My psychiatrist told me ..

Hi, to whom it may concern.

My psychiatrist told me that he is almost sure that I have Bipolar Disorder and that I should not worry, because I am not the only one and medication will help me.
But the thing is, I don't want to start medication. I don't want to depend on medication. If other people can live without it, why not me?

Besides that, my mother is clinical depressed and I really didn't enjoy seeing her taking all those meds when I was younger. I don't want to be like that.

But my psychiatrist thinks it's for the best that I will be hospitalized for a couple of weeks. I don't think it's needed but he just leaves me no choice.

I really don't want to go, and honestly I admit that I am scared.
I don't want some label or diagnosis. I just want to sleep in my own comfortable bed and be normal. But I have no choice, I have to go.

Just really needed to vent.

Sorry you are dealing with Bipolar and all that goes with it. As long as you are not a threat to yourself or others I would certainly question having to go inpatient.

Most people can and do start meds without being inpatient. Alot of us struggle with taking meds.

Welcome to PC I hope you find the support and all kinds of info here that will help you.

I would suggest you reading about bipolar disorder then honestly assess yourself or ask close friends. I can did this after i was given my diagnoses of BP. I can say for sure I have BP. It was important for to be sure rather than say "my therapist or psychiatrist states that I have BP."
I'm sorry about you having to watch your mom like that.....sounds like she was over medicated. I have heard of people with BP that do not take medication. I take medication and hope one day a few years from now to not take any. I'm newly diagnosed and I have to have medication. My condition without medication is bad however i'm also not over medicated. Although medication is an important part of my regime so is diet, exercise and lifestyle. I would suggest you learn about BP and join a local support group. It's normal and ok to not want to be BP or tell anyone. I don't shout it from the rooftop but I'm learning to be ok with it. I will not let my fear/shame stop me from getting needed help.

Can you sleep for 8 hours every night without medications?

All of us just want to sleep in our own beds and be normal. This is a normal feeling. I know you are scared. None of us asked for this.

Please don;t let your perceptions on medication keep you from getting adequate treatment. Proper treatment for bipolar will help you immensely in the long term. It may even be true that untreated bipolar will only get worse through time. Your mother may have not found a treatment that worked for her, possibly because of an unskilled psychiatrist who tried to treat the symptoms du jour, which involved a lot of useless medications. It's possible your mother could have been undiagnosed as bipolar and antidepressants and was not given correct medicaton.

Bipolar is a life-long condition that is effectively treated with medication. You do not have to be over medicated -- you need to educate yourself, try and find a good psych, and give it time.

Your diagnosis will not define you!! You are not labeled by it. You are still you. But you may also be 'ill,' and having a mental illness does not define you anymore than any other illness. Look at it this way -- letting your illness go untreated WILL allow it to define you. Treat the illness and you will be normal.

Why does your pdoc leave you no choice? If you are not in danger or a danger, he has no right to force you into hospital. Meds are not the devil, but again,you are not forced to take them (I dont). I agree that you should educate yourself on bp and lifestyle changes that will help manage it.

Are you seeing this Pdoc under court order or anything? If not, you can discontinue treatment if you don't want to be put on meds. If you need some counseling, there are psychologists who can help you work things out.

As far as being normal and not on meds, you can very easily learn enough to treat yourself with amino acids, natural lithium [lithium orotate, a mineral supplement found in health food stores], and other nutrients that are being used very successfully to treat mental health disorders without the side-effects. I was on meds for over 13 years, had tons of hideous side-effects, and now rely on amino acids and lithium orotate to control my BP2.

Here are some links to things I've found helpful in treating myself:

This is a short article on treating bipolar naturally:

http://www.naturalnews.com/028751_bi..._remedies.html

This is an alternative mental health site that I believe actress Nicole Kidman is associated with:

http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/

This is an article by Nobel prize winner Linus Pauling on using orthomolecular medicine to treat mental health issues. Orthomolecular refers to giving the body the nutrients it needs to function properly. This is my approach to my health issues. The article is long and complex, but worth checking out:

http://www.orthomed.org/home/pauling2.html

This is a link to a book on treating depression naturally using vitamins/minerals, amino acids and other nutrients. I have this book so I know it's good, but there are dozens of others that are probably equally as good.

http://www.amazon.com/What-Your-Doct...r+*+depression

This is a book on using amino acids to heal. I've gotten tons of helpful info from this book:

http://www.painstresscenter.com/Heal...oductinfo/AA4/

How are you dealing with life atm? If it's "it sucks, but I'll live", maybe you could work on some coping tactics, trying to deal with **** from past and present PSYCHOLOGICALLY (and spiritualy and philosophically).

Maybe some life style changes can work miracles. I don't think there is one universal proper diet... but often it just helps to watch what you eat and how it makes you feel (some people say cutting out carbs makes them feel better, but for me and others... we need some carbs. Some people are more sensitive to addtives and stuff then others. You get what i mean).

there's a threat on herbal treatments. Many people also have success with bach essences (you can order those online and there are questionaires to help you chose, but for a beginner the best would be seeing somebody who specializes in those). They are homeopathic-like flower remedies, that target specific emotional problems. And the fact pet-owners succesfully use the rescue remedy to calm down their pets probably means it ain't just a placebo.

hello linda and welcome to the forums....

