Bipolar Disorder? Realize this

Hi,

I hope you’re having a really good day.

I have to go really quick today.

I have a whole lot of things to do today.

I am working on a super important project for the entire organization. Something that’s going to help us tremendously.

Oh, people are asking me where Michele is. Michele is on vacation for a couple of weeks. She is okay and will be back soon. Amazingly, she finished all her work, one month ahead of time so she could take time off AND come back to not too much to do. Amazing.

Okay, let’s jump into today’s topic.

There’s really good stuff around you that you probably don’t even know.

Like my friend Steve who is six foot two and 255 pounds told me about this incredible place where he jogs. It’s odd Steve jogs because he’s so big.

Anyway, the place is local to us. He described it to me.

This place has a track that went through the woods with water fountains, a bathroom, playground, rivers, streams, fish, deer, etc.

I thought he was making it up because I have never seen such a place and if it existed, I thought that surely I would know about it.

Well, the other day I was bored.

I was driving around locally by where I live and I went down this road and discovered this park.

It was the place Steve was talking about!

I must say he was right and I was amazed. This place was incredible.

Amazing trails for walking or jogging. Rivers, streams, fish, fields, etc. It was tremendous.

The odd thing is, it’s all f.ree and I never knew about it.

It’s only 5 minutes from where I live. Can you believe that I didn’t see it?

This place is AMAZING. The trail is amazing. It even has information about planets through out the entire trail so you can learn about the solar system.

It has a bathroom, basketball park, soccer, baseball, rivers, streams, ponds and many other things.

You can do it through the woods or not in the woods. It’s truly amazing.

I can’t believe I didn’t even know it existed.

What’s this have to do with bipolar disorder? Nothing.

Just kidding.

It has a lot to do with it.

I get people who write me complaining that they can’t find a good doctor.

The people in New York tell me there are no good doctors.

The people in New Jersey do. The people in South America. The people in Japan do.

BUT wherever people complain, people have found good doctors. You just need to flush them out.

In my systems and courses I have a doctor finding system to get good doctors to come to you.

SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?

Visit:

http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11

SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?

Visit:

http://www.bipolarparenting.com

HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?

Visit:

http://www.survivebipolar.net

NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE, there are good doctors around. They might not be easy to spot but they do exist just like this incredible walking trail I found.

Some things in life are easy.

But other things aren’t.

My dad tried to tell me years ago there weren’t any more good doctors left in New Jersey. There are tons. I found about 12 with my first go around with my system.

Actually if I had to do it all over again I could probably find 30 right away.

I know you might be thinking, “but Dave, where I live there aren’t good doctors.”

There are. I will say this, and I say it in my courses, the best doctors are NOT found online or in the phone book. I don’t know why but they aren’t.

You have to use a good system.

I am not going to get into it now because I have to run, but there’s other good stuff that can help you around in your area that you are probably overlooking.

You just have to look.

I had someone tell me their mother used to always tell them, “Life doesn’t get handed to you on a silver platter. You have to work for what you

want.”

Well, I can see that with bipolar disorder, too.

If you can’t find a good doctor, it just might be that you have to work a little harder for what you want.

Don’t just say you can’t because you can.

Oh one more thing. I have found the best doctors aren’t necessarily the ones who run big giant hospitals or work at these big famous facilities.

The best ones I found are not published, not running big gigantic facilities, are not celebrities doctors, etc.

If you saw my mom’s doctor you might just think she was okay. She doesn’t have books and have a gigantic practice and isn’t on TV but she is incredible.

What do you think?

FIND OUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT ME

Visit: http://www.bipolarcentral.com/testimonials

David Oliver is the author of the shocking guide “Bipolar Disorder—The REAL Silent Killer.” Click Here to get FREE Information sent via email on how and why bipolar disorder kills.

  1. Dear Dave~

    I have not a clue to what you are trying tell me~what are you trying to explain/tell me?

