Bipolar Type II Support Group

My sister was diagnosed last fall with Bipolar II after years of being on antidepressants. She has struggled with the meds and has now taken herself off of ceroquel (3 weeks) and now thinks she was misdiagnosed. I thinks she is slightly manic - how long until we see a real episode?

That is tough. Hypomanic or mildly manic is an episode for Bipolar II. The other episode is the depression which is usually predominat for many. That's when people get help and many times get misdiognosed with depression only. Would your sister be willing for you to go to her dr. with her? It is hard to have good insignt while hypomanic. Why did she go off her Seroquel? Side-effects or didn't think she had the BPII? It is a process accepting this illness. I hope all works out for your sis and family. She is lucky to have such a loving oldersis.

Post edited by: blonde4, at: 04/22/2012 07:58 PM

Thank you for your input. My mother is hoping that maybe she doesn't have it after all either. I think you are right that it will be the depression that sets her back to thinking she needs help. If that happens I will offer to go to the doc with her. Good advice.

your sister may be right, or she maybe in denial. perhaps a second opinion from a different doc might be useful.

for whatever comfort it might be, if she is BP2, full-blown manic episodes are usually rare- BP2s spend much more time in depression. if her meds were intended to stabilize her, she may well be a little hypo just now but will probably be back to the blues soon...