Welcome!

A common fear about meds is the idea of becoming "dependent" on them. I don't think that fits. Most psych meds (well, not benzos or stimulants) are not the type of drugs that people can abuse for fun. Lithium has no street value. So you are not going to start craving more and more Lithium, etc.

To me, the idea of becoming dependent on meds is like becoming dependent on vitamins. You don't take vitamins because you are dependent on them, you take them because you feel better when you do.

Do I love being on meds? No, I'd rather not be on them. However, there is no doubt in my mind that they have hugely improved the quality of my life. I am now on a relatively small dose and have almost no side effects (after getting adjusted). I recently tried to go off meds and it was a disaster. I will be on something probably for the rest of my life. But it is a small price to pay in order to feel "normal".

Best,
EJ

When you say "whey other people can live without it" do you mean other people with bipolar disorder or other people in general.

Because there are millions of people who depend on medication for all kinds of things - my pdoc has to take medication for high cholesterol (I know this because he said he was envious of how good my cholesterol is compared to his), my dad takes blood thinners, a couple of my cousins take medication for thyriod problems.

All of them would rather not be on the medication they are on but it makes a huge difference in their lives. My Dad does it to reduce his chances of having another heart attack, my cousins do it so their thyroids will function normally and they don't have to deal the lethargy, weakness, depression and weight gain from a malfunctioning thyroid.

If you are talking about people who have bipolar and aren't on medication -well different things work for different people. I know that I would rather not take medication, especially since my current medication doesn't seem to be effective anymore.

But I know what my life is like without the medication - long depressions where I'm suicidal but too depressed to act on it, punctuated with hypomania where I make bad decisions, feel miserable, mixed states where I'm hyper, angry, and miserable. And anxieity attacks. Lots and lots of anxiety attacks and a little paranoia. Without medication I can't make plans, follow through, or really take care of myself. There's a roller coaster of emotions, lots of crying , drama and other negative stuff.

With medication - I can sleep (mostly), the anxiety gets under control, I can make plans and 6 months later either still have the same plans or have completed them. I can control my impulses and I'm not seething on the inside.

If you do want to check out natural sources make sure you read everything and both sides. Check out Skeptic Dictionary and QuackWatch. Lots of times natural remedies either don't help, can hurt you, or end up being more expensive than prescription medication.

Not saying that prescription medicine is perfect, but pretty much anyone can come up with something, say it can help, and then slap a label saying These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. And get away with selling stuff that's not going to help you at all.

And all natural doesn't mean something is beneficial. You can find organic poison ivy and all it's going to do is give you a rash or hemlock and that'll kill you.

I was diagnosed with PTSD and bipolar twelve years ago. It took me several years before I agreed with the bipolar diagnosis. Now I am more familiar with my symptoms when my mood/energy change.

I've been for the most part stable with only minor med adjustments since 2007. I don't 'want' to be dependent on meds either but they help control my symptoms so I continue to take them.

I also recommend these sources. Especially QW's article on homeopathy, which is superb. Lengthy reading, but well worth it.

Hi LyndaM, and welcome! A bipolar diagnosis is definitely hard to accept at first. I go into denial every so often. I take meds, but this is because it is the only way I can avoid harming myself. If I could figure out a safe way to stop taking them I would. Perhaps you can try therapy out. I have learned lots of coping strategies through therapy, plus my therapist can tell when I need to see the pdoc, even when I can't. The best advice I have is to tell you that bipolar is frustrating, but it is manageable. Don't let thoughts of the diagnosis consume you. I, too, had a mom and have a sister who have dealt with or are dealing with mental illness. I am happy when their meds were/are correct because I have been through some scary times with them.
Bluemountains

When i was manic last month, I went off my meds. I got worse and I feel horrible on top of it. Like it or not, the meds and I are tied together. Its part of this illness. That doesn't mean I have to stay on the same exact meds. There is tweaking that can be done. But for me, I know I need meds. I have symptoms ON them. Some others, as said, can cope without.

Yes there are dangerous herbs, but you would not be taking these for help with Bipolar. As of yet I have not seen any psych meds that do not come with possible and likely troubling side effects, or that do not have the capability to damage your body. There really is a difference here, and if someone feels that meds are not the way to go for them, it's ok too.

There are other means outside of herbs and meds to help treat bipolar. There are options that do not require ingesting harmful substances. I am med free now, and I do not rely on herbs either, I am doing better than I ever have. I think meds and herbs both can have a place in getting well, but there are many other things as well that can be used, that might have a longer lasting effect than something that leaves the body after so many hours.

I did meds for nearly a decade and they did more damage than good. I realize that they seem to help some people, or at certain times. What happened with me is that the meds caused by way of side effect the very things I was trying to treat, it was a constant circle, and I felt I needed them because it seemed I was so ill. The meds made me much more ill, and I could not tell what was causing what anymore. I just figured the Bipolar was getting worse. I had tried going med free and failed many times. I was not prepared, ready, and didn't have the right tools, skills, or perspective that I need for me. I took it as a sign tho that I needed the meds. And I do think this is a very common experience that goes unnoticed.