    Regards~
    Holly

  2. Had to add my 2 cents worth today, about the best Psychs not being listed in the yellow pages. My Psych has never been listed in the yellow pages and he a very simple listing in the white pages so you know he is a MD, but not what kind! And you do not know if it is his home # or if it is an office # until you dial it. I was having my daughter get counseling through a church and the counselor said that she was unable to help my daughter anymore and gave me our Psych’s phone # and told us where he was located! He specializes in Child Psychiatry, but takes all ages of patients. He is very smart, quick to recognize the problem(s) with just a few sessions and then starts the process of meds, with the least amount of side effects, but work the best for the problem(s), our BP is the worst of the diagnoses, but there are several others going on with us, as well. And these other problems do make medication a little more difficult than just BP. I live in nowhere Idaho and I have a good Psych available to me so I do not understand why people cannot find a good Psych in much larger cities than where we live. Of course the more there are, the higher the number of quacks there are, so you might have to dig a little harder than I did. But I do know that there are good Psychs out there, my Psych cannot be the only good Psych on this Earth! Of course he went to school in Michigan at Ann Arbor Med School and Hospital so I knew he got the best of schooling available to any type of Doctor in this Country right off the bat, but did he really learn or not, only time could tell, and YES! He is a fantastic Doctor, specializing in Psychiatry! My only concern is that he will retire (or something worse because after all he is human) before he can be replaced! My daughter has been visiting him for so many years that she has a father-type association with him and she doesn’t easily trust another Psych. Nor do I, for that matter, due to bad experience on my part. But I let one bad experience taint my view of Psychs and I beg you all to not go down that horrible road I have traveled without the support of a good Psych. You can’t rely on your PCP either, as they are famous for treating depression, but will rarely ever refer you to good (or any, for that matter) Psych unless they see you manic and the chances of them getting you to a good Psych are extremely low and they may want to treat your BP themselves, get where I am going here? It wasn’t easy to find a good PCP that you really trust with your life, so why do you think it would be any easier to find a good Psych that you trust with the most important of your being, your mental health! Your mental health has a huge amount of control over your physical health, so get over the stigma associated with mental illness and get started today, talking to anyone and everyone you can find to get to the best Psychiatric help you can get to! And start the appt process until you do get the help you have a right to!

  3. I was about to give up my search for a good doctor, but I guess I’ll try your method first then I can either say, “Told you so!” or thanks for the great idea! I’ll let you know.

  4. For Mary Ruther:
    This is in response to your comment from yesterday. I do not know where you live, but if you live in the US you are not responsible for your daughter’s medical bills. There are programs available everywhere to help pay the expenses. Start with your state’s Medicaid program and work your way around to county assistance, if you have to. I do not the circumstances of your daughter’s situation, but I do know that I am not responsible for my 21 y/o daughter’s medical bills. The law states that I am supposed to be responsible for her until she is 25, has a child, or gets married, whichever happens 1st. However, since she has turned 19, as I am on SSD she lost her Medicaid and I am not responsible for any of her bills. So before you sell the farm, start digging into programs that will help pay the bills for her. There should be a social worker where she is now and that is your best ally to get her bills paid. I don’t know if they are allowed to talk to you or not, since she is 30, but under the circumstances I would think she would be deemed as mentally incapacitated, as you being her Mother should be able to get the ball rolling on a lot of different things to get her bills paid, including the Social Worker. You can start there and get the app in for medicaid at the same time. Hopes this helps you some. If you do not live in the US I am not the one that can help you as I know absolutely nothing about other Countries and how their medical systems work. Good luck and prayers for you and your daughter. Been down that hellish road more than once and still seem to be fighting for my daughter, but keep going and you will find some other way to pay!

  5. That is great if you if you can choose your psychiatrist. However, most of us in a HMO cannot. My HMO did NOT cover mental health care because it was my insurance was through the State. You had to qualify as Seriously Mentally Ill to get into the mental health system in Arizona.

    Then you are assigned a case worker – who chances are is not qualified. I honestly had a case worker who’s college degree was in Fashion Design. I am NOT lying! What does that have to do with mental health care? To make sure all the crazies are dressed well? (I joke about being bipolar – if I didn’t I would cry.) The doctor you see is on the same “team” as the case worker. You could get a good doctor or a bad doctor. I have been lucky to have good doctors, but I know many people who were not so lucky.

    You cannot just changed doctors. If you have private insurance that is fine but what about those of us on SSI/SSD who are on Medicare/Medicad?

  6. It’s not that good doctors are not out there. It takes time to determine the ones that don’t get it.

    I have looked for my answers for two decades. It ended when my wife divorced me and told me that I was bipolar. She tried to help me get help , but tired of searching. I couldn’t.

    I went to a psychiatrist and had to say “I have bipolar”. He is good. but why didn’t any of the other professionals I saw over the many many years get it right?

    I have lost a wonderful caring wife, it makes me sad!!!

  7. Hi Dave,

    Looks like I am the first shot out of the barrel today : )

    You are right. I was looking and looking for a decent doctor after having some really, really bad ones. I didn’t have your packages that explain how to find a good doctor, but I knew from experience that there were bad ones. I interviewed several before I found my present one who got me stabilized rather well. It wasn’t easy. One dr. I interviewed said I was making “him” depressed by telling him my life story! Another one said, And I quote “I may as well give up trying to get better because I have been this way 40 years and nothing had changed!” End quote! I couldn’t believe my ears! Another one said, “It would be better if I didn’t have kids!” In fact he suggested strongly that I didn’t because I have bipolar!

    I had seen two doctors for a year each and they both said, “I know you have a mental disorder, I just don’t know what it is!” After seeing me for a year each! A therapist I went to interview told me I was a momma’s boy in our first appointment! There is no way to judge someone in one visit, let alone that was disrespectful!

    I tell ya Dave, it does get discouraging when you have so many bad experiences. But I liked your system. I do agree it will find a good doctor. If I had to find another dr for any reason, I would use your system as outlined in your information package.

    A good dr. returns your calls, maybe even the same day, mine does. A good dr. listens to you with eye contact instead of writing notes and asking strange questions that don’t have anything to do with anything. They don’t pretend to read your mind and tell you what you need or presume to know what you need without asking you what you need. Sure they may know what type of medication you need, but they don’t try to tell you stuff you know is not right.

    A good dr. will have a way to reassure you what steps to take if you need to go into the hospital. They will either see you while you are in the hospital or have someone who works with them to see you in the hospital. But they should be able to let you know what to do if you need to go, and which one to go to. A good dr cares about you personally. While they don’t get into your personal life so to speak, they do need to be a friend to you on a professional level. Not be your best friend. You need to be honest and be able to trust them with your life, because you will be whether you realize it or not. The medication they give you can either save your life or if it is wrong, in some cases can even make you sicker, or worse suicidal. That happened to me. They need to have an open mind as to what you are telling them is the truth, and give you sound advice. My dr. meets all of these criteria, and if I had to trust him with my life, which I do concerning my bipolar treatment, in a different area, I would.

    Thanks for a great topic Dave, sometimes what we are looking for is right under our nose and we don’t see it until we really, really look for it.

    Bob

  8. Why can’t you give names of Drs. ? I’ve tried your method . I have been through two dozen .All claimed to be experts with BP . It took several visits with each , to find out they didn’t know shit.

  9. I also thought finding a doctor was going to be hard, especially since I had a bad experience with one that I was seeing (he was not the one that diagnosed me with Bipolar Disorder. He got to where you could not get a appt. for 2-3 mo. and then you would wait 30 min. in lobby and see him for 5 min. (he used to be able to see you for at the least 20 min). My Psych. now is very good and I got his name from my insurance company. He is a excellant medication manager, and has finally got the right combination for my BP. I also had alot of people that knows him or has worked with him, tell me the same thing. So there is good Dr’s out there, ask your insurance company and counselors etc, they will give you references

  10. I was unlucky with the first psychiatrist I saw after my last of three hospitalizations in 1977. She had an AWESOME office; all steel and windows. And she dressed like a model- I wonder WHERE her money came from??!! She sat there and said things like, “hmmm,” “ooooh,” “soooo,” and didn’t allow me to open up with my problems. At that time, I was clinically depressed and wasn’t opening up to ANYONE.

