have any of you gotten different diagnosis ?

i have heard this is not uncommon but was wondering if any of you have ever been diagnosed with one mental illness and then it ends up being changed to another diagnosis? my first diagnosis was major depression,..then that became schizoaffective for the next couple years...then recently this new doctor I saw (outside the hospital) diagnosed me bipolar....
i know schizoaffective is psychosis with a mood disorder so i guess it may not be too far off, ..just wondering if any of you have experienced this with being given a diferent diagnosis over time or when you get a new doctor

Hi Delamo,

This is very much the case with me. I was initially diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety 17 years ago. As a result of feeling so out of control of my life I developed OCD only a few years later. 12 years after the initial diagnosis, I was diagnosed by a different Doctor as having Borderline Personality Disorder and Bipolar issues. Now another 5 years after that I have just been diagnosed full blown Bipolar II (rapid cycling). I don't know if these are progressive things or not or even if it was because I was not properly medicated that things have advanced. Either way I hope you find the answers you are searching for.

All the best,

Erica ox

I was originally diagnosed with depression in 2004, changed to BP2 three weeks ago.

From what I've read it generally takes doctors a long time to arrive at the correct diagnosis with bipolar because you don't really go to the doctor to report hypomanias until they become impossible to live with.

I too was originally diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (recuerrent) in the beginning. I received my current diagnosis at 16, tried to pretend that I didn't have it for years, saw a new pdoc and got diagnosed with the same thing all over again even though I never told him my previous diagnosis! I guess that means it's the correct diagnosis.

I had a previous diagnosis of depression. I was also labelled as having borderline personality disorder. They are still talking about that but myself and my therapist both think the borderline diagnosis is wrong. My current diagnosis is BP1

Cracked

Depression when I was younger in my uni years and again when I started teaching was given anti-depressants which didn't work. Then after a few years of teaching it was OCD and antidepressants which didn't really work. Then back to depression with anxiety after that.

Finally after my most severe breakdown, habitual self harm and a serious suicide attempt, I was finally diagnosed as Bipolar 2, later rapid cycling. The Borderline label shows up now and then whenever I discuss my self harm but I don't think it fits me at all.

1. Depression, OCD and eating disorder.
2. Borderline PD with eating disorder and PTSD
3. Cyclothymia with disordered eating.
4. Bipolar 2
5. Bipolar spectrum disorder (dropped the "type 2" because they were unsure) with BPD traits and OCD.
6. Under debate (I'm currently in hospital with new symptoms which could suggest schizoaffective, OCD or sever anxiety or just confirm the bipolar: its all up in the air)


To be honest from what I know from people who have been under psych services for a while multiple, changeable diagnosis is very common. My 6 diagnosis' cover a period of 7 years.