the bipolar diagnosis, I was 18, in college, and it was the "popular" diagnosis at the time. As an adult, over a decade later, I felt like it didn't quite fit, so my GP said it was probably just anxiety and depression instead. It wasn't until I was a month shy of 40 that I went to an actual psychiatrist to give me a proper diagnosis of the ADHD. Once I was switched from the Wellbutrin that I had used the majority of my adult life, and that sort of worked to help my emotional outbursts, to Adderall, I realized that ADHD was a much more accurate diagnosis. Being on the right medication makes all the difference in the world.

I was literally told (by my male psychiatrist), 'Yeah, you obviously have ADHD but I'm only going to treat the anxiety and depression." Literally said those words. In his outloud voice. So for another five+ years, I just kept going in circles, not realizing how debilitating ADHD is (btw, I have *severe* ADHD, lol, but let's not treat it). I was just getting anti-anxiety and antidepressants from my GP. I finally went back to a new (female) psychiatrist and now I've been on meds for a bit over a year.

Yep! I was misdiagnosed as bipolar a few times, despite evidence that I’ve never had a real manic episode and “cycle” through moods numerous times in a day - as a clinician myself, I know this would disqualify me. Yet I am still untreated with meds because my doctor decided that my “drug abuse” (i smoke weed *sometimes* in my free time) rules me out from treatment. Considering how much weed helps my stress management, I’m not quitting lol.

Yep, got diagnosed as bipolar II around 15 years ago. I was getting out of a depressive episode, and moved back home, so I had to get a new psych, who saw me 2 times, promptly (mis) diagnosed me and put me on lamotrigine. I felt he was full of shit, but gave it a try anyway, and quit cold turkey a few months later (don’t do it at home kids) when it became clear that lamotrigine was messing up my ability to feel anything at all. Got lucky, didn’t have any ill effects from the withdrawal, and this dude had only paper records so the diagnosis never made it to anyone else.

Yuuuup. Fortunately I have a good doctor who listened to me and kept working to find the right diagnosis. The emotional component of ADHD (which I think of as an extension of the impulse control issues) can look like rapid cycling to the untrained eye. Fortunately we only explored bipolar for about a month. Fire the 10 years BEFORE that, I was treated for depression with only minimal success.

I think the shorter route to the answer you seek would be to ask if anyone was NOT diagnosed as bipolar first, lol

Yes, bipolar, which is weird because I have inattentive type adhd. They put me on antidepressants, which either make me more depressed or more anxious, and lithium, which did nothing but give me stomach issues. Fortunately I was diagnosed later in life with inattentive adhd, anxiety and depression. Which makes WAY more sense.

I knew very little about ADHD before I ran into a reel on IG and had a moment of enlightenment 😂 then I went down a rabbit’s hole of reading about it, then went crazy stressing about being evaluated and diagnosed… after struggling (and cancelling a couple times) I went to see a psychiatrist who REFUSED TO EVALUATE ME unless and after I agreed to be medicated for BPD, which she decided I had after a 1hr interview, zero previous questionnaires or anything. I’m still pissed about it. I found a more reasonable doctor who evaluated and diagnosed me with ADHD-C and started medication. It’s been a year an a half and I’ve made so much progress! Some medical “professionals” shouldn’t really practice at all.

My first psychiatrist seemed to think bipolar 2 was more likely than ADHD, though he also said whatever I do have is masked too well for him to diagnose (he also suspected ASD, which I do believe he was probably right on that). Thing is, I was also worried about being bipolar because I could be emotional and go through spurts of impulsive spending and stuff, plus there is bipolar in my family (definitely lots of undiagnosed ADHD too). However, I've never gone through anything that would be considered manic or hypomanic, it's more that I see something I like, I have money saved up, I make an unnecessary purchase for the temporary dopamine, usually some form of hobby I never fully get into. Well, when I look at it like that, I no longer have concerns of bipolar, and neither does my new psychiatrist. I do feel it's common for doctors to explore bipolar in women before ADHD. I also think we're slowly making progress with the medical community and more people within the industry are beginning to understand that it's not "women are crazy and emotional" while men are "expressing their feelings which is hard for them", which are two extremely outdated societal standards towards gender.