    I was so unhappy with her, I stopped going. I went to my PCP, and he made an appointment with the local Community Mental Health Clinic. The very FIRST psychiatrist I saw there used to be a tech on the psychiatric ward I was on in 1970! We had become fast friends there, and, wonders of wonders, I knew him AND trusted him.

    He asked ALL the right questions, and prescribed an antidepressant. Within three weeks, the sun began to shine for me again! I haven’t been clinically depressed before or since – but I DO go the other way quite often – mania.

    Being a State-funded organization, the shrinks come and go; budget concerns often take their toll on who stays and who leaves. I have had a Nurse Practitioner for three years, who is allowed to prescribe medications. We see each other once every month now, because of the stress I’m under, but used to see each other every three months. Although I’m supposed to have 20 min sessions, if there’s something really bothering me, she will extend them. The medicine cocktail I’m on now is sufficient for my needs, and I am doing very well.

    I also have the support of an outstanding psychotherapist, who was a nurse on the same psychiatric ward as the first doctor! I’ve known her 38 years! I see her every other week for 50 min. We know each other so well that she’s comfortable with being strictly HONEST with me when I mess up. Unfortunately, she’s retiring in June of next year, and I’ll have to “break in” a new therapist, or join a women’s group. Either way, I will miss her…

    It is important that honesty and trust exist between patient and doctor. If you don’t have BOTH, your experience with them will NOT be very productive. If one medicine is NOT working for you – tell your doctor. Don’t be foolish and experience BAD side effects that can be alleviated by a new combination of medications. And, when something WORKS, don’t be afraid to tell them that, too.

    BIG HUGS to all bipolar survivors and those who love us. May God bless you real good.

  11. The last time I saw my doctor he told me that I was over weight and could stand to loose weight. My Mom died in Nov of this year and I have lost 65 pounds. I have just started to see this doctor because I lost my insurance. The meds he percribed are not working and I see him this week. I am not looking forward to seeing him. But with no insurance I have little choices on who I can see. I am in the middle of a manic right now and I am very depressed. I think my family would be better off with out me. But agian I cant go to the hospital because of no insurance. I feel that I have little choice in the matter. My meds are not working. But I have been on almost every med you can be on. The only thing that seems to work is shock treatments. There agian, no insurance. I feel like I am stuck.

  12. I have had over a dozen psychiatrists over the past six years. I am still looking. I have an appointment in a couple weeks, so I am hoping she will be good.

    My experience with psychiatrists has not been pleasant. I have been incorrectly diagnosed, given the wrong medication and under prescribed or over prescribed. I had a psychiatrist cry while I was in his office, a psychiatrist scream at me and slam the door, and a psychiatrist refuse to treat me because he said he did not practice euthansia. I had a psychiatrist who worshipped cactus plants – everywhere in his office – and each had it’s own special light. One told me I was not dying of a disease, so he could not understand why I had so much depression. One practiced aromatherapy and used q-tips for his ‘scents’ to treat his patients and told me to bake cookies with colored sprinkles if I ever became depressed. I had a therapist try to sell me third party products (for her son’s business), such as Amway, vitamins and pre-paid legal services. The therapist was using her psychology client base as potential clients of her son’s business.

    All of the doctors have been bad, in one form or another. Sometimes it takes a long time to discover the skeletons in the psychiatrist’s or psychologist’s own closets.