Either way it is personal choice, whatever you decide to do. Meds do have a place and can help. And they do not have to permanent, sometimes they can be a pivotal tool to get you where you need to be before you can figure stuff out that is going to work for you. Or you might decide that they really help and keep them.

Why when someone says they do not want to do it with meds is it not ok? But doing it with meds is supposed to be? I think either choice is ok, if that is what the person decides for themselves. Maybe Lynda can do this without meds, how do we know?

We see so many people here with medication problems, and who are not stable, and have not been stable in so long, it does say something too, we cannot just ignore that and only look up Quackwatch and Skeptic Dictionary and ignore the fact the Big Pharma meds certainly do have very serious issues as well.

I think we should support people with whatever choice they feel is right for them.

Why does your dr want to have you hospitalized? that shouldn't be needed unless you are a danger to yourself or others. You have to be your own advocate with this stuff, which seems hard especially at first. But this is your life and your choices to make. If you do not feel like you need to be hospitalized, and are not in/a danger then that should be up to you.

Everyone is right in the views presented, IMHO.

Thanks for these.

While I certainly advocate for the use of natural treatments, I would just urge anyone considering going on anything, including herbs or supplements to research them from both sides--read the positive and negative, and consider the source. WebMD is run by Big Pharma as is Livestrong.com. Naturalnews.com is owned and run by a former software engineer who had serious health problems and wanted to get off meds so he started researching how to help himself, and his website is the results. He doesn't do paid endorsements. He only endorses what he and his family use.

Also, before you take something, especially new med, READ THE INSERT. If you're med sensitive, realize that you could very well be the one in a thousand to suffer the very rare side-effect--I was on more than one occassion and it has severely impacted to this day. Don't believe the Pdoc when he says the side-effects are mild--'just a little bit of nausea, maybe a slight headache and some constipation.' And please understand that the Pdoc only knows what the drug rep tells him about the meds. They just don't have the time to keep up with everything so they rely on a sales person whose income is dependent on them prescribing the med for their info. And don't think the drug companies don't know this. They send out their reps with goodies in hand to court the doctors, and convince them that their products are what their patients need.

Here's a short presentation by a former drug rep on the off label use of antipsychotic meds:



The other thing I would urge anyone considering taking a new med to do is to read the reviews on it on askapatient.com and see what others have to say. Like with any reviews, you're going to have people rave about how wonderful it is, or recite horror stories. Either way, it helps to see how it affected others before trying it yourself.

Yup, no offense to anybody, but when I hear people speak of "I am mess on meds, how would I be off them", I wonder if their problems haven't been amplified my those drugs.

(also... quiting cold turkey when you are already in some episode... and getting worse is in no way indication of "see, I need meds". Try quiting heroin cold turkey. Also... I don't believe people quit meds because they are bad little non-compliant kids. I think "missing the highs" might be also a symptom of not stability, but some bad phase).

The analogy with heroin is not valid because most (though not all) psychiatric drugs are not addicting. And then personality comes into play: I do not have an addictive personality and I have stopped numerous drugs without any withdrawal symptoms whatsoever. That included stopping benzos cold turkey as no big deal at all.

That said, in the above scenario it is possible that the drug cocktail was not right in the first place, since the episode did happen. Ideally a preventative maintenance cocktail should not let episodes happen, though this site has some data indicating that 10% of bp individuals are not helped with medications. And for some, success is measured by the reduction though not elimination of cycling. So, say, if the frequency of cycling is reduced by half, then the meds are still working, just not 100%. In my case, the cocktail is working 100% without unpleasant side effects, but I realize that this is a lucky outcome and that it took me exactly 6 years to arrive at this cocktail.

Psychmeds DO have nasty withdrawal though. So may not be addictive in the traditional sense of word (you *are* being bit nitpicky...), but I think I make sense, eh.

No, I was not nitpicky - to compare them to heroin was quite a strong statement to which I reacted. I gather, you have not been on heroin and were speaking theoretically. I have not been on heroin either - I am not on anything that is addictive. The psychiatric medicines I am on, the little THC that I take, the little wine that I will now be drinking are all good for me and not in the least bit addictive. I can stop any time, without ill effects. I do not stop because these things are healthy for me, not because I cannot stop.

Alcohol IS addictive, wine or not. So says chick who loves her beer. And wine. And vodka. And rum. And rakiya... or anything with alcohol in it.

THC causes psychological addiction. So says somebody who doesn't say no to a joint.

Psychmeds create dependency and do cause horrible withdrawal symptom.

The heroin analogy might be over the top, but look, I use Bosnia, Rwanda and predator drones in my analogies. So heroin is mild stuff comparedly.

I had terrible withdrawal symptoms when I stopped my lithium and Zyprexa. I wouldn't say they are addictive mentally, but physically your body goes "hey!!" if you stop them.

Not to me. I have never been drunk in my life and never have had a problem stopping after one drink. And on nights when I do not take THC, I take more amitriptyline and do just fine. And I went off Klonopin cold turkey after taking it for more than a year and did not notice.