Can depression be misdiagnosed as bipolar?

Answer 1

It is highly unlikely to have both, rather than Bipolar Affective Disorder.

It is commonly believed by persons with a childhood diagnosis of ADD/ADHD, that their later diagnosis of Bipolar Affective Disorder is an incorrect diagnosis and that they suffer from ADD/ADHD and depression despite skilled clinicians identifying the behavior.

The reason for this is simple: ADD/ADHD is a controversial diagnosis often made on pediatric patients by General Practioners untrained in pediatric psychiatry. While a real and debilitating ailment in actual suffers, ADD/ADHD is diagnosed in more than 3 times as many children as sufferers later appear in the adult population (meaning either that spontaneous remission occurs or that a mental illness can be outgrown by some, but not others- both of which are implausible).

The issue comes down to wishful thinking and drug seeking behavior: the drugs of choice for the treatment of ADD/ADHD are amphetamines. And the patients are habituated to them (which is medical speak for addicted). Once a diagnosis of Bipolar Affective Disorder is made, these drugs are strictly counter-indicated, and slowly withdrawn.

The patient perfers the amphetamine (a drug of abuse which they are habituated to) over the standard regimine of treatment, and insists on the prior diagnosis in an attempt to secure their preferred drug.

Answer 2

Yes, check out my blog at http://mountingonwingslikeeagles.blogspot.com.

In it, I talk about my misdiagnosis of bipolar when I should have gotten at least a major depression diagnosis.