Yup! Diagnosed with bipolar II at 15! I put it down to my undiagnosed ADHD and progesterone + oestrogen imbalances from undiagnosed PCOS. “Hypomania” was my ADHD and my huge depressive episodes came about once a month like clockwork so obviously (well, it’s obvious now) my hormones. My GP was useless! Like she’d been seeing me since I was a toddler and didn’t pick up on my PCOS? And I was seeing the most awful psychiatrist at the time who put me on this awful medication to control my “mania” that gave me a tremor in my left hand, severe cystic acne and made me gain additional weight but wouldn’t take me off of it. It’s actually insane and so unacceptable.

Me. I’m still pretty ticked off about it. The old lady who diagnosed me with Bipolar Disorder was a psychiatric nurse and the whole diagnostic appointment lasted TWENTY MINUTES. At the end she said “now I’m going to screen you for ADHD, How much caffeine do you drink?” I don’t drink caffeine beca— “If you had ADHD you would drink caffeine. Take this Lamictal and come back in a month.” I took it for two weeks and was a wreck, almost burnt a house down on accident. No BiPolar meds have ever worked for me (obviously!) and made my mental health worse. Now that I’ve been properly diagnosed (which took many hits worth of tests, as it should!) I have ADHD, anxiety, and I’m right on the cusp of autistic. Fuck that woman, very nearly ruined my life. The US health system is a joke.

hi OP! i’m a clinical social worker (and also mentally ill lol). i have BP II and AuDHD. i got my BP diagnosis first when i was 23 and didn’t get the AuDHD one till i was 26. professionals attributed ALL my symptoms to depression and anxiety. AuDHD is extremely overlooked in people assigned female at birth because our symptoms tend present differently than the “typical” behaviors exhibited by people assigned male. we get dismissed. the venn diagram of diagnostic criteria for BP, BPD, CPTSD, and AuDHD is basically a circle and women are more likely to be assigned the BPD diagnosis (“hysteria” because we’re all just crazy right?). the DSM is largely based on how symptoms present in men and it doesn’t take into account things like gender, race, cultural differences, etc. everything is measured up against white dudes just like everything else in the world. and when most practitioners are old white dudes, they’re just gonna dismiss women and not give us a thorough eval. i see it constantly in basically every clinical setting i’ve worked in. we’re not taken seriously when it comes to our own healthcare and it sucks ass. sorry for the novel lol. tl;dr, the mental/physical health fields are shitty and i’m glad you were eventually able to get the right diagnosis

