Okay all you armchair psychiatrists...

[gcvmom]

Here's a chance to exercise your skills of conjecture...

If you met someone who was currently taking Wellbutrin and Prozac, and they told you that prior to taking medication, they had a history of compulsive spending, compulsive eating, explosive anger, possibly promiscuous behavior, and disordered thinking, what diagnosis would you get them for Christmas?

 

[klmno]

Addiction- at least they are approaching it if they aren't already there. But that is the primary symptom- not the root of the problem. There probably is an underlying issue and they are trying to self- medicate, unknowingly. Pills won't fix it, probably. They need a therapist who specializes in addiction & tramau or depression or whatever is suspected as being the real problem and who is willing to work with and be supportive of 12 step programs instead of trying their own theory for a "cure". This can be very hard to find.

 

[smallworld]

My first question is what's been happening since this certain someone started on Wellbutrin and Prozac.

 

[gcvmom]

Well, this person is a MUCH happier person, much more patient (although is known to blow a fuse every now and then, but when medications get tweaked, does better), not shopping NEARLY as much as they used to, still has an eating problem, still has strange ways of thinking at times. I know this person also has a lot of childhood abandonment baggage from when their mother left for a year with an older sib to travel the world and left this 14yo girl in charge of two younger sibs while dad worked two or three jobs.

Anyhow, it's my sister in law#2, and I've been wondering what she's taking these days and found out last night. She was originaly diagnosis'd Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) (premenstrual dysphoric disorder), but there's no way I buy that label.

I'm just curious what other people's take on the situation would be.

 

[Star*]

If you met someone who was currently taking Wellbutrin and Prozac, and they told you that prior to taking medication, they had a history of compulsive spending, compulsive eating, explosive anger, possibly promiscuous behavior, and disordered thinking, what diagnosis would you get them for Christmas?



Could be: (a number of things which include but not limited to)
Mania
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Bi-Polar
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Chemical Dependency

 

[gcvmom]

Yeah, I'm leaning towards bipolar.

She also has some awkward social skills and virtually no female friends.

 

[Star*]

I have PMDD. I have moments where I absolutely can NOT be around people. I love people. But, with PMDD even the smallest thing can just send me into outerspace. Things like sounds, smells, are magnified to ridiculous proportions. Irritability with things, people, is at such an impatience that I have told my doctor that I literally have felt I could physically harm someone. It's more than just snapping at someone. It's like being on Liar, Liar for 7 days. Whatever comes into my head? Comes out of my mouth unless there is some way I can get to a place I can be alone. It's more than just a feeling it's like a possession. It also does not have to be anyone or anything. I can just be sitting somewhere and all of a sudden I feel irritable, mean, and it overtakes me. I'm fatigued, tired, I get horrible headaches, I liken it to a possession. Even my own hair annoys me. But as far as binge eating? Binge shopping? Hyper sexual tendencies? No. Moreso the opposite. Just to stay AWAY from people. It should be called the Hermit disease because people that have it? Would be better off and KNOW they are better off staying away from every annoying little person in the world when this comes on. It surpasses chip bags.....

 

[klmno]

It's the tendency to be compulsive to a variety of things- not just one or two- that sticks out to me. And that is indicative of self-medicating (unknowingly) to fill a void or deal with a more major issue. That issue can't be found and treated without someone very good who can handle both the tendency for compulsive behavior and the issue that is underlying. A rx'd medication alone only changes the medication from being a street drug to a legal drug. It isn't enough to "fix" the problem, usually.

 

[totoro]

Sounds like a much tamer me...(pre-medications) And I am BIPOLAR!!! LOL very manically...

 

[gcvmom]

Star, I get the same way... but I'm able to manage it with a slight bump up in my medications for a few days and then I don't worry about going homicidal so much...

klmno, I agree that there are much, MUCH deeper issues at work, and they will likely never be resolved in my opinion. She is not one to seek out a therapist, but at least we don't have to walk on eggshells around her like we used to. It's very sad to see someone be so messed up inside and know that they will likely never do anything about it. The only reason she got on medications in the first place is because her mom (mother in law) was out visiting one year and went with her to a doctor appointment for something else, and mother in law mentioned how horrible her daughter is to be around sometimes. sister in law#2 conceded that she lost her temper sometimes (!) and that's when they first started her on medications.

Knowing how my husband was before medications, and how difficult child 2 is, I am still trying to understand what's going on with the rest of that side of the family. They don't talk about medical issues very much, and are the type of people who just nod their head at the doctor, take their pills and don't ask questions. And admitting to any kind of mental illness is just not done.

 

[gcvmom]

Toto, you snuck in on me! Yeah, I that's what I've been thinking.

 

[smallworld]

No way bipolar if that medication combo works.

I'm thinking anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), depression, but not BiPolar (BP).

Prozac and Wellbutrin without a mood stabilizer would send a person with BiPolar (BP) into mania and more compulsive behavior.

 

[klmno]

My mom is like that- she has some very serious issues that exhibit themselves in panic attacks, which anxiety is a family trait. BUT, all she will do is take anti-anxiety medications and that won't really help her deal with deaper issues or teach her how to handle anxiety better. I was lucky with the therapist I had years ago- she wasn't anti-medication, especially if the underlying problem was an issue like BiPolar (BP) or other need requiring a medication, but she did stress that if a behavior is the symptommatic problem and there is an underlying problem that IS NOT something like a psychiatric disorder (chemical imbalance in the brain), then rx's from a psychiatrist is not the BIG answer. But seruously, as long as any kind of medication or addictive behavior is in the works, an accurate diagnosis is unlikely.

 

[gcvmom]

SW, Really?

 

[gcvmom]

klmno, husband had some obsessive/compulsive issues before going on his medication combo of an AD and MS. It's much, much better than before. He had similar issues as his sister.

So perhaps it's more likely to be a combo of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and depression or anxiety? But isn't Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) part of the anxiety family?

 

[smallworld]

klmno, I'm not getting what you're saying.

 

[smallworld]

Yes, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is part of anxiety, and it is generally treated with high doses of medications PLUS therapy.

 

[klmno]

I think she's right- I exhibited all those behaviors for years from previous trauma and abuse- no one in my family has BiPolar (BP) (unless you count that difficult child might but no one from my side has been diagnosis'd with it). And it is from depression and a family tendency toward being high-anxiety. Additionally, wellbutrin made me into a time bomb. I used to work for a man who was diabetic and had emotional struggles from losing his legs- he was rx'd prozac and it turned him into a dr. jekyll and mr. hyde- but he was nnot bipolar. Please remember- everyone who "fits" some of the BiPolar (BP) symptoms is not truly BiPolar (BP).

AD's can make people who aren't BiPolar (BP) a time bomb, high, moody, etc. But they put a BiPolar (BP) person off the charts.

 

[gcvmom]

Well, as far as husband goes, the type of obsessive behavior he had was more like what difficult child 2 has when he's hypomanic -- he literally gets STUCK on one thing and obsesses about it, and would have meltdowns if he thought someone was going to keep him from it -- almost like an addiction.

 

[gcvmom]

And I don't recall sister in law#2 getting "stuck" on things like that. But then, I never lived with her.