Help Wanted question and warning on doctors for bipolar disorder

=>PLEASE FORWARD TO FRIENDS, FAMILY AND LOVED ONES <=

=>PLEASE FORWARD TO FRIENDS, FAMILY AND LOVED ONES <=

 

Hi,

 

How’s it going?

 

I had a quick questions. I have

a few projects coming up requiring

research, data entry and data

collection related to bipolar

disorder.

 

Normally I use a service to do

this but I would like to keep it

in the family and use someone from

my list.

 

It’s not a ongoing thing but just

a one time project. You would let me

know how much you wanted to charge ahead

of time and then we would agree.

 

I was wondering

if anyone would be interested.

 

If you are send me an email to

feedbacktodave@mentalhealthworld.net

 

Okay, I saw a post on my blog at

http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarsupporterblog/?p=37#comment-440

 

It was in response to a daily email I sent

out about doctors and bipolar disorder,

 

the post said:

 

“Bad doctors…that’s a great topic…I have

had many. My family thinks it is me…”oh, not

another doctor!!” I can’t seem to keep them,

but then…some of them aren’t worth keeping.

 

The first one…told me to bake cookies when

I become depressed and prescribed aromatherapy

and colored scented fake flowers in his office

– in lieu of medication. One doctor used to

scream at me when he became frustrated. When

i finally confronted him on his need for

‘anger management’ in dealing with his patients,

he started crying, and replied, “I know, I am

working on that.” One doctor would not prescribe

any medication because he told me he does not

practice euthanasia…He insinuated that I

wanted him to assist me with suicide.

 

One doctor had cactus plants all over his office

– each one with a special light. There were

literally hundreds of cactus plants, everywhere.

Just wierd. The plants were his ‘pets.’

 

One hospital doctor prescribed GEODONE for

every single patient, then did not know the

drug came in capsule form – he told me to cut

the capusule in half. He was not sure how, though.

I had one doctor that would rudely eat his lunch

during our session and forget half of what I

told him.

 

One doctor actually ‘forgot’ his hearing aids,

so we wrote notes back and forth to one another.

One doctor left me waiting for him over an hour

for an appointment. He could not understand why

I was angry that he made me late for work and why

I did not want to re-schedule another appointment

with him.

 

One doctor told me, “I don’t know what you’re so

depressed about, it is not like you’re dying of

cancer, or something.” I have had atleast a dozen

psychiatrists, and I must say there has been only

one or two who are any good. Not good odds.

 

My current psychiatrist wants to do both

psychotherapy and medication management but

can only see me once every five weeks, which

is not sufficient, so now I have to go to a

community mental health center to get more

‘intensive treatment.’ I am not sure how that

is going to work out. Up until the last doc,

for the last 6 years, I’ve been diagnosed as

Major Depressive, now, I have Bipolar II.

Makes me think that they are all wrong, or

only one is right. That’s scary. Any suggestions:?”

 

Now you might read this and think, “oh this

all isn’t true, Dave, come on.” You COULD

think that.

 

Let me warn you however, in this field of

mental health all of what was posted is possible

and I am sure it happens.

 

I don’t know for sure if the post is true

but let me tell you, I have heard and see with

my own eyes things like this reader posted.

 

When I look at my own mom, she had TERRIBLE

and I mean TERRIBLE doctors. People who when

I look back had no clue at all. I mean none.

 

This doesn’t come from my mom which you might

say “well we can’t believe her she may have

been in an episode when allegations were made”,

these comments come from me.

 

With my mom’s old doctor, he use to fall asleep

in the room with his patients. He would lose notes,

forget to do tests with lithium levels. He mumbled,

he forgot people’s names. He forgot what he was doing.

I found this all out from numerous sources.

 

When it came to my mom’s last episode, remember

my mom’s doctor took her off the medication that

was working.

 

Did you catch that? He took her off the medication

that was working. He did NOT my mom. My mom followed

doctors orders and doctors orders lead to her going

into the mother of all episodes.

 

My mom started getting worse on the new medication

he wanted her on and my mom asked to be put

in the hospital. How do I know this is true?

Well she told several people she was getting

ill and wanted to go to the hospital.

 

The doctor refused.

 

So after my mom had a total breakdown, I started

to research what the heck happen.

 

My mom told me that she asked to go into the

hospital. I wasn’t sure if it was true. She

told me to call people she told.

 

Well when I found this out I was SUPER MAD.

 

I called and demanded to speak to him. He

would not come to the phone. Then I told the

receptionist that I would come every day

and get there at 6:00am and wait for him

and that nobody would stop me.

 

I warned her that I was a determined

person and one way or another he would

talk to me.

 

Finally he did. He was totally clueless

he kept forgetting my name in the middle

of the conversation. He would be like

“Steve, your mother is really ill.” I would

say “my name is Dave.” He would say “sorry

Dave but Steve your mom really is

sick.”

