Diagnosis

Recorded diagnosis: Bipolar Disorder (Type II) (based on results with borderline validity on self-report assessments)
Date: December, 2003

However, after several years without medication and a very tricky time finding ones that do work when needed, my current psychiatrist believes that diagnosis to be inaccurate. She feels that my behavior patterns, medication needs (or lack thereof) are more indicative of Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and I very much agree (as does all of my family, which they have loudly vocalized. Repeatedly.).

Apparently you can't just change a diagnosis overnight, but rather after several improving months under her care, she is now looking into formally changing it.

So what happened? Was it just a mistake? That seems like a pretty big one to make... And the answers I've gotten have been that MDD and GAD together can present as Bipolar Disorder in a mixed state (both depression and mania at the same time), which makes a lot of sense. I have not experience many of the severe symptoms or behaviors that you'd typically see in someone with BPD.

Most-likely-accurate diagnosis: Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder.