No clarity in terms of diagnosis

rish

In 2010, I had my first psychotic break. I was initially dx'd with schizophrenia, later schizoaffective, then bipolar and now I am not sure because I never seem to see the same psychiatrist more than once. 

I had a second bout of psychosis in 2020 due to being taken off the meds as I didn't have a psychosis in 10 years. I was doing fine until they put me on an antidepressant which pushed me into psychosis.

I know the treatment is the same for all these conditions, but I am fed up with not knowing. I am fed up with the uncertainty.

Alex_Alumni

Hello there @rish and thanks for posting today, uncertainty certainly isn't a nice thing to have to manage, and it can be pretty exhausting not being able to have an answer at the moment.

Can you tell me what support are you getting for your mental health right now? Do you feel like you're able to manage day to day as things are?

rish

Thank you @Alex_Scope for your response. In terms of the support I have an employment specialist who has been helping me look for work. As I cannot manage full-time, I have managed to find something part-time (25 hours) however it is taking a while to get a start date. Once I start, I will have support to make sure I can carry on with working. I also get someone calling me from the mental health team every few months to check up on how I am doing. I struggle with my moods more often than I struggle with psychosis. 

Alex_Alumni

Thanks for explaining for me @rish that's positive to hear, are you looking forward to starting in your new role?

I'm glad you have regular check ins with a mental health team as well. You'd be welcome to spend time on the community if it helps to pass the time. I'm sorry to hear that you're struggling with your moods- sometimes changing what you're doing can help break up the feeling of being stuck in a certain mood.

Moods swings can also be difficult to deal with, so if you are struggling you can always reach out here, or contact your mental health team for support. 

rish

Thank you @Alex_Scope. Yes I am very excited However, it has been a couple of months since I got that job and still have no start date. If I don't get one by August, I will continue looking for other roles. The only problem is I have signed a contract with them, had my DBS done, and also the references have come back. That's why I have been waiting. It's a private hospital where I will be working so I assume that's why it is taking sometime.

Alex_Alumni

Okay @rish definitely chase up the start date with them, or the HR department if there is one, and I hope you get some clarity soon.

It's positive to hear that you've got a lot of the admin sorted with them, often that is what takes the most time and causes a bit of a delay, but it's all needed before you can start.