Is Overdiagnosis of Bipolar Disorder Really Worse then the Ilness Itself?
"Overdiagnosis of bipolar disorder may be worse than the illness" says Mark Zimmerman in Taipei Times.
This horrifies me. Whilst I can see that there are far-reaching consequences to being misdiagnosed (the effect of the self-fulfilling prophecy, potential side effects of unneccessary medication) having suffered from agonising, life-threatening depression and mania, I find it hard to accept that not having bipolar disorder could be worse than having bipolar disorder, except in the case that another, equally debilitating illness is not being treated.
Whilst meds can produce potentially significant health complications affecting renal, endocrine, hepatic, immunologic, or metabolic function, this is becoming less and less likely as medicine advances.
Telling somebody with a transient spell of depression that they had a chronic mental illness would no doubt be distressing, but surely it's better to have a good prognosis that you don't know about than to have bipolar disorder.
As it happens, Zimmerman's research is more focussed on the degree to which bipolar disorder is overdiagnosed than an evaluation of exactly how damaging a wrong diagnosis can be, despite the unfortunately misleading title.
1 comments:
This one hits home. I just changed shrinks a day ago. We're starting at square one. I wrote about our first meeting yesterday, I think it was, and it's complications as well as it's good points and it certainly isn't done with just one meeting. So, I suppose I need to give your post some more thought, not that I haven't given some consideration to your or your sources point of view before.
That Bipolar can often have co-morbids, well it happens and happens more then you might think. For this reference I would suggest looking into Complex PTSD, just for one, which, I believe, can mimic many of the symptoms of BP to begin with and if not addressed can and most likely will get worse with time. That Doctors are not more aware of this distresses me greatly. However, I need to think more and perhaps come back with a more fuller thought/s on this matter. Your post alone, is enough food for thought even if I don't return for another post.
While I wouldn't say that a recent writing on my first meeting actually addresses your subject directly, it may shed a small amount of light on the complexities involved, at least with me. And, I can never stress enough that just because we might share a common label, absolutely does not mean we are identical with symptoms. Bipolar can be very complex and you know that is an understatement. Over medication is a nightmare come true.
"Whilst meds can produce potentially significant health complications affecting renal, endocrine, hepatic, immunologic, or metabolic function, this is becoming less and less likely as medicine advances."
That statement does not sit well with me. That BP is most often treated with "cast off' drugs, drugs never designed for BP to begin with and only observed to work, sometimes, with no hard science to back it up has just been reported, recently. On the top 14 of the list I have been on 4 that I am aware of. You can also find the reference to this, as well as a link, on my site. (Just ignore my rambles on other things, I don't stick with anyone topic for very long. I do enjoy a good or bad rant on occasion.)
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