Hi,
I hope you’re doing well today.
You know I have a lot of people that work for me, right?
Well, I have some that have worked for me for a long time…
And some that don’t work for me any more.
Do you want to know the difference?
The people who don’t work for me any more stopped learning.
They just kept working off the knowledge they had learned before, and it was outdated.
I run a company that is always changing, always growing.
And you just have to keep up with it. If you don’t keep up with the growth, and learn new things, you just can’t improve in your job.
But the people who have stayed, have done just the opposite.
They don’t keep going on old knowledge.
They keep up with current trends.
They keep learning new skills.
They keep improving, so they keep getting better at their job.
That’s why they are so valuable to me.
You have to learn and progress.
It’s one of the things that I teach in my courses/systems. That you have to keep learning more and more about bipolar disorder. You can’t just keep going on the knowledge you learned when your loved one was first diagnosed.
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
Here’s an example:
We all have old photographs, right?
If you are a parent, every year they get pictures from school.
Well, you don’t keep every picture every year and display them (or else you’d run out of room, wouldn’t you?).
Each year, you probably replace the old one with the new one.
It’s like replacing old knowledge with new knowledge.
It’s not like you throw the old photographs away, you still keep them.
You never forget them.
You just may put them away in favor of the new ones.
Because there’s always growth, you see?
Here’s another example:
Say you have a garden.
You can’t keep growing new flowers or vegetables off old soil.
You have to keep tilling that soil each year.
You don’t get rid of the old ground, you just till the old ground, making room for new ground.
Again, like new knowledge on top of old knowledge.
So here’s how it relates to bipolar disorder.
(You knew I’d get there eventually, right?)
The point of all this is that you need to keep learning and progressing.
If you have a doctor who doesn’t do this, then they may not be the best doctor for your loved one.
If they are like the employees I talked about in the beginning, are they really doing a good job?
The best doctors I know continue learning.
They keep researching.
They read journals all the time.
They check the Internet for new information all the time.
They attend seminars.
They go to lectures.
They go to symposiums.
Sometimes they’re even the guest speakers!
They attend bipolar support groups and even learn from supporters what their problems are with their loved ones and learn that way.
They sometimes discuss difficult cases or problems with other doctors or specialists so that they can learn.
If your doctor isn’t doing these things, and just keeps doing what they learned years ago, then you might have a problem.
Because new things are being learned about bipolar disorder every day.
Check up on them.
Ask them questions. If they hesitate, or if you think you know more than them, then there might be a problem, just like there was with my employees.
You have a right to the best treatment for your loved one.
And you need a doctor who is always learning new things about bipolar disorder.
What about your loved one’s doctor?
Is he/she the type that still works off old knowledge?
Or the type that keeps on learning new things?
Post responses below.
hi
You are so on with today’s comments. I thought I’d ask you this question. Who is the expert in this field. Is there a name that resonates throughout the medical community regarding this disease.
Do you have a list of recommended articles, studies, etc. This diagnosis is new to our family and everything I read says there is a definate genetic component. I want more medical information. Any suggestions.
Thanks in advance.
how can I help my husband who I believe is Bipolar but his current therapist does not agree. I am not permitted to talk to his therapist as directed by my husband or else he will stop going. He has previously been diagnosed Bipolar some years ago and was medicated for it by another therapist but he stopped taking medication on his own.
One of my attorney-boss’ MAIN duty was Continuing Education. He subscribed to all the new pamphlets, booklets, and tomes that came out on Trust & Estates “lawyering.” The time he spent reading the new material, he HAD to put down on his time-sheet, accounting for the period when he read the new material. If there were SOME way we could account for our time learning about bipolar disorder, perhaps we’d be more enlightened, like the time spent on YOUR blog, Dave! It’s also important for our Supporters to read them, to stay “on top of” new developments and courses in the bipolar field. You have to put “new wine in new wineskins,” and leave the OLD “news” behind. There are developments EVERY day in the treatment of bipolar disorder, and the ones who choose to stick with the OLD stuff, SHOULD be left behind. I’m GLAD to hear of your employees who are constantly learning; THAT’S a GOOD sign!!
BIG HUGS to all bipolar survivors and those who love us. May God bless you real good. I pray for my country.
Newer medications vs. old-school meds: Newer ones are generally more effective, less debilitating side effects, less weight gain, etc.
Move onward and upward in the fight towards finding b/p stability always…
Some times I find your daily mails very frustrating. You talk often about changing doctors, therapists, etc, if you are not being helped by your current one. While that is a great idea – it is not always going to happen. I am SSI, and am on Medicare from a car accident a long time ago. Because of this I cannot choose my psychiatrist or therapist. I am to see who is at my clinic that I MUST attended for my mental health care – if the person is qualified or not. I am blessed with a great counselor, but had to wait 6 months to get her. I’m sure if I had private insurance I could change to a new doctor if Dr A was not working with me. That isn’t the case for many people, especially here in Arizona. If you are SMI (seriously mentally ill) you go to the state run clinic. That is your ONLY choice. I know that several other states are that way, too. Right now we have shrink of the month program – a different doctor every time I go in. There is NO continuity of care. I have a great social worker, but she is also frustrated by the system.
You learn to work the system to get what you need. Is that effective care? Probably not, but it is what I have to work with. Don’t you think that encourages people to manipulate the system?
Hello, Dave et al, My name is Lynn and I’m a ‘real’ alcoholic. I also live w/Bipolar II ea. day. Liked your reference to gardening. I love to garden, and this yr.’s is doing quite well, thank you. I’ll prolly have some zuchini soon, and maybe some cucumbers. And the tomato plants are blooming, the way tomatoes start growing. And I’ll hafta tie up the green beans soon, so the plants can bear the wt. of the beans. Just planted some carrots and onions; we’ll see if they come up. Gardening is a great hobby, also being a stress-reducer. Thanks for letting me share.