 

He could not remember why he took her

off her medication. I then asked him

if he had notes. I said and I will

never forget what I said, “aren’t

doctors suppose to take notes and

record stuff. I am going to call

20 doctors and also the board to

see if that is right.” He got very

nervous and said he lost his notes.

 

I then said, “I am starting to

get super mad and here’s what I am

going to do. I am going to come down

and help you find it all. I am going

to bring my friends and my friends

that are policemen. We are all going

to look together. I am really good

at finding things. Now if I don’t find

it, there’s going to be serious

consequences and my friends don’t like

wasting their time and they don’t

like doctors to begin with.”

 

He then said, “Dave I don’t know

where the notes are, I am sorry,

I don’t know.”

 

He was fumbling around looking for stuff.

 

He was so clueless that I decided he

was a total waste of my time.

 

Then after I started this site, I heard

horror story after horror story.

 

Doctors I would speak to told me about

horror stories of other doctors that

made the profession look bad.

 

I want to say to all the supporters

out there not to get mad at your loved

one when he/she is having trouble with

a doctor. It might be their fault but

many times, the doctor is bad.

 

If you are a supporter and hear something

that sounds “crazy.” Investigate. Don’t

just say your loved one is a liar and

making it up, because you’ll probably

be surprised what you find.

 

This field is almost unregulated it seems.

It’s strange there are suppose to be standards

and regulations but many don’t follow

them.

 

You have to know this if you are dealing

with bipolar disorder. Many a person thinks

that the person they are dealing with knows

what they are talking about and everything

should be okay. You have to watch everything

and check.

 

It’s a pain but true.

 

In my courses/systems below:

 

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

 

I teach how to find a doctor, keep track of

them, know if they are good, and the ins

and outs of doctors.

 

I am not kidding when I say that the information

just on finding a doctor probably would save

someone $5000 and 10 years. I am not kidding.

The $5000 figure is conservative. Bad doctors

have cost my mom tends of thousands of dollars.

 

Bad doctors cost my mom countless friends,

jobs, massive d.ebt, and many other bad things.

 

I am not kidding around. People new to

bipolar disorder ask why I spend so much time

in my courses on how to find a doctor because

they think you just pick one really quick.

 

It doesn’t work that way. You have to go

about it the right way. The wrong way leads

to a nightmare.

 

I do want to say again to remember that

just because someone has bipolar disorder

he/she is not telling the truth.

 

Also don’t get frustrated if your loved one

is having problems finding a good doctor.

Don’t have my brothers attitude which is

dumb, he use to say “here she goes again,

the doctor is no good, yea sure.” She meaning

my mom. My brother always use to say my mom

would make up that her doctor was bad.

 

Don’t have this attitude.

 

Finally if you think those in mental health

are bad, accountants are even worse. Now

there’s a field that is “crazy.” Over the

years I have had really, really bad accountants.

People that did virtually everythign wrong

and you paid dearly when the Internal Revenue

Service came to your door.

 

It’s not just mental health. There are lots

of fields with lots of bad people.

 

Know what I am saying? Hey I have to run.

Catch you tomorrow.

 

FIND OUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT ME

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

 

Your Friend,

 

Dave

 

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one is designed to help you with a different

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  1. I have Master’s degree in Counseling and I have a son with Bi-Polar Disorder
    as well as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. My son is almost 22 now, but over the years (we moved some during his 1st yrs. after diagnosis) we have seen many medical professionals trying to get him truly effective treatment for both disorders. It seems that psychiatrists have to be seen for the medications and psychologists have to be seen for the therapy and neither one is adept at doing what the other does. It is hard to find one of each that have the same philosophies concerning treatment that will work together. Most psychiatrists seem to have far too many patients to really do any of their patients justice. Also it takes more than just a knowledge of what medications are out there. A truly good psychologist/therapist/counselor also must have some intuitive ability so that when a patient isn’t a textbook example (and few are) he has a sense for what to do. I have seen very few who have this feel for their patients and usually they are overworked and you end up waiting in the waiting room for long periods, having a hard time scheduling appointments frequently enough, and many times they aren’t at the top of their game because they are sleep deprived. However, there are some out there and they are worth it.