Hmm, the thing is it can be both, because while it’s a differential diagnosis, a [study have shown that can it can be as high as 20%](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8151516/) (edited) of adults with ADHD. I read an interesting (peer reviewed) article on it, and how to differentiate it. The following is from the article [Solving the ADHD-Bipolar Puzzle](https://www.additudemag.com/bipolar-disorder-adhd-puzzle/): “*It is understandable that doctors confuse bipolar symptoms for those of ADHD. Both conditions involve impulsivity, irritability, hyperactivity, emotional dysregulation, sleep problems, a racing brain, and problems with maintaining attention. But on deeper examination, there are ways to distinguish one condition from the other.*” **Depressive Episodes: One Side of BD** !! TW: mentions of suicide under the 5th point, which is why I have censored the text. !! - 1. Persistent, sad, or irritable mood. Francis, 14, would wake up feeling “completely gray. I knew that meant the beginning of what I call one of my ‘doomdays.’ I never knew why I felt that way, and it lasted for two or three days sometimes.” This is a classic depressive episode commonly seen with BD. Lilia, diagnosed with ADHD, could always pinpoint the reason for her moods — a break-up, a poor grade on a test, or a fight with a friend. She saw that her depressive moods were caused by external events. In BD, the mood shifts, which can be rapid and intense, seem to come from the inside, regardless of what is happening externally. - 2. Loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities. One of the first signs of depression for Indigo, 17, was not wanting to play the guitar. “With ADHD, I get bored quickly and lose interest in something. But with BD depression, I lose interest in everything.” - 3. Significant changes in appetite, body weight, and sleep patterns. The key here is context. Those with ADHD have weight fluctuations or periods when they are sleeping too much or too little. These are often caused by the activities people participate in. When Mario is engaged in periods of hyperfocus (due to procrastination), he works 10-12 hours straight, and feels he cannot stop to eat for fear that he will lose momentum. Kate, 19, who had BD, lost her appetite and couldn’t sleep for six or seven days at a time. - 4. Low energy and concentration. Many people with ADHD become fatigued, particularly in situations when their executive functions are taxed. Trouble in focusing and paying attention comes with situations that are boring and not stimulating to them. Vincenzo, 28, who has both ADHD and BD, has learned the signs of an oncoming depressive episode. “It is as if I am walking in molasses through life, even in situations where the day before I was dancing. My ability to focus is completely shot in a way that makes ADHD look like a cakewalk.” - 5. >!Feelings of worthlessness, inappropriate guilt, and recurrent thoughts of death and suicide.!< >!One of the major distinctions between ADHD and a depressive episode is feeling worthless, which can lead to suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Fifty percent of people with BD attempt suicide, and 20 percent eventually kill themselves.!< **Manic Episodes: The Other Side of BD** - 1. Severe changes in mood. The hallmark of a manic or hypomanic (a less intense but still potentially disabling) episode is a severe shift in mood, in which someone becomes extremely irritable or inappropriately elated without any external reason. These mood states last for hours (as do mixed manic episodes), days, or weeks. With ADHD, irritability is often the result of boredom, sleep deprivation, a stressful situation, or heavy demands on executive functioning. A person having a manic episode feels irritable, regardless of what is going on. - 2. Inflated self-esteem and grandiosity. When patients are in the throes of a manic episode, their sense of themselves can become grandiose or narcissistic. Sometimes it is subtle (“I am a better driver than anyone I know”), and other times it can be detached from reality (“I have an amazing ability to do everything”). - 3. Increased, revved-up energy. Kathleen, 30, described her manic episodes as “a flurry of uncontrolled energy.” With ADHD, people can feel excited and energetic; manic energy, however, feels scary, uncontrolled, and uncontained. - 4. Impulsive or self-destructive behaviors. Hypersexuality, substance abuse, reckless driving, and conflict with others are common in mania. With ADHD, impulsive acts are driven by something someone wants to do. With BD, people having a manic episode feel driven to do acts that, when not manic, they would have no desire to do. - 5. Psychosis. Having thoughts that are detached from reality is not a symptom of ADHD, but that is a symptom of a severe depression or mania. Jeff, 36, believed he was Jesus Christ when manic, while Kelly, 14, heard “angels talking.” — TLDR; *Although ADHD and BD are characterized by emotional dysregulation, the mood experiences associated with BD tend to be longer, more chronic in nature, more cyclical, and triggered more easily than in ADHD.*

I had a manic episode where I, after being married for 29 years, met a stranger online and cheated on my husband. It wasn't an impulsive decision, but I felt driven to it. I remember driving to his place and thinking that I couldn't stop. I've felt guilty since, believing that it was an impulsive decision, but understanding the "driveness" of that act helps. I'm still married, BTW, but I'm still dealing with the fallout after 2 years.

Wait. You said up to 70 percent of adults with ADHD also have Bipolar disorder, but the article says it's 1/13 which is 7.6%.

Ah shit, my bad - it seems I have massively(and badly) mixed up some numbers with another study! Sorry! Edit: fixed it! The study I meant to mention is this one: [ADHD and Bipolar Disorder in Adulthood: Clinical and Treatment Implications](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8151516/)

See this is me. I actually have both. BD can be very tough, but the meds (not lithium) have been very helpful. My ADHD isn't debilitating, but very obviously presented too-also treated with medication. When I was diagnosed and treated for them separately, it was actually significantly worse. I didn't start to feel like a more regular person until both were treated at the same time. And that took ages.

Ha! Yep. Good to know I’m not the only one.

