Hi,
I hope you’re having a great day!
I am actually dead tired because I was up to like 2:00am working on stuff.
My computer was driving me out of my mind. It kept turning off and on. I am very angry at it 🙂
Oh, over the next few weeks, I am going to advertising a cool new job. It will be a great for someone with bipolar, depression or multiple mental illnesses. How do I know? Because I already have had one person in this position with 10 mental illnesses and another with 4. It’s for someone who is smart, creative and is a pretty good writer.
I will post it soon.
Oh, NO this doesn’t mean that it is not for someone without a mental illness.
I am an equal opportunity employer just pointing out people with one or more mental illnesses are encouraged to apply.
Someone started a rumor that I only hired people with a mental illness which is not true. I hired someone a month ago without one…so there 🙂
But I do have a lot of people with a mental illness that work for me. That’s true.
Anyway, you’ve heard of One Size Fits All, right?
You’ve probably even tried something that has had a tag on it that says “One Size Fits All,” right?
(Most people have, and found out otherwise).
Here’s a perfect example: T-shirts.
One Size Fits All.
Yeah, right. Until you wash it and find out that One Size Fits ONE – a child!
What about using the One Size Fits All technique on shoes?
Wouldn’t work, would it?
Then why do some doctors treating patients with bipolar disorder try to use the One Size Fits All technique on them?
They prescribe the same medications to all their patients with bipolar disorder!
Back when bipolar disorder was first diagnosed, the first drug prescribed for it was Lithium. Lithium was touted as the “wonder drug” for bipolar disorder.
Until some people had psychotic reactions to it!
Some people did well on that drug (still do), but others didn’t. So the drug companies had to come up with other medications to treat bipolar disorder.
The One Size Fits All technique sure didn’t work with Lithium!
In my courses/systems, I talk about how there are good doctors and bad doctors. A bad doctor will use the One Size Fits All technique and prescribe the same medications for all his patients with bipolar disorder.
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Whereas, a good doctor recognizes that different patients have different needs.
If he’s really good, you should feel as if you’re his ONLY patient (while you’re there).
If he’s a good doctor, he shouldn’t just keep prescribing you the same medications every time you see him, year after year after year. There should be changes from time to time.
Otherwise, he too is following the One Size Fits All technique.
Let me ask you something.
When you go to your therapist, do they act bored?
Are they easily distracted?
Do they take phone calls during your session?
Do they do other things while you’re talking?
Just like there can be good doctors and bad doctors, there can be good therapists and bad therapists, too, and these are all signs of a bad therapist, one who is using the One Size Fits All technique – who treats every client with bipolar disorder the same way.
It can even happen in Support Groups! I know, because I’ve been there, and seen it happen.
Mary tells Joe that her sister Lucy found this miracle cure for bipolar disorder, so Joe should put his wife Linda on it right away so she can be cured, too!
Well, first of all, we all know there’s no cure for bipolar disorder, so there’s some kind of scam going on there.
Second of all, just because something worked for so-and-so, doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you.
Why?
Because One Size Does NOT Fit All!!!
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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.
Post responses below
Kerrie, Please let me know you are still with us, ok.
How do we know when and where to look for the job posting you mentioned today?
My son is 39 yrs old, bi-polar and looking for a job and from what was described, he may be interested in applying.
His email is michael_malone22@yahoo.com
This info you sent is so true. I was switched from 1 drug to another until I became prego with my first child! I went though some great therapy to learn about my illness and educated all about it! I havent been on drugs for bipolar since. My daughter will be tested to see if Im right and she too has it and I will make sure she takes her meds once they find her as havin it also! I will make her go through th same lessons I have learned to keep herself in check. She has been reading your emails I get and she too feels she has bipolar so at least she is ok with that. Thank you for ur emails
David, you are SO right about today’s topic. Over 10-15 years ago, a lot of bipolar people were being misdiagnosed as depressed and put on Prozac. Typically, they would complain after the requisite 5 or 6 weeks that they still felt a bit depressed, so the doctor would raise the dose. A couple of weeks later….boom, they go into a manic episode. Why? Because they required anti-psychotics or mood stabilizers AS WELL AS antidepressents. Patients often feel rushed in the phyc. doc’s office, and the immediate symptom that comes to mind is depression, so the “untold story” of the manic part goes untreated. I dated someone for 2 1/2 years whom this happened to, and he just kept going downhill. By the time he was finally put on lithium, he was so screwed up he didn’t know whether he was coming or going.