  2. Hi There,

    I do not have bipolar but a family member is showing signs of it. I do have a condition called chronic pain in my lower back and left foot after two botched operations. I have been ill with this for years and I have seen so many specialists. My doc likes to put me on medication and when it starts working and only needs a dose alteration he takes me off it. I am nearly at the end of my rope with this one. I have a new specialist which has a clinic 300 kms away from where I live and it takes anything up to four hours to get there. I am hoping he will take over my medication so that I can get the help I so desperately need. Regards to all, Pauline

  3. I had one therapist that left a book open to the page about how much therpaists don’;t like bipolar patients and that the other bipolar patient she had was committed to the hospital after becoming dillisional after a 2 hr private session with her this woman was doing well and had just recieved the biggest promotion of her career. I left and never went back.. Most doctors give me so much meds that I cannot function…I have yet to find a good one

  4. Hi David, I have been reading your emails for some time now. Just wanted to say the my daughter’s most recent “doctor/psychiatrist” has said she has bipolar, put her on meds that he said she can “fiddle with the dosage amounts herself, and told her he sees his bipolar patients twice a year”! ! ! ! ! ! ! On top of all that, he went on a short term disability due to an episode and he has messed that up to the point that she might lose her job. Needless to say, I am ordering your Masters Program tomorrow and am expiditing shipment! She is 23 with two children 4 and 16 months, with one on the way. She has never been married and recently received a $7,000 tax refund which she spent in 2 weeks. We need your help so desparately.

  5. We must also realize that many mental health patients are receiving their medical care and “counseling” from either their family or general practice doc. This is very likely in rural areas where patient’s are used to one doc providing ALL of their care. This gets complicated when small towns have a limited number of aging or worse arrogent docs that choose to diagnose and “cure” all forms of mental health patients without referral.

    In my case it was also complicated by the fact that the arrogant doc was sleeping with patients and nurses. The healthcare community often looks the other way when MDs have relationships that cross boundaries. I relate well because I was the second (of three so far) patients that were nursing students with which he had affairs and then married.

    My point is that we must seek out GOOD doctors and that we should listen to the whole story our BP person relates. A good doc is hard to find and is a lifeline when found.

  6. Dave – I wrote the story about the bad doctors. And, I am sorry to say…it is all true. I have had several more – these are just the worst ones. No one can honestly believe that I have had so many psychiatrists, but somehow I have the ‘luck’ of finding all the bad ones. I don’t give these bad doctors more than two chances – if you know ‘something is not right about them,’ find another doctor. My advice is the longer you stay with them, the more likely they are going to make a mistake that could cost you your life.

  7. Yes, there are good doctors and not so good ones. When my son was starting his first episode he ended up in a catatonic like state, in his car. After getting him to the hospital, the Dr. didn’t have a clue what was wrong. He told me that my son had “shut down” for some reason. My son sat there with his eyes wide open for 2 1/2 hours and a nurse came to check on him once after the Dr. left. When he came around he was talking nonsence and the Dr. came back and asked me to leave the room. Since my son is 18 and legally an adult, I guess this is how they protect privacey. Well, my son told the Dr. that he was in full control of everything that happened and in turn the Dr. came out and told me that he’d been faking it. ARGH! I’ve never tried, but I’m sure it would be very hard to sit there with ones eyes wide open, unblinking for over 2 hours. They gave him a sleeping pill and kept him overnight for observation but sent him home the next morning. After that, the episode escillated and we took him back to the hospital where we saw a different Dr. who immediately sent us to a psychiatrist. Yes, there are some Dr.’s who just don’t seem to know what they are doing but luckily if you are patient and willing to try different ones you will find a good one.
    Thanks Dave, and take care.

  8. I would like to compliment the straight forward attitude you have towards dealing with problems. It has inspired me and helped immensely in other aspects of my life as well as dealing with my husband who is now diagnosed with bipolar disorder because of my research.

    In regards to finding a “good” doctor, I know this is going to sound a little hokey but, I have found gut feelings are the best indicator of wether or not someone is for you. The saying “first impressions” is a very good pointer. We have lucked out and already had a good family physician. He isn’t very knowledgeable in the psychiatric field but is very willing to listen to what my husband and I have to say about my husbands condition as I am the one who is with him the most. Now having said that, I really, really believe that you (or in this case the supporter, me) must be the most active one in the course of your own treatment. “Physician heal thy self.” With professional help and advice of course.

    You must be proactive and not reactive, and not just blindly follow orders. Who knows you better than you? Do your research, follow through with keeping track of your symptoms what works and what doesn’t. Read about other’s experiences and how they reacted to different treatments, often this is a very good way to find out if you are experiencing something similar and how you might handle it. Keep your own notes! Ask the doctor for copies of everything in his file on you – it is yours and you do have a right to it. It is far easier to hand a file to a new doctor than go through everything again and possibly forget something important.

    It is a way of life, much like if you want to lose weight and keep it off it is a change in the way you do things. It is very trying on the supporter(s) but if you are informed you are better able to deal with and control situations. And, you can understand and have compassion if you know what is happening to your loved one…

  9. Well David I often thought I should write a book called Shrink’s I have known. I have had some good ones and some weird ones. That is in Albany,NY Florence,SC Sumter,SC and Hendersonville,NC so I have moved around alot and I forgot Buffalo,NY

    I have been diagnosed with as a socipath, major depresion, PTSD, Generalized anxiety disorder and finally Bi-polar II IF I listed all the meds it would take forever but they finally got it right and I am doing great.
    Shirley

  10. Hi, Dave and fellow readers,
    This is my first time ever posting to a blog so I hope I’m doing it right.

    First, I’ve been on your email lists for over a year now and I have found a lot of encouragement in them. I also feel challenged and motivated to find out more that can make my life and those of the ones I love better.