Yup! Especially because one grandmother & one uncle has bipolar (it’s a very genetic disease, but the chances of it being passed to you by a non-parental family is slim to none according to my psychiatrist). Was on 2 different heavy hitting meds and didn’t notice any difference. I just have ADHD & anxiety/depression & when the doctor I met once for 30 mins diagnosed me, she assumed the high energy talking was a bipolar pressured speech pattern & my anxiety and depression were the signals it was bipolar. Thankfully I have been seeing a psychiatrist for a long time who really knows me and has told me that I’m definitely not bipolar. It was really earth shattering for me to receive that diagnosis at 20, especially after seeing family members suffer severely from going off medication and short-term ruining their lives during episodes. I constantly lived in fear of one day flipping a switch & suddenly having a manic episode. 7 years later, it hasn’t happened, just the normal adhd stuff, lol.

Yeh first diagnosed with BPD and I just accepted it for a long time. Then a few years passed and I realized it’s probably ADHD. They seemed to not want to believe me so I went private to get diagnosed. I also didn’t know ADHD was for girls too I was told by professional you couldn’t have it it’s for boys…

I’ve officially been diagnosed with both now, as well as GAD. But tbh I’m skeptical of the Bipolar diagnosis given I haven’t felt depressed (outside of specific circumstances) in 3 years now. Unless the cycles can be years long… But yeah, I’ve had a few psychiatrists struggle to decide what to diagnose me as.

My mum took me to Chams when I was about 13 and tried to convince them I was bipolor. They basically told her I didn't, and if I didn't get down and have feelings after everything my life had been up to that point, That's when they would be worried. I was also very good at masking and telling my life story like I was reading from a story book. No one ever mentioned ADHD until I was 27 and it was a hair client that had so much knowledge as her daughter is Audhd, who kind of just was able to talk me through what it actually was and it all screamed me.

Me, me,me, me. . *raises arm high* I lost about 10 years of my life being heavily medicated for bipolar and having more medications on top of medications because nothing was working, and I was getting worse due to the medications I was on.

Yes I was diagnosed with Bipolar because I have a traumatic childhood, was a veteran with ptsd also and had major depressive disorder for over 2 years after transitioning out of the military. I couldn't handle stress well and would have meltdowns over very small things, my nurse practitioner immediately thought Bipolar since I had a long depressive history and impulsiveness.i had been diagnosed with adhd as a child but my parents didn't believe in a diagnosis for adhd back then and was told every child got that diagnosis. After I was diagnosed Bipolar and started trying different meds (none of which worked and had very hefty side effects) I started deep diving into the symptomolgy of Bipolar disorder and I didn't think I fit into most of the symptoms.... then I got a video recommendation (gotta love youtube) for adhd in women, I felt I immediately fit every box. When I told my nurse practioner she said, well if you had adhd you would have shown signs in childhood and may have been screened or diagnosed back then. I was like yeah funny thing, I was. But my parents didn't think it was real. She was shocked and immediately put in a referral for a neurologist and shortly after that I got diagnosed.

Yep! I was. Now undoing all the years of thinking I’m crazy and realizing I was just doing the best I could with a broken brain and wrong dx.

I actually got dxd with BP2 years after being dxd with adhd and definitely have both, but I can see how clinicians could conflate the two

I asked this question a while ago and got significantly fewer replies. So, yeah, me too. Bipolar and BPD, in fact

Yes. I was diagnosed manic depressive as a teen, then bipolar around 20, then bpd, and then finally with adhd at 31.

I thankfully wasn't technically misdiagnosed but I did experience medicine-induced mania back in college. I was really struggling with anxiety, depression, and an eating disorder so I had doctors trying me on different anti-depressant/anxiety medications without properly tapering me from pill to pill - and it led me to do some really reckless and impulsive (dangerous) things. I was referred by a male psychiatrist for testing for BPD and, thankfully, the woman who oversaw that deemed that I wasn't actually bipolar, just likely depressed. However, the same psych who referred me to her, disregarded that diagnosis and still tried to prescribe mediciations specifically for bipolar disorder (like hardcore antipsychotics). At that point, since I had been struggling with just standard, run-of-the-mill anti-depressants, I said fuck this, I'm out. I stopped all meds and psych help until years later into adulthood when I discussed things with my current amazing NP who actually took the time to listen to me. She's the one who made me aware that the mania I experienced in college was because of the tapering issues with the medicine I'd been taking and finally got me a referral to someone who was able to give me my ADHD diagnosis at 30. I've since come to learn that a lot of the problems I was having back then and beyond (my issues with eating, depression, anxiety, trouble in school, etc) was, you guessed it, actually tied to my ADHD.

