If there were one or two people that I know of claiming to have both AS and bipolar, I wouldn't see a problem, but I think a lot of people are getting over dxed or over dxing themselves. What really bothers me is the people who claim to have like five disorders. They're hypochondriacs IMO. For example, Sean claims he has AS, bipolar, tourette's, ADD, and OCD. He also says he's deaf in one ear and has cerebal palsy. Maybe the latter are true but I doubt he has all those disorders.
I don't know about other countries, but bipolar is definitely over dxed here. I myself was diagnosed with it the first time I ever went to the hospital, along with a lot of other people. I've been to hospitals and various programs, and met many people who say they're bipolar when it's obvious they're not, and it's just mood swings they have. In order to have bipolar, someone needs to go through periods of mania as well as periods of depression. All of my mom's brothers and sisters have bipolar (not from abuse, it was hereditary) and have had the manic AND the depressive phases. My one aunt went to Cancun and Jamaica and bought a brand new car during her manic phase. My mom was recently dxed with it as well, and I've researched it heavily, so I know a lot about it. I'm sick of people asking me if I'm bipolar when I get moody and bitchy because I've never been manic except when on certain antidepressants, the rest of the time I'm either moody, depressed, or content.
Anyway, I just find it extremely odd that there are an abundance of people saying they have bipolar and AS and think that either the disorders overlap a lot for some reason, or there's another one out there no one's discovered
Well a few years back there was research carried which tried to state that aspergers were at a high risk of developing bi polar in later life. My opinion on bi polar and aspergers is that I think it would be extremly difficult to diagnose it in an asperger person unless they are blatently showing states of mania or severe depression, too quick to jump on the label. The real problem aspergers face is misunderstanding and overassumptive psychiatric professionals in this arena, if your becoming socially excluded as a social animal you will suffer. It has as a consequence created this myth in the less competant professions that this link must be out there, its totally unneccesary and cruel labelling of people.
Ive seen mania in my uncle and my ex and I take it when you've witnessed mania in your family members you can see that "look" they have in the eyes that instantly strikes you straight away that there high as a kite. My uncle one day decieded to sell up his home in london his business and move him and his entire family to a remote farm in the highlands of scotland near inverness and to keep his job in london he would commute via plane to London and back from inverness. It didnt quite work out that way as you cain imagine. Although he is diagnosed with bi polar he refuses medication for it and doesnt really acknowledge he has a problem and too an extent he's right as he uses it as a strength in his mania he comes up with all these enterprises and business ideas and 9 times out of 10 there quite succesful.
As for Sean and these multi diagnosed retards theres a fella just like that in Hull, england and in DANDA we had quite a few morons like that who claimed they were everything under the sun. They clearly had no concept of what these labels mean't. I dont know what they see in it, does it give you brownie points or street cred to be a hardcore syndrome collector? I dont see the clinical benefit of giving someone that many labels and not many of the long standing asperger professionals would either (professor patricia howlin, digby tantum, simon baron-cohen, uta frith, lorna wing etc) Infact I know Patricia Howlin spends most of her time undiagnosing people like this.
"Is she gone yet?"