In Psych ward with possible fakers

Me too Tiger. I'm afraid he will lock me up.

have not come across fakers, but in my experience people are more like "you look so happy why are you here?!!!?" :/

BP varies greatly among people. And you forget to take into account the Doctors who diagnosed these people. Lots of the time Doctors are wrong with diagnoses (especially with something as complex as BP). And statistics show that a correct diagnosis of BP takes quite a long time - I've read an average of 8 years for most people. I didn't get a diagnosis of mixed manic until 17 yrs into treatment. (I had every other ******* diagnosis in-between.)

A girl in my hospital said she cut herself because everyone at school was doing it. WTH?! When I cut my arms, and had to go to the ER for staples, I lied and told the Dr I fell through a plate glass window.

I have read that there was like a 40 fold increase in the diagnosis of bioplar minors. So, maybe it is like the new ADHD.

How old is this person? She sounds like a teenager.

Perhaps, groups should have age ranges. Twenty year olds have very different issues than people 30+.


She is only 20 years old and claims to be pregnant while continuing to smoke and drink She does have diff issues from an adult, but none of them seem to need psychiatric care. Also, she is a trigger bc I'm a recovering addict and she talks about drugs daily. My sponsor told me to pray for her I do try to apologize when I snap at her. But really it's the therapist's job to keep these sessions under control and let everyone share and ask for advice. The therapist lets things get out of hand too often. If it were me I would have kicked her out at this point. She doesn't take notes, do the homework, or listen to any of the therapy. I told her she is so very lucky she's not in prison serving time for her felony but was accepted into drug court and therapy. A kick in the pants of reality would get through to her better than OP



Thickntired, I hope the last week will be better for you.[/quote]

Thank you so much. That is very sweet.
Today I have a psych assesment for a new pdoc and I'll be seeing my therapist in a week

Thank you for bringing up the subject. I was the victim of a superb faker. He is the man who stalked me, broke into my house and tried to shoot me. His addictions were his "handicap" and he used the system in ways I didn't even think were possible, from pretending to be mentally retarded to having seizures. I witnessed him doing such things. He was in a psych ward for a while after his mother did a mental hygiene report on him. He received several government assistance payments as well as Soc.Sec. disability and foodstamps, all of which went for gambling, alcohol and drugs. He was a criminal, a master thief, a child molester, and I suspected him of much worse, like murder. So...one would wonder why I, an educated older woman, became his target...and it is primarily because I moved into his neighborhood (where he resided with his parents at the time), and being the con artist he was, I was his victim. Yes, I was stupid, but there are sociopaths who are so good at conning and faking, and I had no idea such people existed. He quickly zeroed in on my weaknesses and vulnerabilities. That is what these people do, and I have no doubt the psych wards have their fair share of such people.

Ugh! This is definitely why there needs to be age or "category" separation in these types of settings. Some people are faking without trying... I agree. Everyone one is so eager to get a mental health dx to have something to blame or explain undesirable characteristics or performance, and when they get that dx, they cling to it.

I used I work in a medical office, and parents would bring their elementary school to high school-aged kids in for an ADHD diagnosis. They'd say their child's grades are terrible, they talk in class, don't want to participate in [band] anymore, and aren't doing well in the two extra-curricular sports they're in that they "need to" do for future college scholarship prospects; they're sluggish and don't listen well, and seem scattered. The kids would tell the doctor they felt fine and didn't want meds, and were just overwhelmed. The parents would counter saying they were overwhelmed because of ADHD.

They would demand medication and would not be satisfied (ie angry) without... The doctor would give the smallest amount of a non-controlled substance ADHD med, like 5mg once daily in morning, and send them home, ALONG with "prescribing" the kid drop a sport, thus get more sleep, and have parents let him spend more time with friends. Two weeks later, the doctor would check in with them...

"OMG, Dr. [Name]! His grades have gone up and he's so much more alert and happy! The meds have worked WONDERS."

...The medical staff would laugh at these people behind their backs, knowing the med would in no way cause the changes claimed, if he was even taking the med at all. And this scenario happens all the time. These parents and people with the types of mind sets disgust and frustrate me to no end! Whatever helps them sleep at night...? Erghhhh.

I have noticed this, too. Everybody seems bipolar. Perhaps, I meet the criteria for the condition, around the time of the month. Sometimes, I wonder if the menstrual cycle contributes to the prevalence of bipolar, especially milder forms.