    I felt compelled to write today in response to your post about bad doctors. I’ve had a lot of them, and they’ve not always been psychiatrists. e.g. I’ll bet a lot of people would give you horror stories (I could) about doctors in military hospitals or doctors who see children in special schools and other programs. I could tell you about them too since I grew up in institutions.

    One of my psychiatrists had narcolepsy. For those who don’t know, if someone has untreated narcolepsy, they can fall asleep any time, anywhere, right in the middle of a sentence. They can’t help that; it’s an actual sleep disorder. But to admit you have it,as he did, and then not to get meds for it because he didn’t want to deal with possible side effects even though the condition made it impossible for him to be able to focus on his patients, is inexcusable. I lived for awhile with a roommate who had narcolepsy. She took her meds and was able to feel better and function much better. Narcolepsy makes you tired all the time because you may fall asleep hundreds of times a day but it is only for a moment or two or maybe five and then you’re up again so you don’t get normal sleep. I felt sorry for the doctor, in a way. But I told him he could not have any credibility with patients if he was telling them to take meds in spite of possible side effects and then not even be willing to try them himself. Can you say double standard? How could anyone have confidence in this guy? You never knew when he’d just drop into dream land (well, ok, so he never got to REM sleep but you know what I mean) and then wouldn’t get help for it? Since he fell asleep so much you knew he wasn’t getting all you were saying. At least he had a reason. A lot of doctors don’t even have that excuse. They’re either too busy having to see too many patients within a limited amount of time, which often happens to docs who work in mental health clinics, especially where a lot of patients are on MEDICAID and/or MEDICARE or can’t pay because they don’t have insurance. Before anybody starts getting defensive and biting my head off, I will say that, though it’s rare, you can still occasionally find a good doc in a place like that. Often they don’t last. Sometimes they’re first or second year docs, people who’ve done their residencies and all that but are just starting in the field, or sometimes they volunteer a portion of their time. But between the quotas of patients they must see and the short time they are allowed to see them, they often can’t do a proper evaluation and many of them leave as soon as they can and get hooked up with one or two others in a private practice or set out their own shingles in nice, cushy offices and charge $150 an hour.

    I am currently in an outpatient program where I go to groups and see a therapist every day and a doc once a week and I also see the psych nurse. I won’t even touch on the therapists in this message because that’s another whole kettle of fish. But let’s just say that the psych nurse blatantly lied about a medication I was given a scrip for by the doctor. He, and the doctor, told me the drug was in a certain class of meds. I found out later from the pharmacy and from my own research that it was something else and that mixing it with another med, which the doc had also prescribed, could result in very serious problems. When I saw the doc the next week, he backpedaled, trying to say something else. When I confronted the psych nurse, he admitted he Might have told me something wrong and that he should have looked it up. I told him that given all the meds that were around I would have understood if he had wanted to look it up before he told me something or even if he had wanted to confer with the doc. But he chose to lie.

    I had hoped that by seeing the doc in this program, I could avoid having to go back to the doc that charged $150 per half hour. (It wasn’t $150 an hour, I think I said that wrong. It was though $150 a half hour and $100 for twenty minutes. However, though I am on disability and have no other source of income and my previous doc wouldn’t take MEDICARE, I think it’s worth it to get someone who knows what he’s doing.

    This doc at the program where I go is incompetent! I know he is. The worst part is that he is the medical director. He’s a psychiatrist but he also does therapy, though, thank God, he’s not my therapist. But he’s very arrogant, coming in when he pleases and not seeing patients as often as the program says we’re supposed to be seen. He enters by a back entrance so we never know for sure when he’s in or when he’s not. He’s just strange, and he tries to prescribe meds like mixing two benzos and things like that that nobody who knows about meds would advise, particularly when one of them has such a long half life.

    Yes, there really are good doctors out there. They’re hard to find but they’re there.

    Finding a ddoctor can be difficult. When I recently moved here, I wasn’t sure what I would do about a doc. None of my health care professionals from where I used to live knew of anyone in this area. But this is a major city with a lot of hospitals and a large, major university. So I knew they had to be there. I just wasn’t sure how to find them and I knew I couldn’t learn much from the Internet, nor did I want to just pick a name out of the yellow pages.