Also, sometimes a certain med loses its effect after a while. Or you gain weight from it, or notice another annoying side effect. Remember you don’t have to put up with it…speak to your psych.doc. and have the med changed. Tell him what the problem is, you are unique and one side definitely doesn’t fit all when it comes to bipolar medication!
Hi Dave,
Just like fingerprints our brain chemistry is all just a little, or a bit different. One size never fits all. One medication regimen never fits all. Aspirin doesn’t work for everyone, caffeine puts my sister to sleep! My mom can take one sip of coffee in the morning and won’t be able to sleep the following night! We are all different, our bodies all react to things differently, that is for sure.
My Psychiatrist said he can give a lot of a powerful major tranquilizer to a little old lady and it has little effect. While on the other hand he can give a little dose of a mild major tranquilzer to a 260 lb foot ball player and it will knock him out. He says everyone is different and knows to experiment to find what works.
I have been stable going on 5 years now! Thanks to God and my psychiatrist knowing one size doesn’t fit all. I am an ultra rapid cycler, and he had to try various combinations to find what worked, it took about a year to get them straight with him… It took about 7 years with bad dox to finally get diagnosed and even then they couldn’t find what worked. So if it takes a while to find what works, DO NOT GIVE UP!!! The life I live now is sooooooooooo well worth living, I can’t describe it, but my life went from being a nightmare to a dream come true!!!! Just don’t give up. Keep trying different meds, and if that doesn’t work with one dr, then try another dr. Not all dox are created equal, I will put it that way…
I also have a very good psychologist who has helped me tremendously.
Thanks for your continued effort Dave!
Bob
David you are right on when you talk about this disasterful disease that I have called BiPolar along with many other mental illnesses. Facing this illness every day in my life is one of the most hardest choreS to face in life. Its sooooo hard to even get your family and close friends to understand how difficult living life is like. Many people say they understand but when it all comes down to it, do they really, by their actions and responses that they give tells me different. I don’t have much money at all and i get social security once a month for this condition and i will be 29 in 3 days, is there any kind of pamplet that I can give to my loved ones that is down to the point with no extra reading so that they can understand me a lot better otherwise all I ever end up doing is arguing over stupid pointless stuff. I do love to write as well. Writing is the only way that I can express my true emotions deep down in my heart. I have been down that road before for like 3 yrs in trying different meds too. I finally found one that works for me but the scary fact is that I need to find another med that will balance my moods and body out and im so scared to go down that road again because it caused me and everyone lots of pain and heartache. I know I need to do this in order to straighten my moods and body out but its a scary road to go down again. So I would be very interested if you provided more info on that writing job that you talked about earlier. I live to help people and write but the sad this is is that I have no idea how to help myself and I know that all of you guys and gals that are suffering from this know what Im talking about. THANKS AGAIN DAVE FOR ALL YOU TIME AND EFFORT IN HELPING US AND OUR LOVED ONES IN DISCOVERING THE FATAL DISEASE THAT IS ALWAYS MISJUDGED!
Bob, I am a rapid cycler as well. What are you taking, if you don’t mind me asking? Perhaps I can discuss with my p/doc. I have an appt. in a couple of days.
Thanks for the email, Dave. May God bless you always.
Mark
That was the best you have ever written! My son has been on so many different meds, because nothing was working. His Dr. is so great, we have every number to get him by phone 24-7. He listens to my son and tries everything he knows to get him under control and just is there to listen. We feel so fortunate to have found him, because we have been to many who just want to shove another pill at you and not listen to how they make you feel, and when your 10 min. were up you were out the door!
Dave,
I simply wanted you to know that the information you send to me, via e-mail, is quite helpful. The information I receive is passed to a dear friend of mine in regards to her adult daughter. I am arming her with information and she is preparing to discuss the possibility with her daughter of getting the help she needs. Her biggest obstacle is getting her to go for a diagnosis first. Bipolar runs deep in her family and the daugher exhibits all the signs of having bipolar. It is on the verge of destroying the family in ways that may be irrepairable.
Bipolar is something that runs through my family also, so my heart goes out to her. I know that wanting someone to get help and them wanting to get that help are entirely two different things.
Thank you so much for the information you post.