  13. Life is funny. I work in an office for a non profit organization and I had a fellow come in (a member of our organization) and we started talking. I don’t know why he told me that he was bipolar, and I don’t know why I told him that my 18 year old son has been diagnosed, but what ensued was a very “open” chat about bipolar. He told me that he has had several businesses and all very successful, until he went off his medication. He admitted that IF he had not gone off his medication that he would have succeeded in ways way beyond imagine. What kicked in for me was, stay on your medication and find a GOOD doctor and all will be well. (this man has been WELL for 8 years now) My son is away at college now so I can’t be the supporter that I feel I should be. He thinks that if he stays on his meds for a year he will be “cured”. He is still in denial that there is a problem. How does one council someone who is living away?
    Suzanne, I so enjoy reading your entries… your closing line makes my heart warm. Thank you! I wish we could chat in here……
    Della, I’m so sorry about your Mom. You have to tell your doc what is going on with you. Be honest. You will work it out!
    God bless and keep strong!

  14. I wanted to add that I do agree with Troy Henry…psychiatrists ARE lower life organisms, well, the majority of them, anyway. To find a good one, you have to find a needle in a haystack.

    My family is being abusive again. They say I am manipulative, feel sorry for myself, don’t want help, make up ‘fictitious appointments,” and then don’t go to the ‘fictitious appointments”….it just goes on and on. My sympathies to those who have ‘supporters’ like mine.

  15. yeah, it’s really bad in the mental health field. i’ve worked in it for many years and find the overall level of care as being abysmal for those seeking treatment. in community mental health it’s even worse; impersonal and generic services mostly rendered by young college grads just passing through or older burnout types who are odd and condescending.

    my girlfriend is bipolar and i sometimes wonder about the level of care she receives from her therapist. understanding that while she appears to have a handle concerning certain aspects of the disorder, what exactly does she tell her therapist when she doesn’t? and she doesn’t quite a bit of the time.

    don’t get me wrong, i love her with all of my heart. but, i get the impression that she’s either leaving a bunch out, like the time she was withdrawing from pain medication and the two year stretch without meds, that i believe she’s manipulating her treatment; which is one reason i mean to learn as much as i can. in fact, i plan to return to grad school to begin degree work in psychology.

    the main reason for my return to school is precisely because i believe those who love and support others with more severe forms of mental health issues, require their own network of support and services. in my area (denver) there is very little and those who support and love their partners are left in the dark. not a good position to operate from.

  16. I have recently found my daughter’s psych doc. to be not really listening, he will ask her how are you doing? she states fine(every single month not that she is she just know he just wont say anything) He now will ask me because I always butted in to make sure she really got some help. My daughter was choking my other son ( who also is bipolar) this doc tells me that”it’s just sibling stuff” I stated not in my house is that allowed. I jsut could not believe that a doc would say that is ok, and in front of both of them. Time to find a new one, but with medicaid only one left that my son goes to and that one keeps cancelling appointments. This doctor that my son sees did not even tell me that his diagnosis was changed for almost a year when he had to have blood work ordered was when I found out neat huh? Next the therapist that my son sees (has been seeing for over 3 years)and he just says uhm “mmm” he’s in a manic phase huh? I know have to change that one too. but good luck on that one too.

  17. Hi Dave
    For the past eighteen years I have been on treatment I had more negative than positive responses from psychs. I walked on several of them as they want to give you meds that they approve of even if it have terrible sid-effects. I have learnt so much about this disorder as I have done research on my own read many books and even on the net that I know exactly all the effects of most of the meds as I have been on most of them. I cannot speak for everyone as we are not all the same what works for me won’t for the next sufferer. I wish more can be done as there are really very few psych that really studying the meds as well. They should in actual fact know more of the side-effects. The previous doctor gave me moodstabaliser with anti-depressants to balance the mood you go to the next they give you two moodstabalisers and antipsychotic and so on. I think the best psych are those that also suffer the same disorder because they experience themselves and know what it’s about. I have not seen a psych now for almost a year to me they all the same they couldn’t care less. Lucky for me I still have meds for a few months, but I will have to find a doc as soon as possible otherwise I will definitely be in a predicament. I hope to find one soon. It is difficult as I have been to most of them unless I find one on the net or in some other country. Maybe I should leave SA because here it’s not easy to find good ones they all move out of the country. Thanks DAVE

