Hi,<\/p>\n
I got a very disturbing email the other day. This man was telling me about what\u2019s going on with him, and I have to tell you, he is not doing very well with his bipolar disorder at all. First of all, he was describing his symptoms, which was good. That, at least, shows an awareness that he knows his symptoms. He was saying what his diagnosis is (Bipolar 2)\u2026 Which is also good, because you should know what your diagnosis is, too. And he was saying that he had done some research on his diagnosis. And that\u2019s good\u2026 But it can also be dangerous. And I\u2019ll tell you why. And it\u2019s because of exactly what this man went on to say in his email. He was describing how he was feeling\u2026 How his moods were shifting\u2026 And how each time his moods would shift\u2026 He would up this medication\u2026 Or change that medication somehow. In fact\u2026 He was playing doctor with his own bipolar disorder!<\/p>\n
I\u2019m telling you, that is the absolutely WRONG thing to do when you have bipolar disorder! It\u2019s no wonder this man just kept getting worse and worse! He did\u2026 his moods kept fluctuating\u2026 And his symptoms kept worsening. And he was asking me what I thought he should do. I do advise people with bipolar disorder to become educated about their disorder, but never do I tell them to \u201cplay doctor\u201d for themselves, as that can be dangerous!<\/p>\n
But I\u2019ll tell you what I thought he should do. First of all, I definitely thought he should stop playing doctor for himself, as, like I said, that can be very dangerous for him. The very first thing he should do is to TELL HIS DOCTOR what is going on with him! It is up to his doctor to make changes in his medication if they are necessary. But here\u2019s the point: Your doctor cannot make any changes unless he knows what\u2019s going on with you in the first place. And he can\u2019t know what\u2019s going on with you unless you TELL him! Your doctor is NOT a mindreader! You have to tell him what\u2019s going on with you, or he\u2019s not going to know, and he can\u2019t help you. He depends on you to be a part of your own treatment, and to keep him apprised of any changes in your mood and your bipolar disorder between appointments. Otherwise he won\u2019t know, and he can\u2019t help you. You are the only link he has. But you have to tell him.<\/p>\n
Like this man \u2013 He is suffering with these changes in mood and these active symptoms of his bipolar disorder, wanting things to change, wanting things to be better\u2026 But without telling his doctor. He\u2019s just making changes in his medication by himself. And that\u2019s why he\u2019s not getting any better. You need to TRUST your doctor to do what\u2019s best for you.<\/p>\n
Well, I have to go!<\/p>\n
Your Friend,<\/p>\n
Dave<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hi,<\/p>\n
I got a very disturbing email the other day. This man was telling me about what\u2019s going on with him, and I have to tell you, he is not doing very well with his bipolar disorder at all. First of all, he was describing his symptoms, which was good. That, at least, shows an awareness that he knows his symptoms. He was saying what his diagnosis is (Bipolar 2)\u2026 Which is also good,<\/p>\n