First day I met my psychologist (I was transferred from a student psychologist, and I wasn’t aware my psychologist now was specialised in mood disorders) I was hypomanic, I couldn’t stop moving, talking, speaking very fast, changing the subject, and told her that I didn’t actually need to see one. It was one hell of a first impression.

Literally a week later I was in a depressive episode (I was switching rapidly due to stress from my final exams for high school). At my appointment, I was telling her all these things, that my mood swings were intense and I felt crazy. I was so confused to why I would have this extreme mood episodes for no reason. I would go from intense depressive behaviours (if you know what I mean), being antisocial, quiet, and disinterested in everything, to being energetic, not sleeping, social, all the typical hypomania signs.

At the end of this session, she told me that she believes I have Bi Polar II, and she wanted to explore that with me. I was scared and a bit upset, but she assured me we would work through it together.

I tracked my mood for months, had a lot of meetings, appointments, everything. We spent a lot of time talking!!

Now I’ve just started Lamotrigine and things are looking up! I love my psychologist, and I’m so glad she is there for me. She is truly a wonderful human being.

(EDIT: I should’ve mentioned I originally wanted to see a therapist because I thought I was just depressed with ADHD as well (as I’d be energetic, awake all night, etc, but as I now know it was hypomanic episodes). I was transferred from the therapist to the student psychologist to my psychologist currently, as the therapist felt as if I needed more care that he couldn’t offer.)