A lot of individuals with ASD also get diagnosed with bipolar, especially females. I know, I was told I had it at age 19. It made no sense to me and I did not believe it. Nothing about my behavior was bipolar. I was irritable because of sensory processing issues and medication.

Some of this is cultural.

In the past self harm was restricted to certain environments like group homes and institutions. Now, it has infiltrated mainstream society. A lot of teenagers do this because of peer pressure. Emo? Apparently, it is part of that culture. This problem is rife in adolescent psychiatric units.

My psychiatrist admitted many people learn how to self harm while in hospital.

Having been hospitalized only once, I obviously do not have the most extensive experience on which to comment. However, several people during our group sessions questioned whether I was really sick. I'm bipolar and many of them were suffering from depression. I tend to minimize my depression, anxiety and mania - even to my psych. I was brout up to always put a good face on for society. My opinion is that anyone who would seek attention to the point of being hospitalized in a psych ward is probably borderline personality disorder with a dash of narcissism. In any event, I have found that if I focus on others instead of myself I cannot move forward in my own journey. Compassion goes a long way. We can all use - and give a good dose of it every day.

I saw a 60 Minutes segment on BP and Children. About a dozen yrs ago a Doctor wrote a book about BP and Children and since then BP diagnoses for children has drastically increased like x13 (or 1300%).

From what I understand in USA if you are labeled bipolar instead of say something else, you have better backup from insurance and everyone.

We don't have that here so everyone is not bipolar here. Only the bipolars are.

Also we tend not to mix hardcore drug abusers with mental patients.

Trouble is true addition IS a disorder - O.K. fine yes it is still that persons choice weather or not to put something in there body in the first place - BUT until that is done initially, there is no way to know if you are going to have that problem or not. If you do, after just a little bit, it's not your choice really anymore. Just like you might have a choice of weather or not to go into a medical hospital to visit someone, but if you get sick while there, you can not control what is in the air.
Farther, I don't believe anyone ought be forced to do anything about addiction in itself anymore than you would force someone with cancer to get kemmo (it's just NOT going to happen) - now that doesn't mean a free pass either though IF the person is aware of the issue.
I really don't know what to say there, mainly because if you are going to call addiction a dissease (and they have been for quite some time) then an addicted person is actually a sick person, therefore should be treated as though they are not well, because it has been classified as a disease. And if you are that sick, fine you might say hospital - but even that should only be forced in immediate situations, never to "punish", and a sick person definitely dose not belong in jail either!
I really don't know what I am saying other then if it is a disease, then don't treat the guy effected any different than someone that has cancer, if not, then a lot has to change because regardless of whether I think this should be or not, lots of times a court will order someone to get treatment for that - well, like I said, if it is a disease, don't takl to them or act any differant than if they had cancer - if it is not a disease - then there is absolutely no point in any treatment, because there is nothing wrong - so what is it?
Sure you can be both an addict and a criminal - but being an addict in itself dose not make you a criminal - even if it's to something controlled that you have no script for - yes you broke the law then - but in and of itself, that dose not make you any more of a criminal than illegal parking dose.

Here they get their own treatment place if drug addiction is the main problem. I'm not saying they don't get treated at all.

Re/addiction is a disease.... the person I knew was also a criminal. I'm not saying all people who have addictions are criminals..far from that. However, I learned there ARE people with addictions, a lot of them, actually, who use the system to the max, and, that, in my opinion, is a degree of criminality in and of itself. The person I knew had been in and out of rehab most of his adult life, to no effect. When he had the mental hygiene report, he ended up in a mental hospital with a lot of other people on the same floor with all sorts of conditions. A nurse who worked there said many of these people actually belonged in jail or prison.

I have never been hospitalized. I have tried to get hospitalized but was turned away. I have had to sit in emergency waiting rooms for HOURS while people with colds were let in faster. By the time anyone saw me I was so bloody tired of being there that I just said 'Y'know what, I'm good now, I just want to go home'. The times when I actually stuck through it and said, This is what's happening to me, I don't feel safe anywhere, I don't know what's real and what's not and I'm going to do something hurtful, they would just say there was nothing they could do and send me home. One time I went in there with hallucinations and anxiety so bad I was vibrating and couldn't breathe or stop crying, and after three separate 'interviews' by psychiatrists the head of the department sent me home after joking, 'Don't jump in front of a bus on your way home'.
It's crap. It's so much crap. Not being able to get help when it is needed is no laughing matter. I too had the same problem: I don't 'present' sick. My clothes are clean. I haven't got claw marks all over me and I'm not playing in traffic, or whatever the qualifiers are.
My empathy goes out to all of you for your experiences, varied as they are.