    There are actually several ways to find a doctor. One is word of mouth. Dave knows this, don’t you, Dave. It may not be in your doctor finding system because it isn’t always the best way. What works for one person won’t necessarily work for another. But I’ve noticed that you always encourage us to forward your daily emails. You want us to spread good information to people we know who could benefit from it. So if I know someone who is doing well with bipolar or BPD or another mental illness or even a physical illness and I trust their recommendation, I’ll consider that doctor they recommend. Notice, I said “consider”. I might go to see the person and decide that doc isn’t for me for whatever reason. Oh yes, and I wouldn’t blame it on the friend who recommended the doc if the doc didn’t work out for me. It could be a personality conflict, the doc may have a favorite med he likes that worked on my friend but not on me etc. But that is one way to start.

    When my husband was diagnosed with a rare form of pituitary cancer, he found out where research studies were being done on that kind of tumor, called leading cancer centers, particularly those where they had published articles in, say the New England Journal of Medicine, about his kind of cancer, and he contacted them, sometimes mentioning (truthfully) that he’d read about work done by some of their colleagues and/or them and volunteering to be in research studies. Sometimes he just told them he was calling on behalf of a patient with the condition and would like a consultation. Doctors called him back and he had two surgeries, one in Dallas and one in California, the latter being the most successful, and he has been in remission and cancer free for ten years.

    I’m not sure it would work the same way with mental health issues. I never have been able to get hold of Dave’s doctor-finding system. I don’t know what Dave’s doctor finding system is since he does not choose to share it unless someone buys one of his paid courses. I also don’t know why you choose to hold that card, Dave, and keep it secret when some of us, some who have the least money and/or insurance coverage and who need the help the most, can’t buy your courses. Maybe you do address finding a doctor in your latest bipolar guide. I hope so. I can’t buy it though for two reasons. One is that my husband would probably consider it a waste of money (notice, I said my husband, not me, since I stay on your email list and obviously find your materials helpful) and because of the times during episodes when I’ve made unwise financial decisions, he controls the money.

    Speaking, Dave, of your products, why don’t you offer a question certificate with your new book for bipolar survivors? Don’t they need and deserve consultations just as much as their supporters do? Some don’t have supporters. Many feel lonely and isolated. No matter how good a printed guide is, many people still want to know that a live person cares enough about them to help them, to stand behind both his product and his customer by giving a little personal service. Just a thought.

    Another thing I wonder is why you don’t make your written materials, like your new bipolar survivors guide and your little booklets explaining bipolar and borderline personality disorder, into PDF files which could then be purchased and then downloaded in what they’re now calling EBook form? There are several benefits to this, most of which you probably know but I’ll enumerate some of them anyway in case you don’t.

    First, you avoid all of the hassle of printing, packaging and shipping the material.
    Second, the buyer can download and begin reading the materials almost immediately, like within seconds, after the order has processed. Most people have the Adobe Acrobat program which can play the PDF downloadable documents and if they don’t have it, the program is available free and it could be put on your website so they could get it right there if they didn’t have it, though most do.
    Another benefit: You could reach people like me who can not read printed documents but can, with special software, access PDF documents.

    Oh, my husband still wouldn’t let me buy your stuff. I’ve already bought a few Ebooks that he thinks I paid too much money for.

    The thing about EBooks though is that a lot of people really do buy them. I don’t know if you know about Julie A. Fast (probably a pseudonym but I don’t know) who has developed something she calls the “health cards system”. It sells for $49 on her bipolar happens web site. She is a bipolar survivor and has written several books, one is called “Getting it Done When You’re Depressed (her newest) and one is called something like Living with and Loving Someone who is b’ipolar or something like that. Her system is in EBook form and sells for $49. Most of her books are in regular printed form and cost what most printed books cost. With the health cards system though, she gives a discount to those on disability and they can get it for $10. They can then copy and use the cards with family, health care providers etc. I am not necessarily recommending her system since I haven’t been able to buy it and am not sure it is something I’d need. But it is something that people can use right away. If I remember correctly, and I haven’t checked her site in awhile, the health cards come with several other documents, including success stories, different ways to use the health cards, etc. It might be a good additional resource for bipolar supporters and survivors.

    I have another question. Are you going to be coming out with a guide for people with borderline personality disorder survivors? I’ve been diagnosed with bipolar for years but only about a week ago got the BPD diagnosis. now, I’m scrambling to find information on BPD. I’ll bet there are a lot of other people who would be able to use such a guide.

    Having said all this, I am going to be reading your borderline personality site a lot today and also have downloaded your overview of mental illness and will look at the info there. I forgot to thank you for that. Now I remember that was from you so of course you know about Ebooks. So, can you offer your bipolar survivor guide in Ebook form for even less money? (Notice, I’m not asking you to offer it for free. I understand the importance of paying something for things. When you pay for something, you have made an investment in it. You have also had the dignity of not getting a free handout. So I’m not suggesting you offer everything for free, but that you consider offering the Ebook option.