  18. my daughter was going to a dr. that never called her back and just shoved drugs into her. She would be in a bad way sometimes scary she would call her and she would always be out. Never return her calls. She went to
    another facility and found a wonderful Dr. who has helped her and has regulated her meds. and when my daughter calls her she talks to her on the phone as long as she needs and always calls her back. My daughter trusts her and really likes her my daughter told me she tells her things she wouldn’t have told the other Dr. I am so happy for this cause i get so scared for her sometimes i talk to her whenever she wants she considers me her Best Friend and i want to help her be whole and happy. Plus she has 3 children of her own and 2 of her fiancee she has a big job with this. It feels good to be able to talk to you i think i am going to find someone to talk to on this its hard for me to find someone because i have panic attacks when i drive certain places so i don’t. But people who need a good Dr. has to go looking there is someone out there for you. God Bless

  19. Dear Dave

    I think that the time has come for you to go one step ahead , and start A list of Dr’s “recomended” and “not recomended” , so people can post the names of Doctors with comments .

    I think that you will be plesantly supprized as to how fast and accurate this list will grow

  20. Dave,

    Your message talked about the wonderful park you found. But you found it not because of anything you did but because someone told you about it. Referrals, word of mouth, you know that if someone whose opinion you respect tells you about something (sometimes even if you don’t respect the) then you’re more likely to try it. There is even a kind of marketing called referral marketing. Actually, that’s how MLM gets so many people.

    And your system is . . .

    Obviously, it doesn’t work for everyone. At least one person says here that they tried it and it didn’t work. I have a great doctor. Unfortunately, he doesn’t take insurance. He’s expensive too. How did I find him? Referral from a good therapist. I don’t see that therapist anymore. She doesn’t take insurance either and is almost expensive as the doc and you have to see her more often. But I did get a good therapist. Again, referral. When someone, a therapist, a doctor, a plumber, gets results, does good work, cares about people enough to really listen, that goes a long way.

    Bad experiences? Yeah. I’ve had lots and could tell horror stories. But I don’t need to. Lots of people have.

    It’s not easy. I have to give up things in order to pay the doc. He doesn’t do payment plans or anything either. But he’s good. In this city, in this state actually, the docs and most of the therapists I know and have dealt with or heard about are really bad. So I don’t go to the movies. I don’t have cable. I rarely go out to eat. I don’t eat organic. I don’t join a gym. I don’t need to do that to get exercise.I don’t have a full-time job and I’m on disability. But I know there are certain priorities, like paying more for a doctor that I trust that will help me maintain stability, so I have to give up some things that I might like. I don’t give up everything. I’m obviously not homeless (though I have been) and since I’m writing on this computer, I have a lot more than an awful lot of people. If someone asks me who my pdoc is, I tell them. He’s not a famous person. He does his work quietly. He has a nice office and everything but he knows a lot, keeps up to date, on latest meds and other treatments, he’s calm in a crisis and he’s helped me a lot. I’m sorry for the people who have reported their situations with bad doctors. It’s very sad and I know; I’ve been there. I stil keep saying I’m going to find a better, less expensive doc. But I haven’t found a decent one for less so I’m not going to leave my doctor, at least for the moment. If you’ve got some kind of secret system, it’s a shame you don’t share it. I would. When you write about your systems, it sometimes feels like you’re teasing, like dangling a bone in front of a dog’s face or a toy in front of a child’s, and then snatching it away, or like peeling back a tiny corner of a package and letting the aroma of the thing inside waft just a little into the room but then snatching away the package or closing the container. It’s like showing someone a door with a keyhole but not giving them the key. Why do you say you can’t go into your system because you don’t have time? Are you going to share it in a subsequent email? No. We know that, those of us who’ve been on your list for awhile. We know because we know it’s a way you use to market your products.

    Laura

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