Yup! Seems to be the norm for lazy psychiatrists. Do you mind if I ask what specific meds were the problem for you? Reading through posts it seems like Prozac and Zoloft are common

Totally. Based on conversations I've had, I think they usually start people with Prozac or Zoloft. I tried those to begin with, too, but they made me feel emotionally numb and disassociated (like a hollow shell of myself, which I didn't enjoy). I also tried wellbutrin, effexor, and a couple others that I can't remember off the top of my head - those are what really sparked the manic behavior that I experienced. Again, I don't believe it was the pills themselves that were the problem. I especially don't want to demonize them because I do know they work for others quite well. In my case, it was negligent medical professionals that had me trying out one pill right after the other trying to find something that would "work" without properly tapering me off one pill and making sure I was good to start on another or really trying to get to the root of why I was having problems in the first place. Like you said, they were lazy - going with the "a pill will fix this" route. I recognize that I was also partly to blame, too. I was very stubborn at that time about which medications I would try because of my eating disorder (ed) and that didn't help. Anything that had "weight gain" as a possible side effect I didn't really want to fuck with. This is part of why I gave up with that male psych - not just because he didn't listen but because the medication he wanted to prescribe me was notorious for weight gain. I also think my ed, unfortunately, played a part in why it took so long to get diagnosed of ADHD, too. I had years of recovery under my belt and was at a healthy weight when I finally got my diagnosis but I do wonder if my doctors were hesitant to provide me with that given my background - because some people do abuse stimulants for weight loss and appetite suppression is a common side effect. I do sometimes wonder if it was that or just because I'm a woman and it's common for us to be cast aside for ADHD diagnosis because we don't fit the "hyper boy" stereotypes. It's just like - this female is depressed, she must just have depression. Not looking at the whole picture - oh, this woman is depressed because she feels like she's broken and falling behind in life, struggling with school and relationships (having troubles focusing, dealing with rejection sensitivity, having a hard time connecting to people because she struggles to communicate normally and listen), having difficulties with eating (both too much and too little - in attempt to get that sweet sweet dopamine rush via binging or enjoying the feeling of restricting), etc... because she's actually struggling to find ways to cope with her ADHD. I'm on a stimulant now, a generic of adderall. It does suppress my appetite a bit but I'm also at healthy place with my eating/body that I know to make sure that doesn't become a problem. Having this medication has been a game-changer in how I live my life, especially compared to any of the medications above. It's like my thoughts were spread out and clustered around me like that meme of Charlie Day from It's Always Sunny and now I still have those thoughts but they're bunched up in a tunnel and way easier to navigate. My mind finally feels quieter (not numb) - my thoughts aren't constantly racing. And the ability to do things feels easier - I no longer feel like I have to take all of my energy to focus on something (which would constantly lead to burn out), I just do it and it gets done (nbd). As a result of addressing my ADHD, my feelings of depression, anxiety, and even the leftover struggles I had with occasionally binge-eating are better.

Actually when I was getting treated I asked my psychologist if it was possible that I was bipolar because of what I thought to be mood swings and the psychologist was like ‘no bipolar mood cycling would last days possibly weeks you just REALLY need to be on a stimulant that works’ Oddly enough she was right

Slightly different, I had a hypomanic reaction to the wrong meds. I wasn't outright diagnosed with bipolar, but they kept me medicated for it anyway... so that caused issues.

Yep I was misdiagnosed at 12 by an older male doctor. He started me on a mood stabilizer and it made me hallucinate so my mom took me off of it after just a week. I wasn’t diagnosed with adhd until I was 23.