    About your little booklets, I know of many organizations who offer literature (I am not thinking at this moment of mental health organizations but of others, who offer an individual copy of a booklet for free but charge for additional copies. That way, someone gets to see what the item is like before they decide whether or not to invest in additional copies. I am planning to visit a bipolar support group and a borderline personality support group in the next two weeks. Another girl I know from my outpatient program who has had the borderline diagnosis for awhile but has never gone to a support group asked me to go with her so I said I would. I’d like to be able to check out your booklets. I know they must be of good quality and I would like to show them to people in support groups and to other mental health professionals such as my wonderful therapist and even the people in my outpatient program, though I must admit I still question the competency of some of them. Your quantity prices are very reasonable and it’s quite possible that the support groups and mental health agencies might be very interested in your booklets and then, wanting to know more, some of the patients and supporters might buy your other courses/systems. Since I don’t know I’ll ask but do you give your web address and/or other contact info in these little booklets? If you do, then people would know where to get other information.
    Sorry this has been so long. I sometimes get carried away when writing, which is why I limit my posting time and don’t post often. When I do, I end up taking too much time from other things. But I am interested in what you think and hope you will comment on at least some of this either in your daily emails or in a private email to me, because there is another issue I’d like to discuss with you regarding making your materials more accessible to people, such as myself, who because of various reasons, learning disabilities, blindness, etc. can not read your printed materials. You’d be surprised at the number of blind people, for instance, who have mental illnesses. The Lighthouse for the Blind in Manhattan, for instance, has a mental health clinic for blind people. It is the only such clinic in the country thus far. New York City has the largest population of blind people in the country and its services for the blind are unparalleled. (No, I don’t live there.) In my outpatient program we have another blind person, but there have been at least four others that I know of and I know many who have mental illnesses who are not in that program but who may see other therapists. Some of them do not have computer access. I didn’t until I married my husband three years ago. I’d like to see your information available in Braille. Braille takes up a lot of room so your little booklets wouldn’t be so little then but it would be a good service and one which I could provide. If I had one of your guides, for instance, I could put it into Braille and then charge only what you would charge anyone else and you’d get money, like it would be if I were in some kind of affiliate program. Just a thought. I am trying to do this with other companies that deal with other types of information. In fact, I am working with several companies to include sections, where applicable, in their materials that would be useful specifically to blind, learning disabled or otherwise impaired individuals in their information. I have not done this in a formal way since I have not set up a company, though I have thought that if there was enough of a market, I could set up such a business at some point and charge at least enough to cover muy costs for putting things into Braille or audio format. Many blind people do not have computer access and some can not read Braille for various reasons,like lack of finger sensitivity. So it would be good to offer your information, particularly your little booklets, on a nice cassette or CD. Additionally, especially in places like where I live (TX) there would be a market for your materials in Spanish. Are you considering doing this? That is another way I could help.

    Got to run. Thanks for reading.

  11. David, I am a supporter for my son, Kevin, who has bi-polar. Last Thursday, he went to his doctor and came out a mess. First thing the doctor said was how are you leaving no chance to answer. Then he said your insurance stopped paying. My son did not know this. He was never sent a bill or correspondence. Said that he was not going to treat him anymore. Kevin said “you guys just don’t care”. He said, “that’s right, I DON’T CARE”.

    This is just part of the visit. My son is really depressed now. Not knowing where to find a dr. What would you do? Darlene

  12. Hello David:
    Like I told you before, I am new in this subject. Actually, it was me who told my daughter she was bipolar, since I did read about the symptoms. The Dr. she was seeing told her I was crazy. I said: may be she thinks I am crazy, but you are bipolar. Months later she was told she really was. That happened after 14 years of counseling. I have not told you, but on 1992 my 15 years old daughter killed herself. I do not know if she was bipolar. I only know that the psychiatrists and psychologist that saw her told as that her behavior was related to her age. I am telling you this for you to understand that even though my daughter has been receiving help, she has been getting worst. Now, I am concern about the medication she just got for her moods: LAMICTAL ORANGE STRT KIT25MG/100MG. The information and warnings talk about SERIOUS AND SOMETIMES FATAL RASHES. Also the side effects include blurred or double vision, constipation, nausea, runny or stuffy nose, stomach upset, trouble sleeping, vomiting, or weakness or fatigue. It says also to check with your doctor if you experience difficult or painful urination, persistent sore throat,, involuntary trembling, muscle aches, painful menstrual periods or other menstrual changes, ,swelling of the hands, ankles, or feet, unusual weakness or fatigue, vaginal itch or discharge, vision changes,weight loss , missing menstrual periods, calf pain or tenderness, chest pain, dark urine, fast or irregular heartbeat, fever or chills, new or worsening mental or mood changes (such as anxiety, depression, restlessness,irritability, panic attacks, new or worsening seizures, pale stols, red, swollen or blistered skin, severe or persistent stomach pain, severe muscle pai or tenderness, shortness of breath, sores in the mouth or around the eyes, suicidal thoughts or attempts,swelling of your hands. legs,face, lips, eyes. throat, tongue, difficulty swallowing or breathing, hoarseness, swollen lymph glands, unusual bruising or bleeding, yellowing of the eyes or skin. Allergic reaction to this medicines is unlikely, but seek inmediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms include itching, hives, severe dizziness, swelling, or trouble breathing. An, if you notice other effects no listed above, contact your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
    I believe that with all the mentioned side effects, this medication it is mos a risk that a help. my daughter has lost a lot of weight. I wander if any one there is taking this medicine. Please answer me. I am really concerned and worried.

