Hi,
How’s it going? I have to tell you something
really, really, really important about
bipolar disorder.
First before I say it, I want to make
sure you are 100% clear that I am NOT
an attorney, lawyer, medical doctor,
therapist, financial advisor, insurance
agent and I am not a professional.
All the information that I have is from
the school of hard knocks. It’s from
supporting a mom with bipolar disorder
and now having more than 10 people who work
for me that have a mental illness. Some have
5 mental illnesses.
With that said, I wanted to tell you something
that happen to me the other day. I was in
the gym and someone brought up depression
to me. She said her sister had it and another
family member has bipolar disorder and stopped
taking her medication.
Why? Well the person told me it’s because they
saw on TV that the particular drug may cause
side effects and the drug maker was being
sued by a bunch of attorneys. The person on
the medication stopped taking it because
the commercial for the lawyers looking for people
to represent against the drug companies made
it seem if you take the drug you really could
have really bad problems and side effects.
So the person on the bipolar disorder medication
made the decision to stop taking the drug right
away.
I was like, “Are you kidding me?????” In my opinion
this is TOTALLY 100% WRONG!
You should NEVER stop taking your medication until
you speak to a qualified doctor about this. If you
have bipolar disorder or your loved one does, and
you have medication concerns, schedule a doctors
visit. Talk to the doctor. The doctor will do
the research and then either say that you should
transition to another drug or say that you should
not.
You and your loved one have to work with a good
doctor and NOT, and I repeat NOT make decisions
without the doctor. If there is one thing that
drives me absolutely crazy is when I hear
people doing this.
In my opinion the attorneys running these ads
looking for people to join their lawsuit really
hurt people with mental illness especially bipolar
disorder because they persuade people to stop taking
their medication through fear tactics in the commercial.
But I just want to say, if you have ANY concerns on
medication, you have to work with the doctor. If
you think your doctor is dumb, clueless, mean, you can’t
work with him/her, you don’t like him/her get one
that you trust, know is smart and believe in so you
can always feel comfortable working with them.
When I think of this, it reminds me of a saying,
The man who represents himself has a fool for a client
This is in reference to people that don’t get a lawyer
when they have to go to court, they are their own lawyer
and they normally get DESTROYED in court and LOSE.
In my systems and courses:
SUPPORTING AN ADULT?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11
SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarparenting.com
HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.survivebipolar.net
The bipolar success stories that I feature on cd,
never change their medication or get off their medication
unless they talk to their doctor first and work with
him/her on the treatment plan. They just don’t do
it own their own.
Well I have to run.
Catch you tomorrow.
Your Friend,
Dave
P.S. Check out my F.ree blog with copies of emails
that I have sent in the past and lots of great
information for you:
http://www.bipolarcentral.com/supporterblog/
P.P.S Check out my F.ree podcast. Hear me give
mini seminars designed to teach you information
you can’t learn anywhere else.
http://bipolarcentral.libsyn.com
Dave, I fell into that “lawsuit” trap last year. I read where Zyprexa had a lawsuit against it for various side effects that had literally distroyed countless lives. Instead of going OFF my meds, I called my shrink IMMEDIATELY, as I had been on Zyprexa for almost 7 years. I was SCARED. We switched meds, with a weaning process, to Seroquel. Well, don’t you know, there was ANOTHER ad for a lawsuit against Seroquel! Once I had been on only Seroquel for three months, I had a devastating reaction to it; I was literally “drained,” could not get out of bed in the morning, couldn’t do my work, etc. I returned to my shrink, and she determined that the Seroquel was making me ill. We switched back to Zyprexa, the only drug that seemed to stabilize me, and took me off the Seroquel. I am now doing quite well.
I fervently advise EVERYONE NOT to be afraid of the various lawsuits out there against antipsychotics, as they ALL carry the same risks, and some people are just out for a redress of grievances.
If you honestly think that your med is NOT right for you, for Heaven’s sake, go to your DR, your therapist, or whoever prescribes your meds, and TALK to them about your meds – DO NOT STOP TAKING THEM UNTIL YOU HAVE TALKED TO YOUR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. This almost proved fatal for me.
Here’s to you maintaining your equiliblrium! God Bless.
David,
I totally agree with you. I used to work for a pharmacist and it really upset me to see people freak out because they heard of side effects from a drug they were taking that effected someone else anf they thought they should quit taking their meds. Fortuneatly they respected the pharmacists opinion and advise. It is good that they have you to ask for advice.
Eileen
David
I completely agree with you. It’s hard enough to keep someone on amed that they need without atourney’s and othersgiving bad advice.
Hopefully the people you cpmmunicate with will check with you first if not their Doctor’s before making a decision to quit their meds.
Thanks David,
Eileen
Thanks for the heads up David. I hope my son is getting your emails.
Eileen
Very informative e-mail…one of the medications I am taking has been featured on television as “If you are taking this medication and suffered these side effects, call the attorny’s office…” The medication I am taking does have side effects, but it controls my mania really well. So the benefits outweigh the side effects. Thanks again for all your effort David! Sher