Brenda
Hi Dee Dee,
I don’t want to swear that my combination will work for you, and there is really no telling what will work for certain, but I am taking Abilify, two mood stabilizers, Lamictal, and Lithum, and two anti depressants, Remeron and Welburtrin. Remember this is not a magic formula that works for everyone, but I do have to take a large amount of medication to stabilize me. That is why so many other drs couldn’t help me, they had me on Zyprexa and Seroquel, but they were making me suicidal without the mood stabilizers or the anti depressants. When I got on the Abilify, I started to straighten out, but was still a bit moody and depressed. I just happened to get lucky so to speak finding my Pdoc. He knows that what may work for some people may not work for others, but maybe you could ask your doc for one major tranq one mood stabilizer and one anti depressant. It is really a matter of experimentation, I don’t know if that would be too much for you or just right, your Pdoc has to try putting you on one at a time, I think anyway.
Well Best of Wishes headed your way!
May you find what works for you soon!
God Bless You!
Bob
Thanks very much for the info, Bob.
Cheers and God Bless
Dee Dee
By the way, is Abilify a mood stabilizer, or what sort of med is it? I am currently taking Celexa (antidepressant), Lithium and Depakote (mood stabilizers), and Klonopin (for sleeping, sedating). Still not feeling too good. I wanted to go on Lamical (heard it was really good), but my p/doc said he couldn’t put me on it cause it might clash with the Depakote and cause a serious, potentially fatal rash.
Hi Dee Dee,
The chances of the rash are slim, but I was taken off of depacote to be given the lamical. I was on depacote but it made my hair fall out big time, so we switched to Lamictal. Abilify is a mild major tranquilzer. It helps prevent mania and calms us down. So it is kind of a mood stabilizer. But the strong ones are Zyprexa and Seroquel, which didn’t agree with me. The klopin I have been taking that one too, PRN, and it makes people feel like a hang over. I am going to try to get off it. I have been using it to go to sleep, but I have a hangover in the morning.
You may be able to ask your dr to switch from klopin to Abilify. I have heard nothing but good things about Abilify, it is a tranquilizer so it calms us down mentally and physically rather than just physically like the klonpin. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask you Pdoc about it at all. She may be willing to try that one with you, and it may bring more stability, but it may not, don’t forget it is a matter of experimenting. Sounds like you have a caring dr. If you want to try the lamictal, try gettin off the depacote first, and try abilify before stopping the depacote. It is not a good idea to switch more than one med at a time because you don’t know which one causes a problem if it does…
You may want to look up lamictal on the internet, do a google search and find out what the percentage is of people who get the rash. My doc said if you start getting a rash, just stop taking it… ask your doc about that too…
But from what my doc says, the chances are very slim. But she is right you can’t take both at the same time.
Your Buddy,
Bob
Hi dave, that is soooo true. We went to this doctor and after half an hour prescribed a bunch of meds including RIVOTRIL which my loved one had awful and violent reactions to…which was the reason why we went to see him out of schedule on that particular day. Its like he was not listening. I also have a dilema on the fact that the use of pot according to my loved one still does the calming trick!!!??? What is your personal opinion on this. I dont buy it.. but i keep my normal open protests to keep the peace. Aside from the fact that it is illegal over here, i have read that it causes paranoia. I this this a few days after.. HELP! and God bless you!
Thanks Dave your emails have reminded me to take my pills 🙂
I think the “one size fits all” doesnt only apply to the meds… it applys to the doctor as well. sometimes whilst I wait for my Doc I would talk to the other patients that is waiting to see him, some would say he’s great and some doesnt seem to really care. But I feel that my Doc doesnt care a great deal about me… He only talk about the pills, and after an hour of waiting I get a 5minute chat with the doc, pay the bills get the pills and go home. Now I live in Thialand and theres not much doctors to chose from. Everytime I try tofind a new Doc they start me on new meds…. and the public doesnt like to talk aboutmental illness so its twice as difficult to find a doctor.Its tiring…. BTW what can I do to start a support group?
Dave,
i know exactly what you mean, my dr is a one size fits all, and I keep telling her that the program isnt working so she thinks shes trying somthing elce until we end up back at the same thing we started with in the first place.
I started off taking one drug that didnt work, she gave me another on top of that, that didnt work either, she changed the second pill but left me on the first one. The new pill still didnt work so she gave me a third and then a fourth, all of a sudden I was taking a hadfull of meds each night and I still didnt feel good, if anything I felt worse from all the drugs I didnt need. finnally i got her to realize she was wrong so she took me off of drugs 3 and 4 but i am still on 1 and 2, now i am trying to get her to understand that maybe it is drug #1 that is not working but she thinks thats the best thing in the world for me and no way could it not be working.
So now I am still on this drug I cant stand and on another drug that im not even sure what it is doing because the first one messes me up so much. I feel like a sitting duck waiting for the next bread crum to come flying my way.
thanks for listening