Is everyone bi polar this year or is it just me?!
Question: It seems everytime there is a new thing going on the doctor insists I have it. Why after 49 yrs. am I suddenly diagnoised bi polar? Should I get another doctor? I've been with this doctor for 10 yrs. Does it suddenly appear out the blue? I think some doctors out here would prescribe you anything! I've been on the medication for 3 months now and all it does is keep me tired. I was drinking 3 pots of coffee a day to fight the effects. I'm now down to 2 to 3 cups. Do you agree the side effects of these medications can be worse than what your taking it for?
Answers: It seems everytime there is a new thing going on the doctor insists I have it. Why after 49 yrs. am I suddenly diagnoised bi polar? Should I get another doctor? I've been with this doctor for 10 yrs. Does it suddenly appear out the blue? I think some doctors out here would prescribe you anything! I've been on the medication for 3 months now and all it does is keep me tired. I was drinking 3 pots of coffee a day to fight the effects. I'm now down to 2 to 3 cups. Do you agree the side effects of these medications can be worse than what your taking it for?
Love it, love it, love it! Love your question and how you frame it. I have a blog, I rarely post the addy here, but I'm rushing. Please look it up. http://penseesnocturnes.blogspot.com/. I have a post called BiPolar (II) is the new black. I swear that, indeed, it is a fashion, a bandwagon all psychiatrists are jumping on. Heck, I cannot as much as I researched this stuff, see any signs of mania - even that new darling of theirs, hypomania - in me. And, no, I did not get manic on anti-depressants (that's one of the so called signs) and start doing drugs, shopping compulsively, get agitated, or run naked in my neighborhood. I think they are at their wits' ends when we are not responding miraculously to anti-depressants. As if life circumstances cannot sometimes aggravate depression.... They put me on Lithium and I got hypothyroidism, not to mention ballooned and lost my hair.
I am just guessing but you are most likely seeing a general practice Doc. If you are, see a qualified psychiatrist who has been in business for some time. I have found specialist to be the best at diagnosing mental illness questions. Blessing and thanks for asking the question.
If you are genuinely bipolar, then the side effects are likely not worse than the disease. Many bipolar people don't like taking the meds because then they don't get the mood-boosting mania they used to have, and they don't realize that their mania is actually abnormal--even though it is making everyone else furious about their odd and inappropriate behavior. But it prevents the soul-killing depression, and that's important. That said, it seems like lately, bipolar disorder is a fashionable diagnosis now, and a lot of docs are more aware of it than before. Whether or not you have BPD, I have no way of knowing. but if you have misgivings about the diagnosis, then you should see another doctor and get another opinion. What the doctor who diagnosed you a psychiatrist? If no, then you definitely need to go to a psych to get a proper diagnosis, and proper medication to take.
Bi Polar is the fad as you have noticed
And if you are or think you are just take
-------The herb St. Johns wart--------
A lot cheaper and no destroy my body parts inside ..
You know, I was in the same position until recently where I compensated the sedation that came with my mood stabilizers by drinking alot of coke, which I've only got down to manageable levels and I intend to stop drinking all together.
I used to complain that my medications chemically lobotomized me and while I still hate the side effects, I've come to appreciate that the taking drugs or not, has become life or death for me.
So now I just have stopped complaining, sucked it up and found other ways of dealing with side effects such as timing meds for when I sleep, a really healthy diet and regular exercise to increase my energy with the fringe benefits of improving my mood and lessening the side effects.
If you are having a great deal of difficulty with you medication regime and its heavily impacting you, discuss it with your doctor and arrange to either change the dosage or medication to find a more suitable match. Until then though, keep taking the meds or you may suffer withdrawal symptoms and in the worse case precipitate an episode. This is why medications are gradually introduced to a person and again, slowly tapered off under medical supervision.
Medication trials can be extremely frustrating and it can a few tries to find a good drug based therapy that is compatible with you physically and minimally interferes with your work, lifestyle, health and relationships.
Yes, it could have adverse affects on each individual, differently. Mine make me tired all the time too.
I really don't think its something you can just get out of the blue. I think women go through mood swings, one min we can be sweet and the next we can be a ***** lol.
If the medication is really helping you and you notice a difference then its a good thing, but if it causing more problems then solutions then get off it!