  13. I read this post and it is unfortunately close to word for word true of what I have been through with my daughter. She was 12 and in trouble with the law bwfore I could even get them to look for anything more than ADHD! I have 3 other kids with 3 different types of ADHD and have known for years that she didn’t have it in any form but the wouldn’t listen to me, I’m just the mom! I got her diagnosed with a court ordered psych eval 4 years ago and within 2 weeks on Lithium and Risperdal she was a completely different kid who was now a joy to be around. This year they took the Risperdal off her patient assistance program so we had to look into something else, the new psych said he would put her on something that was easier to get for her. Geodon, first off it made her look like she was on speed cuz she would chew on the inside of her cheeks and play with her hair constantly, then we found out through lack of insurance that it is a $1400.00 prescription (cough!!) yeah that’s definitely easier to get for her right. And this psych knew we didn’t have insurance or money when he gave it to us. It is truly ridiculous to try and get help for these kids when you don’t have insurance or money for hundreds to thousands of dollar meds. Thanks for reading my vent!

  14. My 13 year old granddaughter has GREAT doctors.They work very close together in her treatment plan.Last month she became suicidal,the therapist saw her every day for 2 weeks,even on his day off.We have his cell phone number,and he has told our grand- daughter and us to call anytime day or night that we need him. He works closely with the school on what they can do to help.The doctors instantly knows if the medication is working or not, and adjustments are made.I can call the doctors if there is a problem, and they will get us into the office.They have helped us find a support group,helped with paperwork,and offered to testify in court that our grand-daughter’s mother can only have supervised visits,because of mental abuse.

  15. I can relate totally with the people who have had BAD doctors. The one resident I had in the psychiatric ward, nearly killed me with “kindness.” Obviously, he thought I was eitiher “resistant” to medications, or thoroughly “incorrigible,” so he kept putting me on more and more medications. I lost my appetite, and went down to 78 lbs (5’9″). He told my Mother to send me someplace to die. I was sent to the State Mental Hospital, and, once diagnosed with pernicious anemia, gained the weight up to 100 lbs and was released in five months. SO – really – there ARE good doctors as well as bad.

    I agree with the person who said “trust your gut.” This “still, small voice” is the most important to listen to. If you “feel” something isn’t quite right – get out. The “horror” stores about bad docs are too numerous to mention. AND – if all the bloggers have had BAD experiences with incompetent psychiatrists, then you can almost “bet the house” that you have run into one or two yourself.

    I wish you all the best luck in finding either a general practitioner, psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist, or even a nurse practitioner (who I now have), that truly CARES about you and/or your loved one. They ARE out there; too bad it’s always a case of “trial and error.”

    My prayers are with you.

  16. I know what it’s like to have bad doctors, and to have loved ones who have seen bad doctors. My mother, when she was alive, had seen one for several months at a time that put her on 14 different kinds of medication for the entire week: some were placebos, some were to counter-act the effects of others, and some were to treat certain symptoms without actually helping the cause. I have come to realize that the medication does no good, and that the best thing to do is implement procedures to keep your life operating smoothly when you have a manic, or depressive, mood-swing. Unfortunately, most of the doctors I have encountered are not very proficient in their chosen profession…

    -D-

  17. ive had drs tell me all typesof stuff . they put me into the hospital to treat my bipolar and try treating me for something else. whats wrong with these docs is hmos and insurance companys. im fed up with going to 8 diffrent doctors and none of them can get it trite

  18. Well so far I have been lucky as far as my primary doctor and my couselor. But on Wednesday I am going to see a new doctor for a phyc evaluation. I was told she is good, but is “dry” as far as personality goes. I am very nervous. I did have my couselor explain to my boyfriend what was going on with me which helped so much. My parents are having a hard time understanding though.

  19. For the past 20 years I have been lucky that I found my doctor. He has literally saved my life. I wasn’t diagnosed right away because being Bipolar II is harder to diagnose and harder to treat. I have a lifelong story that I will share soon.

  20. My partner’s first doctor was dreadful. He’d had a nervous breakdown himself and decided that ALL mental health issues could be solved if you “pulled yourself together”. He would withhold meds and tease my partner by demanding he make appointments, then ask why he was there when he turned up. This was in a very small village, and when the doctor saw my partner in the local pub he would start discussing his condition in front of everyone else in the pub. Personally I think he should have been struck off!

