Are you treated poorly by Dr.s because of bipolar?

I guess I am really quite fortunate that I have a gp who is understanding and supportive. Whenever I see him we spend some time talking about my mental and emotional health. I am aware he keeps up with my case as my psychiatrist cc's him regularly about those visits.

When I was last hospitalized 18mos ago, my GP came in to visit 3-4 times a week (8wks)

When I was recently going through a lengthy wait-and-see-the-results crisis he was good enough to phone me a few times to find out how I was holding up.

it never occured to me until just now that this was not the norm.

The very nature of this illness means we are not always our best selves. Professionals are trained and should be better trained to understand this. We do not "deserve" bad treatment by them even if we are having a difficult time. I'd even go so far as to say ESPECIALLY when we are having a hard time. Some people don't get this and I hope they don't end up on the receiving end someday when they are deeply in crisis. When people are in SEVERE pain (physical or mental) they act out. If someone has a kidney stone and is screaming and cussing bloody murder, does a doctor have a right to treat them poorly cause they should be a good boy or girl and shut up? NO! Should someone whose had a small stone and didn't scream be looking at their neighbor in the ER with a big stone whose screaming and say "look at me, I'm not screaming and neither should you be". NO!

I'm typically very quiet, nice, polite with a great deal of social etiquette. In crisis, I turn inwards and harm myself or outward and get pissy with others. It happens when I'm in SEVERE physical and mental pain. I don't have a choice to just be a quiet good girl. If I had this option, I wouldn't accept that I even had an illness at all. Being quiet and turning inward can lead to death for me easily. Turning outward is not a choice, it just happens. It means I need HELP not judgemental attitudes. Doctors would be best to remember this. By treating me poorly when I've needed help and understanding the most they have committed attempted murder and should pay!!!!

When I was in my late teens, doctors wouldn't take some of my complaints seriously or even bother to investigate. Also, when I would miss school for being sick, the school Social Worker literally called me a hypochondriac to my face. My mother got involved and called her out on it, because she knew something was going on with me aside from my mental health problems. I had certain doctors who labeled everything automatically as caused by anxiety, when I knew there was more to it.

Also, the school nurse said I had something 'seriously wrong' with my mind-body connections, so it wasn't until later when I got a different primary care doctor who actually did find I had some underlying legitimate health concerns.

You know, now that you mention it, though more people deal with "just" anxiety than BP, I think it is probably a greater factor in getting blown off. This happens with my BF. This, that and the other, "oh, it's just anxiety". And, to be fair, it can wreak physical havoc, but it seems a frustrating answer sometimes. I think it's especially true if one has health anxiety. Ok, THAT would be the worst I would think.

I'm sorry that happened to you, xRavenx, that they blew you off like that.

I'm not sure if this is response at all to my earlier post, but I do want to clarify that I can't just turn on the "quiet good girl" at all times. God, no. But when I can, I do. And it doesn't necessarily mean I'm well or that there's any reason to question the dx. It's just part of who I am for better or worse. Overall, I find it serves me well. I just try to keep the mental and physical realms separate as much as possible and hope they do the same. (Not denying any mind/body connection, just talking about care focus.)

And I have been on the end of bad treatment. Terrible, in fact. From a crisis line. Damn near sent me over the edge. Making a point of being an easy patient when I can doesn't mean I don't get it or that I think people deserve bad treatment or should totally be in control of themselves (yikes, no!) etc.. For me, it's a matter if doing what I can in my own interest. One thing I know is that when I do present in crisis, they KNOW it, as I am not at all myself. It's a big departure.

It's their job, either way. Totally agreed.

I'm sorry you've gotten treated badly, EM Much

I don't have many problems with doctors, especially medical doctors. I've always gotten and reciprocated respect for the relationship.

There is a possibility it is because every time I present at a doctor's office, I dress business casual. I don't care what anyone says, dress changes the way people respond to you. You can cheer all you want for a more casual environment, but I guarantee showing this sort of respect at a doctor's office goes a long way.

My job in engineering is a casual environment, and jeans are normal and sometimes necessary for the environments in which we work. That being said, doctor days are still a day to dress up and be at least business casual. When you have only 15-20 minutes to spend with a doc in the first place, first impressions and assumptions go a long way.

OK, stepping off my soapbox now. Feel free to flame away. People have every "right" to dress like a mess when they see a doc (and I see them in the waiting room all the time) but I guarantee you it changes the type of treatment and ability to garner respect from the doc.

but if you are not doing well. It is appropriate to be unkempt. it helps to show that you are not doing well.
bizi