Set of medical records going back years sufficient to document a diagnosis of bipolar disorder with psychotic features.
Difference between treating and not-treating psychiatrists. Non-treating psychiatrists only provide evals. Dr. M says he treats and also does evals.
The diagnosis previously made was reconfirmed when JS arrived in Florida. Fewer periods of "good" functioning in the period of time after she arrived in Florida. In the Fall of 2010, JS was in a particularly difficult condition. Depression, mania, insomnia. Drinking more alcohol. Medications not suppressing her symptoms. Pathological gambling. Struggling with sad, unsatisfactory family relations -- husband as well as children.
Treating doctors focused on alcohol use and medication. Lamotrigen (Lamictal) -- a med also used for seizure disorder, found to be helpful for swinging moods -- believed may be connection between seizure disorder and mood disorders. Lamotrigen seemed to be effective, but has a rare but lethal side effect -- a rash where skin falls off as if they've been burned -- can be fatal. She was taking the drug and developed a rash. Up until the Fall, the doctors talked to her about going back on Lamotrigen (even though she'd had a bad reaction in past). To Dr. M, this indicated a level of desperation. She went back on Lamictal in 2010.