[Cocosurviving]

When I was at my pdoc's office. A lady sat next to me. She told me I was very pretty and I thanked her. Then she asked was I here on business. I told her no I was a client. She looked shocked and said "your a client I would have never guessed". My name was called I told her to have a good day. What is a MI person suppose to look like? Even though I have tattoos (5) and piercings I dress business causal. Does that have anything to do with it ? And my tattoos are pretty much covered. My question is what would you have said? You were there on business or you were a client?

[MusicLover82]

In a pdoc's office, I would have admitted to another patient that I was also a patient and leave it at that. Most of the people going in and out of my pdoc's office all look "normal" (functioning) to me. There really doesn't seem to be a "look" unless someone is really off balance and it's obvious something is wrong.

i'd admit to being a client too, but say nothing more

if I was asked, or prompted for more information, i'd give it

i see myself as very open when it comes to that kind of thing- I think because their's all ready so much stigma, do you really want to stigmatise yourself by not talking about it?

[TishaBuv]

I would have said the same thing you said. I suppose she was giving you a compliment because she said you were pretty and your business casual put-together look made her think you couldn't possibly be seeking mental help. Her naïveté, her assumption.

I have either looked like a blubbering mess or a very put-together person, depending on my mood at the t's.

[Anxiousvalkyrie]

I probably would have said the same thing as you did if I was in a Pdoc waiting room.

As for what people with MI look like, I'd say all shapes and sizes. I've got over 20 tattoos, a pierced nose and bright pink hair cut in a Bettie Page hairstyle. So we're all different.

[OctobersBlackRose]

It depends who asks, and I always show up to my appointments in yoga pants and a hoodie usually, sometimes leggings with my goth style.boots, sometimes jeans, I don't wear makeup, for some reason I'm sensitive to it. But I look put together even when I'm not doing well, that's why people.dont believe me when I say I'm not doing well even my treatment team, cause I look so put together and show up to my appointments. Has anybody ever heard of routine, and not wanting to break it (I also have autism, just dont have my records yet to prove it to my treatment team), I go nuts if I'm even a minute late, or if I have to miss (that isn't by my own choice) I was once 30mins late to a psych appointment I didn't know I had, again put together but freaking out, and my case manager who I seen the same day had to reassure me that I didn't do anything wrong. But back on topic, I'll disclose my MI to people.I choose to be worthy of disclosing it to.

Sorry for going off topic I do this all the time.

[Miss Laura]

I usually go by taxi to my Psych appts so on occasions the driver has asked if I work there. I use to say yes but then I started getting lore confident and now I say I'm a patient

[venusss]

What is a MI person suppose to look like? Even though I have tattoos (5) and piercings I dress business causal

It's not about tattoos, or piercings or dressing up. I have no tattoos or piercings but I dress very bold.

I think one could tell somebody has issues (that are not in remission) by their possure and general appearance and behavior. I mean, if you are twitchy and jumpy and look around constantly... there might be something going on. If you cannot control your reactions to normal situations... things like that. Or if you are extremelly umkempt. Otherwise, you cannot really tell.

Actually, eyes might be a give away. Dead eyes. Crazed "not fully there" look.

[Bigmike727]

I would admit I was a patient, but it asked for details would not give. My pdoc has a strict client-confidientality way about him. I actually had to sign off for him to talk to my family about my illness.

[Unrigged64072835]

I would say I was a patient, but not much after that. I pretty much wear jeans and a casual top, or a tunic with leggings. I go to a community health clinic, and a lot of the people are poor, so I kind of blend in.

[Anxietygirl74]

I don't think there is a typical look. If she was maybe old, she might have related it to how they treated mentally ill people way back when and institutionalized them in movies and how they were portrayed then. But when I go to my p-doc, most look as normal and controlled as they can be. In fact, the person I've seen most out of control was me, when I just showed up, crying, insisting I had to see my pdoc because there was something really wrong with me. I barely talked them out of sending me inpatient. It turned out that I reacted badly to generic lamictal.

I would admit to being a client, but in no way would I ever divulge my Dx. I'd just say I was a client and leave it at that (basically what you did).

Anyway, like others have said, there isn't any particular "look" that screams MI. It's behavior that does.

I dress casually all the time and I look like other people my age. I'm also able to control my symptoms quite well. You'd never guess I was BP or that I even suffered from MI.

I am very "Out'. And am happy to talk about it to anyone.

In fact I ran into someone I knew at the Psychiatrist's office. An older gentleman. He looked at me a bit embarrassed and sheepish. And said Hi. I said "Hi, I am bipolar in case you didn't know." I think it made him feel better.

I would guess there have been times where I look off.....even when pulled together. I've also seen people in the office who it's obvious are having a bad time. Some people probably do hide it better than others. I always do my best to at least appear put together but I may have failed a time or two. I'm really ensure.

In this situation, I would have disclosed that I'm a patient. It means nothing...you could be there for something like grieving a pet....people don't know the reason you are there.

I'm never really asked. But if I was in your situation I would have said I'm a patient. Where I go is a community mental health clinic. So there's lots of ppl that are obviously not well. I've went to see my psych nurse a couple of times not bathed with no makeup on, when I've been really depressed. But in life when I get like that, I just don't leave the house.

I have a friend that knows I'm on disability but I receive disability for my back, not bp. My PTSD and back cause me a lot more problems than bp...