[HollowRhythms]

I struggle with my dr not listening. i personally think i have bipolar II, and he doesn't. so for the last 12 years, I've been on everything but mood stabilizers. I can't switch dr's unless I get a referral from my current psychiatrist. It's just so frustrating.

He put me on a sleeping pill to deal with one symptom... I explained to him when i'm 'doing well' they don't work, i might sleep a few hours, might not sleep at all, but when i'm depressed, i'll sleep 10 after taking half the dose. So what does he do? Ups my dose of sleeping meds. . . . Just curious if anyones had this problem or similar, and have any suggestions for me. It'd be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for listenin

[Altered Moment]

I hate when doctors don't listen. I have been lucky with pdocs and they usually let me decide on meds or they suggest something and I go along. I think I am bi polar II or just under it but I don't have that official diagnosis. I was having rapid cycling and he suggested Lamicatal so I went on it. He didn't mention bi polar II so I am not clear if he did it for that or as an augmenter for depression. I keep meaning to have that conversation. Medical doctors are the ones for me who don't seem to listen.

I don't think having trouble sleeping when doing well qualifies for bi polar II. It would take more symptoms. You have to fit into the little box. You could list all the reasons why you think that. Or you could argue that you think Lamictal would help your depression. Lamictal is quite popular with pdocs these days.

Read this and see if it fits......
Bipolar II disorder : epidemiology, diagnosis and ... [CNS Drugs. 2007] - PubMed - NCBI

[Gus1234U]

when i run into a recalcitrant doc, i like to take in a lot of documentation to overwhelm them,, and if they dismiss it, i ask them to sign saying they read it.... oh that puts the wind in their sails~!

there must be a 'Bi-Polar Symptoms Questionnaire' online somewhere, that you could use for a basic reporting framework.... " yes, i have this, no i don't have that.... this goes on X amount of time, etc."

you'd be surprised what knowing that they have been informed in writing does to a doctor's attention span. with any luck, s/he'll refer you to someone who does care~!
best wishes~

[Altered Moment]

Actually there is a quiz on this site.

Bipolar Screening Quiz | Psych Central

I had a doc. that didn't listen to so I ask my insurance to give me another one , so they did , ask your insurance for a list of providers in your town .

[Perna]

I would try finding a primary care physician that would be willing to listen and do some experimenting if you can't change psychiatrists easily. I know regular doctors don't know as much about psychiatric illnesses but any doctor who is willing to listen and work and learn with you has got to be better than one who just throws the wrong meds at you?

Definitely get a second opinion. Any Dr. who just throws just any old meds at you is NOT the right Dr. for you. It might take you some time to find a Dr. that will actually listen to you, understand your problems, and want to help you as well. If you ever get the feeling that the Dr. is not a right fit for you and that they don't really care about you, then you're probably right about that. Go with your gut.

One of the first Drs. that I went to would constantly take non-emergency phone calls during most of our session. He hardly gave me much solid advice on much. I was so naieve back then. I thought that was normal. It's not. It's rude and unprofessional. Don't make the same mistakes I did.

Sometimes I feel that more experienced professionals (in any field) lose the human touch over the course of their careers and doctors, psychiatrists and counsellors are no exception. At some stage, we become a subject or a client to them, rather than being a human being. May be they require this trait to be able to help us objectively. But at the same time, sometimes we just need the interaction on a human level to solve our problems and professional advice is somewhat secondary. In other cases, the professional has to be more stern and firm in his/her approach. Imo, a balanced mix of both would be more helpful to both.

[missingva]

My psychiatrist doesn’t even call me by my name-she never has! The first time I met her I was the only one in the office so I guess it was easy to figure out who I was! If I call her and leave a message when she calls back she NEVER addresses me by my name. My doctor refuses to put her foot down and say I am Bipolar 2. I truly believe I am. I have decided to look elsewhere for another opinion but I must see my psychiatrist one more time in order to keep getting my Lamictal. This is the MOST FRUSTRATING experience. Why don’t doctors want to do more investigating to find out why their patient is suffering needlessly? I’m in need!

[missingva]

Your experiences sound like mine! Why won’t they commit to a BP2 diagnoses? I realize it can take quite a while but give me a break here docs! How long do we need to suffer before someone puts their foot down and uses the proper DSM-V diagnoses?? I hope you get some relief SOON!