    We then moved to London and we found a much better doctor who changed my partners meds and he’s been unbelievably stable since then.

    The problem we now have is that we have moved out of the area and my partner is currently still travelling down for his appointments as we’re too afraid to switch doctors. The new surgery nearest to us does not allocate a particular doctor to a patient so you get whoever is there when you go in. I’ve tried to explain to them that this won’t work for my bipolar partner but they don’t understand what I am saying. So I think we will be pretending to be at our old address for a while yet unfortunately!

  21. Over the past four years of our marriage, I’ve seen my wife have several episodes. I repeatedly indicated to her that she was bipolar. I was a neighbor to a woman who was bipolar and knew first hand what the signs were. So the first thing was to get my wife to realize that she needed counseling; the second was to find an effective doctor. One put her on neurotin (I think) without explaining the serious side affects; her PCP put her on paxil; and a third merely increased the strength of the medication. Now while she’s on assignment, she has been able to see a wonderful psychologist who diagnosed her as bipolar depressive. Mainly the symptoms she exhibits are extreme lows like suicidal lows. She does not exhibit any highs only normal everyday attitudes. Finally a doctor who sees what I see. Unfortunately her assignment is almost through and she will have to vist another for counseling when she gets home or on a new assignment. But before I forget, this doctor recommended she stay on her current level of paxil and also recommended another medication to balance other brain chemicals that are deficient. It will be an ongoing process but finding another doctor with whom she will trust will be difficult but we’ve moved through the first hurdle.

  22. I have had many psychiatrists who I have never got to know cause they never stay with me long enough,. The NHS changes here in the UK mean that I have beeen assigned a new psychiatrist on nearly every visit to the hospital. the leep their distance and I never get to know them and they never get to know me – or how to help me

    I have tried so many different medications, some of which ease the depression a little but only for a while. I have jsut started seeing a CBT therapist which I have ben waiting to do for a while but I have my doubts about the surface nature of CBT.

    But I’ll see how it goes

    Thanks

    Jo

  23. my daughter in-law was diagnosed with bipolar 1,2 and 3.we only have one doctor in our area and he stinks.she has a baby and afer the birth she has became very depressed.the baby is now 8 months old and still no change.it has just become a way of life for her and us.she has tried to commit suicide several times.and geuss what her doc did.he just took her off her medison for depression.im scared for her and us.last time she tried she jumped out of a car going down the interstate.luckley she just broke her leg.i just wish we could find a differant doctor whom takes people on medicare,because she is so bad she cannot work.not fair to her or her life.

  24. My son has had a bipolar disorder since he was 17 (he is 35 now). Over the years, we have experienced many such “bad” doctoring, but I think the worst was a psychiatrist in Houston who after seeing him one time, told us to put him in the state hospital and “forget about him.” She said he had “fried his brain,” and would never be well. Now, 17 years later, he has had many good years, as well as some really bad ones, he got through 3 years of college, has held several jobs. His life will never be what it could have been, but he is slowly learning to cope with the illness, which is the trickiest and the meanest sickness that I know.

  25. Hello DAve I got your information from my boyfriends email he is my support as I don’t have family left or they just choose not to deal with me the problem. you are soooooooooooo right abouyt the mental health and doctors and how they treat Manic deppression or bipolar disorder. Just the other day I had a doctor tell me that she didn’t think that I had bipolar but yet she still prescribed me medication to treat something that she was in her mind uncertian that I had So what are you treating me for I asked? Of course no answer.She just moved on to the next subject as I sat there thinking to myself what other subject?Either Your treating me for something I have or not. She just suggested at that piont that I look into a drug or aaa program. Ok I said And I have the whole thing here is that I have had this problem since I was In my teens Unnoticed and I know what works for me as far as meds and such and why they don’t listen too us is beyond me. I am not crazy refuse to except that. So I also want to mention to that this was also through a county agency. County mental haelth. I also know that there are insurence companies that will excpet you with pre- exsisting conditions. Some might be worth looking into might want to pass that on?I am in california so I don’t reall have that much to say on that part but I DO THAT IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.mY E MAIL IS TYMEK1@YAHOO.COM AND THIS FROM WRENCHTWIST@SBCGLOBAL.NET

  26. I have a question, I have recently applied for health insurance and have been refused. I have been seeing a doctor for about two years and have been told that i have anxiety and depression. I have went through a multitude of different med’s, but have for the last year been on only one and am very satisfied and consistent with it. I found out today that my doctor has put in my medical record’s that i am bipolar which has made the insurance comp. refuse me. I have never been told by my doc at anytime of this and feel that i have been lied to and do not know what to do. If there is anyone out there that has been in this situation please contact me , i feel as though i should retain a lawyer and no longer have the trust in my doctor and do not know what to do! PLEASE HELP ME IF YOU CAN !!!!!!♠

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