My husband went through this with his parents. Before they finally divorced when he was 17, they had him to see counselors because of his acting out. One psychologist even diagnosed him as paranoid schizophrenic (my husband was SOOO mad at his parents that he would deliberately act crazy to manipulate teachers and counselors).

Most counselors are pretty savvy and realize that a person doesn't develop in a vaccuum, and their environment plays a large role, but they can't know what you don't tell them. Even if you're bipolar (heck, it sounds like your dad may be also), medicine isn't going to solve your problems with all of the family stress going on. Your parents' ablility to maintain a squeaky clean image for others has made you the scapegoat to distract ousiders (and even themselves) from everything else wrong in the family.

This is why the court ordered counselor is probably your absolute best chance at getting help. You need someone to confide in, and you need to let the counselor see the whole picture of your life. The counselor may be able to persuade the courts that you need to live in a different environment. Whether you're bipolar or not, really isn't the most important issue you're dealing with right now. Even if your depression is situationally based, some antidepressant medications could be of benefit, but you'd want to talk to a psychiatrist about that, not a family doctor. For example, neither my husband nor I are clinically depressed, but I have fibromyalgia, and am taking amitryptiline to reduce pain and help me get a restful sleep (fibromyalgia often involves disruptive sleep and other sleep disorders). My husband takes Cymbalta for nerve and degenerative joint pain.

I do wish you the best, and really encourage you to find a psychiatrist and counselor you trust. It is so true that your environment may be creating your problems, but if you don't address them, the problems are going to get worse and be harder to get rid of, even after you move out of that house.

Oh, man, this sounds familiar. I talk fast, walk faster than most people jog, think fast, rapidly switch from big picture to details as well as from idea to idea. I start conversations without context and inaccurately assume people are following my problem-solving process when I toss out solutions. I occasionally get anxiety or have anxiety dreams when I am overly tired or just hip-deep in a stressful project. In my experience, I'm just thinking so fast about so many things that, when my body starts to slow down, my brain doesn't want to and things can get thrown in a loop.

I've never been diagnosed with anything other than being "smarter than the average bear." My other friends who are above average intelligence experience very similar things. Do you have a job, school, or hobby you can immerse yourself in? By challenging myself intellectually, I've managed to turn my high-energy personality into a pretty lucrative career and I've calmed down considerably in the process by knowing I've found my niche and I'm not alone.

I, too, worry about a mental health diagnosis from a general practitioner. My mother received anti-depressants but no therapy and, without the drugs, she quickly slips back to square one. My friend got both drugs and therapy and has been able to recognize the symptoms and use coping strategies to carry herself through. Not saying this would work for everyone, but the GP never even bothered to try for my mom. There are just too many tools a specialist has that the GP's simply just don't know about because of the nature of their practice.

Keep fighting!

Thank you both, kaplods & Lafayette. I have several hobbies that I enjoy immensely... for example, reading and knitting. I am extremely fast and proficient at both of them. When I read, I feel like I am being taken to another world. I make friends with the characters. I also devote myself to my school work (most of the time) and I have always been a great student. I don't seem to have "social problems" relating with my peers or relatives (other than my parents). I have a knack for problem solving which has lead me to major in Math & Science in college.

I am just at the end of my rope with my parents. I acknowledge that our relationship is extremely strained-- much of it is my fault, I have put them through a lot emotionally and financially as a result of my previous hard-partying past. My temper is often short and I am extremely sensitive to any criticism. This I attribute to the nature of our relationship. It is hard NOT to be sensitive to criticism when it feels like I can do nothing right. I find myself wanting and needing to be praised for everything I do "right".

I am constantly battling myself about my relationship of my parents. As the old saying goes, there are two sides to every story. Surely my parents are wrong to demean and sometimes physically lash out at me (both my mom and dad have been known to hit or slap me out of anger, with a few episodes far exceding that severity). Yet I acknowledge that my (previous) habit of binge drinking, crashing my car, and getting arrested I have put a great deal of pressure on them as well.

I have given up drinking completely, and I have no real desire to do it any more, other than occassionally wanting a glass of wine with dinner (which I don't do). I have also been using anger management techniques to control my knee-jerk reactions to being criticized. As I have put most of my time into my schoolwork our arguments have been fewer and further between. I feel that I am finally getting my life together-- going to school, looking for a job, better controlling my "temper", working out & eating right, etc. Also I am starting counseling soon. Yet I am under the constant threat of being kicked out of the house. It's extremely difficult.

I wish I had advice for dealing with your parents but the reality is that, until they are willing to look at themselves and make some changes, you're stuck dealing with the same people, not matter how you change yourself. I know it's hard to regain trust as a recovering addict. Keep working on yourself and you'll get there!

I'm glad to hear you're in school. I found a lot of outlets in extracurricular activities- everything from academic competitions to a sorority. Sounds like you're working on your path, too. Way to go!

MissChris,

You sound exactly like my 28 year old nephew (in your first post) he was diagnosed with depression and ADHD (which is what I have). Just like you, he does the fast talking, he's done that ever since he was about 5.

Good luck with your counseling and I pray that some one can diagnose you properly...... I honestly believe you that you feel you are being misdiagnosed...who knows our bodies better than we do, right.



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Well, I have some really good news. I got an appointment with an actual liscenced psychologist in my area! And he's going to do an evaluation for me... a real, 3-hour psych evaluation! My appt is this Wednesday (Oct. 3) and I am so, so, so happy to actually be having a real eval with a specialist. I really want to hear what he has to say and follow his recommendations. YAY!

Good luck! This could be it!

Wow.. Your parents sound just like mine. My dad at times was physically abusive to the point where I would be in fear for my life, he tried to strangle me once to just give you an idea of how bad it could get, and my mom would just stand there and watch, then out in public we were just a "perfect family" and I would get yelled at for telling the truth and I was labeled "the liar and the mentally unstable one that was just telling these lies to get back at my parents for something I was mad about". When my parents got divorced when I was in high school it got even worse due to the fact that my mom became physically abusive as well since she was so depressed and mad at my dad for leaving and would take it out on me and would actually lock me in my bedroom and prevent me from doing the things that I had committed to doing or going to school. I missed a lot of school my senior year because of that and I actually had to go to court and beg not to be thrown in jail for my "truancy". It also affected me not being able to graduate and I was not allowed to wear my cap and gown and walk across the stage. She did lots of other stuff like took away my car that I had bought ( unfortunately, the car was in her name to help on keeping insurance costs down) and sold it and used the money to go and have fun with her new boyfriend. My advice is to keep doing what you're doing and as soon as you can afford it move out! You can only change yourself and not others. For me to keep my sanity and not be depressed and be happy, I no longer really go around my family or mom on a daily basis and when I do visit I keep it very short and light hearted and I generally ignore their judgmental comments which infuriates them. I just recently had to tell my mom I would no longer take care of her anymore due to how she treats me and she is now able to afford to hire a professional healthcare home nurse, (she has had health issues since I've been out of high school and my dad's also been deceased since HS) and that I would be looking and finally getting a "real" part time job. Needless to say she threw a fit and tried to guilt trip me.

I hope your appointment went well and that you are on your way to getting a correct diagnosis!

Wow a 3hr evaluation thats a long time (but worth it). Is this the first time you are actually seeing a metal health professional as opposed to a primary care or family doctor. Most family/pcp drs don't. Mine gave be a trial pack effexor xr and I went hypomanic without knowing it until I had my first appointment with a psychiatrist 2 weeks later (luckily she referred me bc of my family history)

Chris,
just read this thread and noticed you haven't posted here in 27 days....how are you doing?

Hope things are going well for you.