ADD or Bipolar?

[Donna]

I am 29 years old and I have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD since I was in first grade. After going through special schools and special classes I graduated. I my grades were very good in Jr. College, but when I transfered to a more independant college for my BS my grades dropped. I earned honors scholarships for my work in Jr. College, but I just couldn't keep up with the independant teaching style in my new college. This led to anxiety and then depression. I ended up dropping out for a few years. The anxiety and depression are under control and now I am trying to control my ADD again before I start school, so that the same thing won't happen. Well, I had to go to a new state doctor today to continue my Adderall prescription and in the first five minutes he diagnosed me as being bipolar and not as having ADD. This was based on a short check list that I hastily went through. I misunderstood four out of the nine questions because I went too fast and didn't take the time to read every question. Now, I'm not sure what I have. It seemed to me that the questions on that check list had more to do with ADD than bipolar dissorder (ie: "Do you have trouble concentrating?, Do you have trouble sitting still? ...), but my doctor didn't want to hear it. Has anyone else been diagnosed as bipolar when they had ADD? He wanted to take me off adderall (which works great for me) and put me on a mix of drugs that seemed harsh. I declined for now and he wrote me a prescription for Adderall. If it turns out that I am bipolar I do want to treat it, but if I'm not then wouldn't treating me with such drugs as Depakote and Prozac (as suggested) do me more harm than good?

[BRATgoddess79]

Maybe you should see a different doctor?

I'm ADHD and bi-polar....backed up by a strong family history with both and a fairly well documented psycholigical history of my own. Typically bi-polar has nothing to do with sitting still....it's more along the lines if suicidal ideation, morbid thoughts, bouts of depression that can be pretty severe....enough so that you may not shower more than once every week or once every two weeks....not brushing teeth...etc. But then there are also periods of mania...shopping sprees you can't afford and can't control...cleaning the house as if you were on drugs...etc. But bi-polar and ad/hd do go hand in hand and make for one hell of a combination.
I wouldn't be surprised if you had both....but, if I were you, I would get a second opinion. There are a lot of doctors out there who are quick to make a determination instead of taking the time to really figure you out.