When you say "someone" to review my records... who? A psychiatrist? An AME who I can make an appointment to see because he's a qualified doctor (ie, NOT for the purpose of getting a medical)?
Most of the problems stemmed from living with my parents... since moving out, I've been able to support myself, I even survived losing a job, and the month+ it took me to find employment again. (and a few months after that and I'm happily sitting here employed by an airline and possessing my own health insurance. I think I've managed pretty well for someone who's still planning to -start- college next year).
Are you saying that if a credible psychologist can basically say "this is no longer a problem" (or maybe more accurately to what you said "the previous diagonsis is incorrect", I may still have a chance? Should ask the doctor I see now, or find another one (like getting a second opinion?)
Isn't the definition of bipolar disorder something like "periods of depression followed by periods of mania, recurring..." over some set span of time (like months, or years), and it's one type of bipolar if the depressive part lasts longer than the manic part, or is followed by only a "mild mania" (not to the extreme the that depression is), and the other type is if they're about 50/50?
Honestly I don't think either of those have described me for a very long time.
...I don't think I've ever had a "psychotic event." I'm allergic to a certain class of medication (anti-psychotics, but again, see above), but in the retrospect of any decent psychiatrist I've talked with, there was no real reason for me to have been on those medications anyway, other than when in the hospital, they have to toss SOMETHING down your throat to fulfill the "treatment" obligation for insurance purposes (apperently just being there doesn't count as treatment). x_X It wasn't a psychotic episode, though, it was more like my throat and tongue swelling to the point I can't breathe. Having to go to ER only to find out benadryl counteracts it... not fun.
This is the first medical I'll have applied for... so at least I have that going for me? If that counts as a "going for you" thing to have little idea coming into this. (though I did poke at AOPA's TurboMedical thing).
Speaking of AOPA, I know there's a number I can call with medical questions, but that's not something the FAA's going to find out about, is it? I don't want to end up denied for asking a question in the wrong place.
Since I've yet to hear it mentioned, does a diagnosis of Asperger's ("by history" I think is the actual wording) have any bearing?
....so many of these problems seem to be from the past... the vast majority of it before I even turned 18. Does the FAA really need to know why I was in the hospital when I was something like 7? -I- didn't even know why I was there at that age!
The other thing I've been afraid to mention for fear of the answer... but might as well, I'm anon right now anyway...
One, and only one, of those hospitalizations was for a suicide attempt. The weird part was, in the documentation for that hospitalization, it never once mentions that. I've read it myself. The only mention is in the local paper's police blotter. Additionally, I didn't suffer any physical (or neurological) damage from it... so for all intents and purposes, hospital paperwork included, it never happened. I need to go over my other records since then and see if it's ever mentioned, but... I know properly I need to report it, but if I can confirm there's no mention of it in any of my records, should I still mention it? ("yes, this happened, but there's no actual proof it did other than a non-specific blurb in the police blotter of our local newspaper where I lived at the time")
I'm afraid if I don't mention it (and assuming I'm otherwise cleared for a medical), it'll come back to bite me. x_X
I'm not going to hold anyone here to what they say about the matter.
On brighter note, the last time I saw my psychiatrist, he did mention he sees several other pilots. I don't know what their diagnoses or certificates are, but... it makes me feel a little better to know that anyway.
Thanks for the input so far. I hope I can still find a way to (legitimately) do this.