OmG. I caaannnn't believe they said that to you! Who would treat anyone like that? I'm not sure if you were or not, but if somone in a state such as yourself was also feeling so out of control so as to be suicidal, that's just the type of triggering phrase to push them over the edge - I mean, they've given an idea of how to accomplish it!

If it were me, I'd get my records from that visit and make a call to the director of operations at minimum and report what was said to you, so something similar doesn't happen to someone.

So awful that happened to you!

That's sad, and yes, er's aren't very good at helping with anything that they cant "see" wrong with you. Last summer I went to an ER at the urging of my sister becasue my anxiety was through the roof due to being stalked. Know what those a-holes did? They gave me a shot of something they said would calm me down. They made me unconscious, and while unconscious, put me into their ward, where I was given drugs so strong I couldn't tell you what year it was. I'm still considering suing. I was only released when in front of 12 people at a table I told them what they wanted to hear...at the time I was at risk of losing my job. Assholes!!! I think they knew what they did was wrong and they were only covering their *scared, unfit sissy asses*. I have never heard of any hospital ward doing that to anyone trying just ot get out and back to their life. I needed Xanasx and got that? Knocking a person out and sneaking them in while unconscious. Yup, I will probably sue. I will enver trust a shrink again.

Wow I have no idea why or how anyone could think bipolar disorder is fun or cool. I'd do anything to get rid of this illness. Its cool to cut?? That is so sad.

unfortunately yes there are teen fads out there and one of them is cutting is cool, just like smoking is cool despite the fact it causes cancer and teen suicide pacts are cool in some schools despite the fact that its someone is dying, and in some schools its cool to be doing drugs, or being pregnant, Some schools teens think its cool to strangle their self or play hill-hopping and having mono, or other health issue, or being mentally ill.. and many other dangerous or life altering things.

this of course makes it harder for those that really do have mental illness to get treated especially if the person lives in an area where this kind of thing is prevalent.

I see fakers all the time and it just pisses me off. Or, if someone's not faking, but they like having the problem. They shout it to the world "Hey I'm BiPolar!!" like it's this wonderful thing and they'll get all this attention.

I think someone mentioned this on here, but yeah if a person wants to fake and illness simply for attention, they probably have a more serious condition. Idk if anyone has heard of this, its called Munchausen syndrome. People with that will do just about anything to get attention, its really scary. I just remembered reading about it back in psy 101

I had a friend who loved being sick, it gave her attention and she is a nice person, but i would be hurt for her when she acted like it was something to be proud of and i feel for her when she is really sick and not faking it like she sometimes did. She was actually ill, but tried to use it for her own reasons. I do hope she is ok as i haven't seen her in a few years.

Yes, I have heard of this!
Often I have to remind myself of this syndrome when I do encounter people who seem to be feigning illness. The last time I went to hospital I was in the ITC (Intensive Treatment Center) for most of my stay but when I was transferred back to the regular ward, I ended up rooming with a 13 year old girl who claimed she had bulimia, and yet, she always ate ALL of her food during breakfast, lunch and dinner and I haven't ever heard her once try to purge after a meal. I would spend all day, literally, all day in my room reading and she's never once came in to purge.

Then when she was filling out her intake papers, she told me they were "stupid" and "not worth her time". Then when I told her that I have a personality disorder, she was like, "Oh yeah, I better fill out my papers!" As if that was going to give her a diagnosis like me? She really annoyed me.

But yes, I have to keep reminding myself that Munchhausen syndrome is out there.

In 2012 I was hospitalized about every month. I was so stressed out from my crappy living arrangement not to mention the crushing depression. My anxiety pulled me off the road as a over the road trucker. It seems every time I was admitted I saw the same people in there going thru detox as well as fibbing about what is going on. I don't want to Call them fakes because up wasn't in there shoes. I will say I went thru a ton of med cocktails and different diagnosis. I had 2 doctors say I was faking my symptoms, and to an extent at those times I was, my living
situation was horrible and the hospital was like a candy land compared to home. However I ended up in Residential Treatment for Adults (RTFA) and met a doctor that I really trusted and unloaded on her.

My psychiatric record was 13 inches thick. When I applied for SSDI the adjudicator said she only looked at the first 100 pages or so before approving my disability. However I am getting better and now working with ticket to work.

I've seen alot of people in various facilities that are just there to use the system. They even admit it if you ask them directly. Sad. Just my experience.

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