A psychologist says she was given incorrect mental health diagnoses for years before eventually receiving a bipolar disorder diagnosis. She describes “losing a decade of her life” and says she feels she was “lucky to be alive,” reflecting the seriousness of her experience while trying to get appropriate treatment.
The reports from PerthNow and The West Australian both center on her account that she was initially diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They present her timeline as a prolonged period during which she did not receive the diagnosis she later considered accurate, and they frame the bipolar diagnosis as a turning point.
Both outlets treat the story as a personal perspective on the impact of misdiagnosis and diagnostic delays, rather than reporting new clinical findings or official investigations. No specific figures on broader prevalence, changes in diagnostic practice, or details of healthcare systems are presented in these accounts, and the narrative focus remains on her experience and outcome.