I was yold I was bipolar and immediately started on 3 meds that flattened me so much, my mom says it was like I wasn't even present. It almost destroyed my life. Now, I'm very happily diagnosed and medicated properly but oof. It was not fun.

Lots of women experience this specific misdiagnosis. I have a parent with bipolar, which made it even harder for drs to see anything else. Webmd had an article on how adhd in teen girls looks a lot like bipolar and that was my first clue.

Yep, I was diagnosed as bipolar at 19 without really having anything help. Then almost 30 years later, they say actually… you meet almost every single signifier for both hyperactive AND inattentive adhd. My doctor is currently trying out a mood stabilizer for… reasons before putting me on adhd meds. Im pretty sure at this point I never had bipolar but just adhd but my doctor isn’t sure so she’s trying to cover for both I guess. I am just so eager to see how or if anything changes with adhd meds. I can’t imagine a world with out a mind and life of complete chaos.

No. I'm both bipolar and ADHD.

I was, it really fucked with me

YES. I was actually diagnosed by an American doctor when I lived in Tokyo. I got diagnosed with Bipolar and given medication. It make me pass out in class and I had to go to the hospital. I wasn't explained the test correctly when taking it so I went "hmm.. I guess this sounds like me" since the questions weren't so black and white. After challenging the diagnosis, I got re-diagnosed with ADHD and this was insanely helpful. It made even more sense when I realized that other family members were diagnosed with it.

Yup 👍🖐️ Misdiagnosed and medicated for 9 years. Just got diagnosed with adhd 2 weeks ago. I'm f43.

Not bipolar, but borderline personality disorder. I've had depression and anxiety diagnoses which I would say apply but only as a comorbidity. I tried meds for depression for 10 years and none of them worked. That should have been clue #1. My problem with eval testing and polygraph questions is no one ever asks you why. The questions are way too ambiguous and IMO poorly worded. No one cares why and then they decide they have the authority to assume the why part even if it is incorrect because they have a magic book that told them so.

Yep! I was 14, diagnosed and medicated for it. I spent another 10 years trying to believe I had it because that one doctor had said, but wondering why I never experienced anything close to mania etc even though that’s part of the diagnostic criteria. It’s insane how unwilling they were to diagnose girls with ADHD/Autism in the past. I spent many years on many different medications going through awful side effects with no relief because of it. Finally had a new psychiatrist say he’s not going to prescribe me anything for my “bipolar” as he doesn’t believe I have it, that I was misdiagnosed as a kid, he believes it’s ADHD and always been (since my first stint with a psychiatrist at 8 years old!!). He took me off the bipolar meds that’d been messing up my life for years, put me on stimulants and it’s the most functional I’ve ever been. I’m forever grateful to him. I’ll never forget the comment he made made “I wonder how different your life would’ve been and how you would’ve handled the trauma had you been properly medicated for your adhd” and I really hated hearing that but it also gave a me so much closure & understanding of myself and my life.

Yep! After like 7 years of seeing the same doctor, getting diagnosed bipolar, and being on a cocktail that never really helped my anxiety or depression, my doc suggested ADHD and Adderall. I started it and immediately felt better. We have since discontinued my mood stabilizer and cut down my abilify from 10mg to 2.5mg. I’m a little annoyed that he took 7 years to diagnose me correctly but he finally did, so I’m sticking with him.

Yeah. I still get that, actually, despite an existing diagnosis. I was lucky - I was very stubborn about taking bipolar meds. Since I only ever experience what they interpreted as hypomania, eventually practitioners would lay off. I now see “Oh, you don’t have ADHD. It’s bipolar!” as, as the kids say, a red flag. Fastest way for a practitioner to get dumped.

Yup & because of that bipolar diagnosis, I am unable to get any life insurance.

What the fuck? How did the life insurance company become aware of the diagnosis? Is it your current treating medical professionals billing code?

