[sewerrats]

OK I have been a mental health patient for 30 odd years and mental before that but didn't give a s*** I was young and nuts that's a hole life time away.i n England the you wernt given a label like bipolar ect ect , you were just nuts and given what ever med they saw fit. No therapy it wasn't thought off i am plainly BIPOLAR it is now easy to see , but I have never taken mood stabilizers only benzo,s which act in a similar way plus an AD . The shrinks now days say call you bipolar if you like but do you want to take A-Ps and mood stabilisers when you do ok on your meds now. So in the anxiety and depression range we seem to come under 1 illness but at different levels so its depression and find the right med for you is what is all about not adding six labels on your folder. I have seen a therapist long ago and was told I handle what ever is thrown at me in my own time and not with anything they can do to help . In other words they don't have a clue, I walk a thin line but I walk it with no hospital help they haven't got any.

[gayleggg]

I was labeled with Major Depressive Disorder 30 years ago and that stuck for 18 years when they finally decided Bipolar 1 is what I was. I've been on antidepressants before SSRIs existed. Zoloft was the first one that ever worked for me and I had struggled for 5 years before it came along. Now I have a whole list of drugs to make me feel better only they don't work very well, so the change in labels really hasn't done me any good except to get me turned down for health insurance. I hate labels!

The sad fact of society is everything needs a label. It helps to define things and makes them easier to be understood. The important part is the description matches the label. When most people hear the term mental illness, they only hear the fist part and assume it means nuts, crazy, or even dangerous and forget the second half. Illness. It no different from any another illness, it just requires different treatment.

[1776]

I'm bipolar with psychotic features, but it's taken me about five years to get that information out of my shrink. It shouldn't be that hard.

Every time I asked him directly for my diagnosis he hemmed and hawed and didn't outright tell me.

[sewerrats]

Originally Posted by overthis

The sad fact of society is everything needs a label. It helps to define things and makes them easier to be understood. The important part is the description matches the label. When most people hear the term mental illness, they only hear the fist part and assume it means nuts, crazy, or even dangerous and forget the second half. Illness. It no different from any another illness, it just requires different treatment.

Very true but in England you never see the same shrink, you are under a name but that dont mean to say you see him. They made a rule mabye 8 years ago the outpatient shrinks dont go on the wards they just treat the discharged or those not hospital ill enough.So nobody gets down to giveing you a name its all guess work. The shrinks move round other hospitals a lot has locoms and that way they make more money, but that leaves you high and dry till you get a new shrink maybe months. Its a weird way to operate but they get little money from the NHS my GP surgery has more money and better meds than the hospital. But you no what gets me is when i read posts of hole families in AMERICA on med,s it disturbs me. I dont no anyone in ENGLAND that has other family members on meds in that degree . Soon a simple downer will be treated by powerful drugs in AMERICA you goverment love it, it keeps the oconomy buzzing with your donations to meds. :confused

[steelfang]

The labels make it easier for doctors to communicate regarding their patients. For example if one says "she has bipolar 1 with psychotic features" the doctor will know what to expect and have several methods of treatment in mind. This saves time because the doctor can simply look at the file to get a general idea of what they are looking at rather than administering a totally new screen that takes hours,

[sewerrats]

Originally Posted by steelfang

The labels make it easier for doctors to communicate regarding their patients. For example if one says "she has bipolar 1 with psychotic features" the doctor will know what to expect and have several methods of treatment in mind. This saves time because the doctor can simply look at the file to get a general idea of what they are looking at rather than administering a totally new screen that takes hours,

its all on computer , your new shrink clicks a mouse and there is your life right in his face bbbbbboooooooommmmmmmm

[manwithnofriends]

"This guy has a mental health problem! Get away from him!!! " (sure it's not what you'd say but it is what most "normal" people think.)

[healingme4me]

Depends on the mental health issue, and how person behaves around others.

Sent from my LG-MS910 using Tapatalk 2

[sewerrats]

A guy once said to me I was brave for admitting it , what a nob head he was.

