Quote:
Originally Posted by BipolaRNurse
Being a doctor, though, is a lot different. It's certainly a lot more responsibility, and if your illnesses aren't well controlled it's a recipe for disaster---not only for you, but for anyone unlucky enough to be in your care if/when you become acutely ill. I don't mean for that to sound harsh, but as a medical professional myself, I wouldn't be comfortable working with a physician who's impaired, whether by substances or mental illness. Believe me, I understand what it means to be mentally ill, and I would hope that anyone working or living with me would call me on it if I start showing signs that I'm getting sick again.
I wish you the best, hon. 
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If I ever felt that my judgement or performance was impaired (or someone else thought so), I would immediately take myself out of the line of patient care. One of the ways my OCD shows itself is that I am constantly checking and re-checking before I do or say anything to a patient, because I'm afraid of hurting a patient out of lack of knowledge/incompetence/an error.
That being said, I think my illnesses (although numerous) are compartively mild. For example, I've never been hospitalized or attempted suicide. My mania is more of the spending-spree and obsession-of-the-month type, rather than an emotional roller-coaster. I believe if I was truly that unstable, I wouldn't have made it as far as I have.
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age: 23
dx: bipolar I, ADHD-C, tourette's syndrome, OCD, trichotillomania, GAD, Social Phobia, BPD, RLS
current meds: depakote (divalproex sodium) 1000mg, abilify (aripiprazole) 4mg, cymbalta (duloxetine) 60mg, dexedrine (dexamphetamine) 35mg, ativan (lorazepam) 1mg prn, iron supplements
past meds: ritalin, adderall, risperdal, geodon, paxil, celexa, zoloft
other: individual talk therapy, CBT, group therapy, couple's therapy, hypnosis
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