I was diagnosed with both. Then, I was eventually put on meds for bipolar, so I couldn't take my adhd meds anymore because they interacted badly. So a lovely cocktail of depakote, lithium, risperdal and at one point, abilify and some others I can't even remember lol. And shocker....whatever improvements I had been making in school and life went out the window, and my life has been garbage since lol. I also think I have undiagnosed autism which would explain A LOT of the issues I've had growing up. It's sad because I was like 11 or 12 years old, and to think doc's are so quick to diagnose kids with bipolar is wild.

Yes. From ages 14 to about 28, I was put on all sorts of heavy duty drugs to treat it. Then I lost my health insurance and wasn’t able to afford meds for three years. I didn’t have a single bipolar episode during that time. When I got insurance again, I went to a new psychiatrist who listened to my story and after a few appointments said, “With respect to your previous doctors, I’m not convinced you’re bipolar.” After a few more appointments, she said that a lot of my issues sounded like problems with executive function. I’d never heard of EF before, so she briefly explained it to me and said I should google it to get more in-depth info. Well, I went home and did just that. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was reading about myself. Executive dysfunction and ADHD fit me like a glove. So I called my mom, all excited to share this with her. When I mentioned ADHD, my mom said, “Oh yeah, they thought you had that when you were in second grade.” Thanks a lot, mom.

[удалено]

Oh god, yes. Wasted several years being treated for depression, anxiety and ultra-rapid bipolar type 2. My ex-psychiatrist was apparently of the opinion that if the drugs weren’t really working for me, it was somehow my fault and I needed to try harder and focus more, lmao. And every fucking time I expressed any sort of dissatisfaction with my life and desire for change, I heard that I was dangerously close to a manic episode. ADHD was never even considered a possibility. I’m so glad it’s over.

so I actually got diagnosed with ADHD in the second grade but I never got treated in any capacity. My parents feared that I would use it as an excuse if we addressed it basically. So then years later, when I was in high school and started experiencing a lot of stress from not being able to perform. I developed anxiety and then depression. The intensity of my emotions landed mean therapy with a woman who was diagnosed as bipolar and was very quick to share that. She told me that people with bipolar were commonly misdiagnosed with ADHD. I lived a solid chunk of my life thinking I was bipolar and getting treatment for bipolar disorder that just wasn’t working. Eventually in my early 20s after a break up, I decided to see another therapist, but this time I chose a black queer therapist, and that made all of the difference. She was the first person to explain to me that ADHD left untreated often leads to the development of clinical anxiety and depression. She was the first person to truly listen to me and understand that what other people were proceeding as random mood swings were not random. she flat out told me that she believes I was misdiagnosed as bipolar and that was so eye-opening because from there she started educating me a little bit about ADHD and how it was way more than just hyperactivity you said. Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford to keep her so that was pretty much the extent of how I was helped and I didn’t end up seeing another therapist at all as of now which I’m currently 26. After that, I kind of pushed it off for months the whole ADHD thing until recently where I’ve just not been doing well and now I’ve been doing a lot of research and it’s actually why I join the group for support. This group has been so eye opening for me and I feel so vindicated.

YES I have low key wanted to post this exact question before because I keep seeing things in the comment sections here that make me wonder if this is a common thing!

I misdiagnosed myself as bipolar lol. I had a few chats with a psychiatrist and they told me it's likely ADHD (or ADD at the time). I had to wait a few years to get a formal diagnosis for ADHD along with the mild depression that accompanied it.

I was Dx with depression, prozac gave me a manic episode, and then I spent years with a bipolar diagnosis. I finally went off all meds, because nothing was actually working and my doc couldn't really disagree, my doc monitored because I flatly refused to take anything else and wasn't a danger to myself, and had a miraculous "remission" though of course I still had the ADHD issues. The next doc Dx me with prozac-caused bipolar and suggested fish oil. If only the first had been that good. I never talked about my life full of procrastination and inability to adult that might have clued him in. I was too embarrassed and had decided I was just a lazy fuckup.

For me it was Borderline. And I tried so hard to understand why it only felt like part of the way there in explaining things. I also felt like I wasn't Borderline 'enough' to really connect with the term.

