I was told I had depression for 14 years until I got sectioned - it was bipolar
Kimberley Atkinson assumed her symptoms were depression until her behaviour started to change dramatically.
By BBC News
Kimberley Atkinson was diagnosed with depression for 14 years before being admitted to a psychiatric unit and later diagnosed with bipolar II.
She said her mental health difficulties began in her teenage years. At first, depression appeared to fit her experience, including periods when she felt unable to get out of bed or face the day.
Her symptoms later changed significantly. Ms Atkinson described erratic thinking, delusional thoughts, rapid speech and increasing irritability.
Friends and family became concerned and arranged for her to be admitted to hospital against her wishes. She spent three months in a psychiatric unit, where psychiatrists reassessed her condition.
Ms Atkinson initially found it difficult to accept the bipolar diagnosis. She later said that, looking back, many aspects of her life before the diagnosis had been chaotic.
She was eventually diagnosed with bipolar II, more than 30 years after she first sought help for her mental health.
Ms Atkinson said medication had helped her become stable. She has not experienced a manic episode since her hospitalisation four years ago and now works full-time as an NHS psychologist.
Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression, can involve significant changes in mood and energy. The condition is sometimes initially mistaken for depression, particularly when a person has mainly sought help during depressive episodes.