[Fuzzybear]

[dillpickle1983]

I have finally accepted my diagnosis. I no longer call my self "Schizoaffective Pickle" or anything like that. I only have it in my signature so everyone else on this site knows what I have. I am sick, and that is it. I'm an eighties baby, so I haven't had to deal with all the old negative stigma. The additions of random acts of violence by people with mental illness hasn't helped though.

Dsm's purpose is to label for the intent of making it easier to diagnose but the more I learn the more I think we are more complicated than a label. The bipolar diagnosis is particularly troubling to me.

Since the 1980s prescriptions in the us have been increasing at an astounding rate. Part of it is advertising. Some people say a shift happened after 9/11. Instead of going to the dr for advise they started going to the dr knowing what prescription they wanted. Advertising completely caters to this. The target of those ads is the consumer not the dr. Insurance has made it nearly impossible to see a patient for the amount of time necessary for a proper diagnosis. Often it is less than 30 min. They ask 20 questions and send them out the door with meds.

[-jimi-]

There are two disturbing ends. Being diagnosed bipolar out of some kind of whim. It nearly happened to me. In 2001 after 911 actually (should not mean anything I'm in Europe) my doctor started suspecting BP and changed my meds accordingly. It took just forever getting out of her experimenting and getting on an antidepressant since I'm unipolar.

The other end at least here in Europe is that you have to have very profound symptoms of bipolar or you will get treated as unipolar or anxious. It means that patients with severe recurring depressions and only slight hypomania don't get treated they way they would benefit from. They might be upped to max levels on antidepressants and antianxiety meds when they would have done well on a low dosage of mood stabilizer and maybe suffer their whole lives because of overmedication and a med that doesn't really fit their symptoms.

[FrayedEnd]

Labels can validate as well as distort whatever an individual is suffering. It's unfortunate but the way we understand is to categorize. We should always try to see the individual though and acknowledge that labels are not the whole story.

[sewerrats]

Originally Posted by jimi...

There are two disturbing ends. Being diagnosed bipolar out of some kind of whim. It nearly happened to me. In 2001 after 911 actually (should not mean anything I'm in Europe) my doctor started suspecting BP and changed my meds accordingly. It took just forever getting out of her experimenting and getting on an antidepressant since I'm unipolar.

The other end at least here in Europe is that you have to have very profound symptoms of bipolar or you will get treated as unipolar or anxious. It means that patients with severe recurring depressions and only slight hypomania don't get treated they way they would benefit from. They might be upped to max levels on antidepressants and antianxiety meds when they would have done well on a low dosage of mood stabilizer and maybe suffer their whole lives because of overmedication and a med that doesn't really fit their symptoms.

You are right shrinks hand out meds now without looking deeper into the problem,I remember taking benzos at a take when needed basis i would have a script for 12 tablets to last months, i would only use them if i was out my head with anxiety and no other time. NOW people use them if there nervouse of anything, Same with AD,S people are not sick so when they take an AD they then feel sick because ADs only work if you ill . You would never dream of giving up a med over minor side effects if really ill. And America has hole families on meds why ???????? Mind you it makes therapy easy . one goes and tells the others so it save,s money .

[archipelago]

I used to think that the "label" helped me to understand why I was feeling and doing the things that I was. So I was open about it, thinking that people would be compassionate, especially with a diagnosis of PTSD which means there is trauma.

But I have been treated badly, even by people I once thought were friends so I no longer am open about it. Plus I'm in school to be a therapist and I don't feel like sharing that information. I've heard too much about how people are "screened out."

[sewerrats]

Originally Posted by archipelago

I used to think that the "label" helped me to understand why I was feeling and doing the things that I was. So I was open about it, thinking that people would be compassionate, especially with a diagnosis of PTSD which means there is trauma.

But I have been treated badly, even by people I once thought were friends so I no longer am open about it. Plus I'm in school to be a therapist and I don't feel like sharing that information. I've heard too much about how people are "screened out."

Most therapist and, mental health nurses , have mental issues them self . Its what draw them to the job, shrinks are in it for the money.