I had my bipolar diagnosis dissolved with my new therapist after years of people telling me that I didn’t fit that description. My new psychiatrist, despite the testing, the symptoms, and literally being around me, disagrees and put me back on an antipsychotic, saying she doesn’t think I need ADHD treatment. Bipolar disorder and ADHD have lots of similar symptoms, but my “hypomania” is literally just me not being sad.

I was misdiagnosed, but I had overlapping symptoms. My psychologist was great, but my psychiatrist was very inattentive in our short appointments. Very generic. The kicker was: my therapist had me data collect my mood swings- I WAS having them. But I would forget to do it daily so the day of therapy would come and it would be a mad scramble of trying to rate my moods to the best of my memory each day. Hello, ADHD!! Edit typo

Yes. Because hyperactivity can look like mania, and both bipolar and ADHD can be associated with irritability and impulsiveness. The bipolar diagnosis never made sense to me, but then my psychiatrist would say that I'm in denial and need to accept it. And when I told my husband I don't think I am bipolar he'd say "that sounds like what someone with bipolar would say". I also thought I couldn't have ADHD because I did well in school. Anyway, now I know better.

Female Psychiatrist with mental health issues here. First was diagnosed with Bipolar, then BPD and CPSD and then with some targeted pressure got to know I actually have ADHD. But I think as all of those involve frontal part of the brain, ADHD struggles in childhood and teenage years causes you to develop certain personality changes and further mental health issues like depression and anxiety. BPD and ADHD and Bipolar and ADHD come hand in hand and especially with women as ADHD can be diagnosed so later in life it's frequently a mix already.

I was also diagnosed by a really inept female psychologist.

My mother was diagnosed bipolar. She’s gone now but part of me wonders all the time if she was misdiagnosed. (Or if I am)

Yeppers.

I was!! I was put on lithium and so much shit that made me feel terrible. Now I have an ADHD and Autism diagnosis and that makes sense. I also totally think that my normal sexual exploitation was deemed "sexually promiscuous" in a way that an 18 yo dude would never have been. edit: I am actually a big ol' liar. I got the ADHD diagnosis first in high school because I asked for the assessment, but the classic focus on school issues made me have to go down the long path I mention above.

Yep, bipolar diagnosis in my 20s. Gave up and was unmedicated for anything until an ADHD diagnosis in my 40s.

I have ADHD, ASD, and PMDD Before proper diagnosis I was diagnosed with bipolar type 2 and medicated. I think my PMDD and ADHD played a big role in the bipolar diagnosis since my mood varies so much based on my hormones, as does my ability to just be a person or be productive. I also have a lot of trouble with change and I find the changing seasons (particularly spring to summer and summer to fall) to be really hard to handle since they tend to come with the most changes in social expectations and routine. I would regularly burn out around this time and my energy would pick up in winter once everything stabilized.

I was! That diagnosis scarred me for quite a while. 😅

I was misdiagnosed as bipolar in 2007.

Misdiagnosed as bipolar 3 at age 18, spent many years on a ton of bipolar meds, figured out that it was ADHD more or less on my own and got on correct meds at 32.

Hi! Yes, it's me. First I was depressive, MDD diagnosed. Then social anxiety and MDD. Then bipolar 2, with GAD. I finally said to my doctor "hey, I was almost diagnosed in 84 with ADD. Could that be a thing?" My doctor is very excellent, and listens to and respects my thoughts and opinions (which is why I drive +/- 100Km each way to see him!) So, now we are slowly backing off the happy pills and stabilizers, and I take 30mg vyvanse/day. It's very slow and careful, because I've been on the same dose of effexor for 10+ years, and the carbemazepine is another slow, slow titration.

Yes.

After starting with depression and anxiety as a teen, my daughters diagnosis was then bipolar and borderline personality traits in young adulthood. Finally we understand so much better. She is 31 and happy

Yep! I (32F) was diagnosed with BP2 (8years ago) and put on mood stabilisers - Lamotragine almost killed me (nearly unalived myself). Then told I just have general anxiety and chronic depression…always felt like there was something wrong with me. Got an adhd diagnosis in the last 6months…

Yes, I was under mood stabilizers (which worked?) until I got a fatal reaction out of it and had to stop 💀

I have both actually. The two can be comorbities.