Yesterday was my appointment with a new medical team for my mental health “status” and diagnostic.
For those who don’t know, a résumé: for now 3 years, I’ve been managing a lot of mental health issues, depression, general anxiety, flashbacks, triggers, mood swings, etc… that, when discussed with many health specialists, made us realize that I may have a mental health condition. Like bipolar, or borderline. It wasn’t just depression and general anxiety: it was clearly more.
So I was nervous as fuck, yesterday. Uber-Anxious, too, that they might overlook my conditions, and finally say “You ain’t sick in the brain, go home”, or underestimate it. I was scared of judgment, too, I’ll admit it: that I was wayyyyyy crazier than I thought…
I felt listened. I felt not judged. I felt respected with my analysis, my answers, my hypothesis of my own condition and life, my thoughts, my experiences…
So, by the end of the afternoon, it was official:I am crazy!
(joking! … well, almost 😉 )
But overall, it went well. I have a new psychiatrist assigned to me for a while (FINALLY! It took 3 years to HAVE one just for my case!). With her resident-psychiatrist who will be doing most of the work with me. My medication doesn’t change (for now) but we are now doing a very intense follow-up on this. More blood tests, more health log & journal, to figure out the *precise* condition of my brain. But for now, my main hypothesis has been accepted AND confirmed now by 3 psychiatrists, a resident, 2 social workers, 1 psychologist, and my own family doctor:
Non-specific bipolar/not-quite-cyclothymia/Borderline-but-not-totally. All caused by trauma/PTSD.
Yeah, it’s a mouthful. BUT it’s something.
What does it means?
Well, to start: my brain didn’t grow up like everybody else. I came from a family background where extreme poverty, childhood neglect/abuse of different kinds, and malnutrition impacted my brain chemistry when growing up. I probably lack some essential brain hormones and cells necessary to have a “normal” mood like everybody else. My hormones in my body have been impacted during my teenage years by this lack of hormones. So when my periods started, it only started amplifying my mood swings. Mood swings that were HIGHLY different than the average person. Mood swings that made me acted…rashly; irrational; angry at time; depressed as time; imprevisible. Unpredictable, for most of you all. A total chaotic clusterfuck of emotional ticking rage/depression bomb at time.
Not fun.
Yeah, I know, it sucks. It explains a lot, I guess. It explains A LOT of my past decisions during my early adulthood. Of my mood swings, my depressive phases. My HIGH phases (at least 2 per year, in January and September, and a little lower High phase in June, too). It explains a lot of what a lot of people/acquaintances (those who didn’t take the time to know me, at the time) observed as my “chaotic personality”.It explains all the anxiety I’ve developed afterwards, because of my past childhood and my decisions during those mood swings.
It just confirmed everything.
I now am “labeled” by my medical team, and in the health system. We have more tools, now, available for me, to make my life and daily struggles a bit more manageable. It won’t completely heal me: it never will. A life of trauma can NEVER be erased from my DNA and brain chemistry. I’m stuck like that.
But now, I have a team that is behind me, have tools, medications and knowledge to help me get better on a day-to-day basis. I am not alone. I can only facilitate my brain chemistry by following some steps to make it better, more stable. I am not crazy, au final!
This is me. Debbie: an unclassifiable Pirate person, not crazy but scrapped by Life, and survivor of bad stuffs. Crazy cat lady extraordinaire. Badass ass-kicker of liars and douchebags.
I’ll survive this and stay strong!
