Bipolar check-in #43

So I need input. Tomorrow is my Bible study group. I want to go but someone is bringing food, food unspecified. However when she's brought food before it's always been pizza. Regardless it's likely to be junk or even healthy stuff I can't eat yet. My diet is much better but a surprising amount of foods are still off limits.

I want to go but the food may be torture. I'm good at not being upset by my mom eating in front of me but this is likely to have junk food and mom keeps the junk food I can eat hidden so I don't have to deal with seeing that. But a whole bunch of food (most people bring something) that I can't eat sounds frustrating at best, intolerable at worst.

What do you think?

Should I do it and white knuckle through it? Or just keep my break longer?

Can you eat a meal ahead of time?
bizi

I could but it's the intense cravings for things I can't have that make me worry I'd go to the group and then find myself desperately either crying or blowing my diet. I can't begin to tell you how much I want pizza and pancakes right now and I can't get into both because of flour and milk in the ingredients. It's like going to spend 3 hours drooing over things I can't have but really want.

I am so happy you had this good time together!!!!!
bizi

Don't go.
((((((HUGS)))))
you are allowed to say no, I am not feeling well.
bizi

On a related note, it might not taste as good, but there are vegan/gluten free pizzas you can buy. Have you tried any? Also there are some pretty decent mixes for pancakes that are gluten free, and buckwheat works well (if it's the gluten free type). I used to eat gluten and dairy free after an allergy test suggested I was allergic. I have since resumed eating both and it seems like I might not have an allergy. I got used to living without both of those things and it's hard, but got easier and I found things I enjoyed. I found focusing on food from countries that don't typically use a lot of wheat/dairy helped, such as Thai food or Mexican food (minus the dairy).

Polibeth, I hope your husband will be OK.

Keep us posted about your hubby.
You will be just fine running the house.....
(((((HUGS)))))
bizi

I know you want to go. What do you think of staying home?

Glad you are all ok!

It sounds like you are being quite fair in considering its helpfulness. Did you identify any goals yet?

I've had pdocs/therapists I thought were really not a good match. They turned out to be great!

I hope you find whatever you need.

This must be a bit stressful. I know I'd be concerned about my spouse. I hope all turns out well. Please do let us know?

Love and Prayers

Either due to a protracted civil commitment and subsequent court ruling by Med Court requiring meds as a condition of being released from the hospital, as a requirement for preparation for dealng with potential criminal charges, so called aid and assist people, or if one has pled insanity to something, in which case an entity called the Psychiatric Secuirty Review Board is in charge of their lives for a fixed period of time. But if you do great off meds, that all goes away. And of course, the only place they will permit you to stop your meds is in the hospital. Crazy system. Just nuts.

Oh how scary, my husband was in the hospital on August , out of the blue also .. I hope they find out what’s going on quickly and get him back on his feet and feeling well

You are both in my thoughts

Can you fix yourself some good foods you can eat to take that you can have, yeah will suck not being able to eat things they usually have but I’m sure they will all understand and not make a big deal out of it ... I know you have been missing bible study.

Okay that makes sense if there’s criminal charges where a defense lawyer could claim its possible mental illness being part of the reason for breaking laws.

I thought you meant just random people could be court ordered to stay on meds. We had a member here once that made an attempt and they were ordered to stay in there county, had to be on meds that blood test could prove they were being taken because they made an attempt.. I never understood that... like it’s a persons right to punch there ticket if they really want to .... isn’t it ??!!

Yeah, I agree with you. Patients ought to have a big say in whether they take meds or not. We have a quite busy Med Court system in this state and patients win their cases there all the time, I am happy to report. Not really sure how it works in other states.

Thanks. I'll ask for Cogentin. I desperately need something -- anything!

I'm willing to increase my propranolol dose if that helps, but I wish my pdoc would have let me choose which med to try because I would have opted for Cogentin in the first place (based on what people said in my akathisia/RLS thread). But no, his assistant called me back, refused me an appt, and said I'm now going to take propranolol. I had no input.

@bizi: I left a voicemail just now.

I do not understand why his assistant has so much power?

Have you had the opportunity to discuss this with him?

Akathisia is serious business. It can push people over the edge. Seriously.
We are here for you, Blue,

Patients are assured the right to not take meds in this state. There is a huge advocacy group for this.

I generally agree. However, this is causing a huge problems within our newly built, thoughtfully staffed state hospital. The staff have all been seriously injured, are out on WC/ LTD/SSDI now and we keep it staffed by importing traveling nurses, etc. This provides zero consistency in the care, treatment and discharge planning for patients interested in stabilizing and returning to the community.

What to do?

Back at the library again to just not do anything self-injurious. Emotions all over the place. I'm sick of this. The increase in Risperdal got rid of my mild psychosis, but it's doing nothing for my mood. I can't decide if I'll go to group or not. They haven't been very helpful lately.

I got up at 4:30 this morning to watch Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead with my son before taking him to school. That was fun. It had been more than 15 years since last seeing it, if I remember correctly.

In addition to that I'm experiencing serious pain in my lower back. It makes it very difficult to put on or take off my shoes and socks.

I can imagine that is a bit tough.

I know that most people in the psychiatric hospitals are not violent, but some can be. Or even if not violent to staff or other patients, manic and/or psychotic behavior can be scary for other patients to witness. I think that in those cases, if they're not being medicated/sedated, they need isolation or in very severe cases, be restrained. Some of such patients will complain about that, but what else can be done? Are they supposed to run around the wards terrorizing all of the other patients (and even staff) or damaging property? I see sedation as a much better alternative, personally, and I'm speaking as a former psych hospital patient that needed isolation/restraint to GET sedating medications administered and calm down.

Of course I believe there is a line between being physically abused by staff, in a psych ward, and having necessary isolation/restraint. But the fact is, if a person is acting in a violent way, simply asking "Joey, may we escort you to a quieter room?" is not gonna cut the mustard! Joey's butt might need to be dragged there (with him kicking, screaming, fighting and maybe biting), at the very least. And if he's not restrained with straps, he might start slamming his head into a cinder block wall. It's not always pretty! And Joey is likely not a bad guy. He's just a sick guy.

[I just randomly chose the name Joey. Sorry if anyone's name is Joey, here.]

I was wondering this too. Wasn't their assistant just fired for overstepping and playing doctor? Or am I not remembering correctly?

Regardless, I hope you can get some relief soon.

Thanks, BirdDancer!

We've replaced an ancient, dark, hopeless and understaffed mess with a brand new state of the art state hospital unit. This unit was also carefully staffed. Employees did not necessarily get hired on simply because they were staff at the former unit. I believe it houses 20 patients at max. In some ways, it was not the best planning, as the demand for beds there is much higher. At the same time, 50% of the beds are shut down due to the ongoing violence and shortage of staff.

The state had excellent intentions.

A law allowing sedation, under certain circumstances, is under consideration.

We have a duty to uphold the laws which allow for the refusal of meds.
We also have a duty to provide a safe environment for all, both patients and staff.

We will see what transpires.