Originally Posted by HollowRhythms

I struggle with my dr not listening. i personally think i have bipolar II, and he doesn’t. so for the last 12 years, I’ve been on everything but mood stabilizers. I can't switch dr's unless I get a referral from my current psychiatrist. It's just so frustrating.

He put me on a sleeping pill to deal with one symptom... I explained to him when i'm 'doing well' they don't work, i might sleep a few hours, might not sleep at all, but when i'm depressed, i'll sleep 10 after taking half the dose. So what does he do? Ups my dose of sleeping meds. . . . Just curious if anyones had this problem or similar, and have any suggestions for me. It'd be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for listenin

If my doctor isn't listening, I move on to the next mental health center. Luckily my area has a lot and I had to go through almost all of them before I found a good doctor. It was worth it.

[CaptainChaos79]

Its has been my experience the psychiatrists are the worst listeners in the medical profession...I know Ironic. You can see a general practitioner or primary care physician to get your meds if you can't resolve this issue with your psychiatrist. Any medical dr can write for mental health meds. I psychiatrist is an MD who took an extra class or two to specialize as a psychiatrist because the money is better. They aren't as special as most of them think they are. My primary care dr is a magician with psych meds and I have been under better care with him than the 10 mental health idiots I saw before I found him...

[ellengiles]

If you feel you are bipolar and your doc is behaving in such an unprofessional way, try to get a second opinion soon. Not all medical centers need you to have a referral. You can tell them your problem with you current doc. Just read and collect enough proof to show to your doc and make him understand your problem.

[Mainiac]

If I were you, I would change doctors. Frustrating, I know, but I can't can't see how a therapeutic relationship can work if you d not feel heard.

[lkbun14]

My doctor once gave me this advice: "It could be worse"...I haven`t felt the same towards her since.

[Chakuli]

my doctor cant understand my problem of dizziness,depression,unusual fear, and anxiety

[jacky8807]

Online quizzes cannot be used for evidence of a disorder and i would be scared of any dr. Who used that to diagnose me! Lol
What are your symptoms that make you believe you gave bipolar? If you feel its really an issue i would def. Tell your pdoc that you demand a second opinion

[Durra]

I once had a psychiatrist who kept on asking questions and only accepted brief answers.. He made me cry.. I felt so embarrassed..

[HollowRhythms]

Thanks for all your input everyone!

There are a lot of things, more than the sleep that make me think this, the rapid speech, thinking so fast, and doing so many things at once, to being so depressed, i can't even put a thought together... but also, it's rapid cycling, every week or two.... i asked for a second opinion over a decade ago, his two colleagues said, if it's anything it'd be bp2.......... yet, never been treated for it, or attempted to be treated for it. Which blows my mind, because the only meds I haven't tried are mood stabilizers.......

I'm in Canada, and on disability.... so the options for finding a new dr are limited. and once you're put on something like a benzodiazapine, or any other 'addictive' drug, other drs are hesitant to give them to you.... I've tried getting my GP to refer me to a new one, and he got a letter back saying that my psychiatrist has to refer me, unless I'm not currently seeing one. Which I guess I've been hesitant to do, because I have a concern of his bs ideals of me following me.

I see him tomorrow, but I'm hesitant to ask for a new one just yet, I start therapy with my old therapist again in the next couple weeks, and so I figure I might as well wait until i start, then at least have her support thru it. . . Maybe can give me some ideas as well. The only places I can really go are the hospital i'm being treated at now, and one other. . . They opened a clinic here, which is basically an ER for mentally ill people, and I was going to go there, until my doctor mentioned when they need drs, they call the people at his hospital, so I think it'd just be one big circle.... End up back where i started..

Just wanted to add, that i was on opiates, well severely addicted to them for about 6 years, so it wasn't as noticeable, now that I've been off of them for 8 months, the symptoms are getting harder to control, and way more apparent.

Thank you once again for all the opinions, and sharing your stories. Helps to know I'm not alone in all of this.

[queer bp2]

my insurance has assigned me a case worker because I called them so many times. my care has increased in quality as i became more proactive about my care