Hi,<\/p>\n
How’s it going? I have to take off really early
today because my friend is in one of those strongman
competition and I am going to watch it. As a side
note, strongman competitions are when people move
really heavy things around on a field. Some could
argue it is “crazy” but my friend really likes it.<\/p>\n
With that said, I wanted to point something out
that is really important and something my
dad struggles with concerning my mom’s bipolar
disorder.<\/p>\n
Generally speaking, for about 40 years, my dad
left the treatment up to my mom and her doctor. Which
ever doctor she was seeing at the time. When I took
over being my mom’s chief supporter one thing
that I clearly saw was a problem was my mom
not having a good doctor for her bipolar disorder.<\/p>\n
So my first goal was to find a good doctor that could
help her. So I developed my doctor finding system that
makes doctors who are qualified contact you. That worked
great. <\/p>\n
But then I accidentally discovered another part of
the equation that I am going to share with you.
Before I tell you what it is, I will tell you,
for some reason, I felt compelled to report everything
I heard and saw to my mom’s doctor. I am not sure
why but nobody told me to do it. Her doctor didn’t
tell me. My dad never said to. I never read it
in any book. Nobody anywhere ever told me. <\/p>\n
I just kind of did it. Maybe I did it to clearly
explain how strange my mom was acting and to
pass along the “suffering” I was experiencing
to the doctor so she could kind of feel my pain.<\/p>\n
Anyway, this worked wonders. The doctor was almost
getting real time data to make decisions with. I would
have summaries and information all the time. <\/p>\n
NOTE-I wasn’t sending over a long rambling message
that didn\u2019t make any sense. I would send or call with
information like:<\/p>\n
She is not sleeping
She has trouble concentrating in the morning
She yells all day long
She is moving really, slow and seems to have a hard time thinking
She is not able to do anything during the day
I am seeing her handle tremble a lot.
Etc.<\/p>\n
That’s the kind of stuff that I was reporting.
My mom’s doctor told me this was VERY helpful for
her. She never even had to ask questions or respond
she just took the data in and was asking my mom
questions and seeing her.<\/p>\n
In a short period of time, my mom’s doctor found
a combination of bipolar disorder medication that
got her to like a 6 on the bipolar stability index
( 10 meaning totally stable 0 meaning totally
unstable, this a term that I coined which I will
cover probably tomorrow).<\/p>\n
I was REALLY, REALLY shocked how well my mom’s
doctor did and all the other doctors for many
months couldn’t do what she was able to do in
less than a month. It was amazing to me.<\/p>\n
BUT THEN IT HIT ME one day.<\/p>\n
psychiatrists are NOT psychics.<\/p>\n
In the old days, we assumed that my mom’s doctors
would some how always know what was going on
without actually living with my mom. BUT THIS
IS IMPOSSIBLE.<\/p>\n
One 15 minute visit and some questions doesn’t
cut it either. Meaning many times a patient
only has 15 minutes to talk about what is going
on. And a patient with bipolar disorder that
is manipulating the system will NOT report
what is really going on. <\/p>\n
It will go like this:<\/p>\n
Doctor: “How are you doing?”<\/p>\n
Patient: “I am doing okay.” (EVEN THOUGH this is not true)<\/p>\n
Then the doctor will have to either press for
more detail which many don’t or they would have
to be a psychic to know what is really going
on. <\/p>\n
So we learned an important lesson in our family,
we have to report what is going on. Here’s
my NON medical and NON legal advice for you (since
I am NOT a doctor, lawyer, insurance person,
financial person, etc).<\/p>\n
If you have bipolar disorder:<\/p>\n
Report all side effects
Report how you feel exactly
Report any problems you have
Report and concerns you have
Report it all. Do NOT hide things.
Don’ assume they do know or they will know<\/p>\n
If you are supporting someone with bipolar disorder:
Report exactly what you see in your loved one in concise
bullet point fashion
Don’t assume your loved one is reporting the truth or
right things when they are not stable
Don’t assume doctors will know what is going on because
they are doctors.<\/p>\n
Okay, well I have to run and get ready to take off
have a great day and catch you tomorrow.<\/p>\n
SUPPORTING AN ADULT?
Visit:
http:\/\/www.bipolarsupporter.com\/report11<\/p>\n
SUPPORTING A CHILD\/TEEN?
Visit:
http:\/\/www.bipolarparenting.com<\/p>\n
HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http:\/\/www.survivebipolar.net<\/p>\n
Your Friend,<\/p>\n
Dave<\/p>\n
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>\n
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hi,<\/p>\n
How’s it going? I have to take off really early
today because my friend is in one of those strongman
competition and I am going to watch it. As a side
note, strongman competitions are when people move
really heavy things around on a field. Some could
argue it is “crazy” but my friend really likes it.<\/p>\n
With that said, I wanted to point something out
that is really important and something my
dad struggles with concerning my mom’s bipolar
disorder.<\/p>\n