[-jimi-]

Originally Posted by sewerrats

Most therapist and, mental health nurses , have mental issues them self . Its what draw them to the job, shrinks are in it for the money.

I seem to agree. Therapists are therapists because their own stuff, docs for the money and I'll add, the status!

[nanrob]

Originally Posted by Michanne

Dsm's purpose is to label for the intent of making it easier to diagnose but the more I learn the more I think we are more complicated than a label. The bipolar diagnosis is particularly troubling to me.

Since the 1980s prescriptions in the us have been increasing at an astounding rate. Part of it is advertising. Some people say a shift happened after 9/11. Instead of going to the dr for advise they started going to the dr knowing what prescription they wanted. Advertising completely caters to this. The target of those ads is the consumer not the dr. Insurance has made it nearly impossible to see a patient for the amount of time necessary for a proper diagnosis. Often it is less than 30 min. They ask 20 questions and send them out the door with meds.

"Labeling" is for insurance purpose only. Every diagnosis has a code so docs can bill insurance companies. It just makes it easier for docs and insurance companies.

We ARE more than just a label. I hate support groups that have you say your name followed by "and I'm ____" (whatever). I'm more than whatever.

You are right on about advertising. So many people are on the wrong meds because they insist on having one they've seen on TV or read about in an advertisement. I scheduled an appointment with my doctor to go over my meds and make sure none were having an affect on another one and to ensure I was taking the correct ones. My insurance didn't charge anything or this appointment.

[unlived]

Originally Posted by sewerrats

Same with AD,S people are not sick so when they take an AD they then feel sick because ADs only work if you ill . You would never dream of giving up a med over minor side effects if really ill

that's just completely untrue. Even if someone doesn't have depression they still get the same side effects as those that do - often that means none at all. I mean look at Lamictal - its an anti epileptic yet is prescribed for bipolar people without epilepsy - but they dont get sick from it. And as to minor side effects - what's minor to one person can be major to another.

[too SHy]

people are afraid of anything they don't understand. We are stigmatized and separated and ostrasized, ridiculed , and abused. It's best to hide our condition, bury the pain, or else. Don't act stupid or you will get locked up.

[sewerrats]

Originally Posted by nanrob

"Labeling" is for insurance purpose only. Every diagnosis has a code so docs can bill insurance companies. It just makes it easier for docs and insurance companies.

We ARE more than just a label. I hate support groups that have you say your name followed by "and I'm ____" (whatever). I'm more than whatever.

You are right on about advertising. So many people are on the wrong meds because they insist on having one they've seen on TV or read about in an advertisement. I scheduled an appointment with my doctor to go over my meds and make sure none were having an affect on another one and to ensure I was taking the correct ones. My insurance didn't charge anything or this appointment.

I see why in ENGLAND now why your not labelled so much, has AMERICA the NHS is just 1 institution with no insurance claim everyone is deemed the same, so the less meds given save,s the NHS millions. Has on shrink once said to my yes your clearly BIPOLAR but do well on ssri and benzo combo ,so why label you and put you on more serious drugs and mood stabilisers, I tend to agree its not all a chosen formula for each illness, and I get to retain a little off the wall humour among the pain .

Originally Posted by sewerrats

I see why in ENGLAND now why your not labelled so much, has AMERICA the NHS is just 1 institution with no insurance claim everyone is deemed the same, so the less meds given save,s the NHS millions. Has on shrink once said to my yes your clearly BIPOLAR but do well on ssri and benzo combo ,so why label you and put you on more serious drugs and mood stabilisers, I tend to agree its not all a chosen formula for each illness, and I get to retain a little off the wall humour among the pain .

NHS also has bargaining power because they are the only game in town. Meds are a lot more expensive in US. Big Pharma has also been successful at getting drugs prescribed via coupons that they give doctors. I have heard that some doctors see this as a great thing for patients but it really isn't in the long run. It probably encourages more rx and it definitely raises insurance rates. It is illegal in Massachusetts where there is already universal care. I'm guessing there are no coupons in England.

Originally Posted by nanrob

"Labeling" is for insurance purpose only. Every diagnosis has a code so docs can bill insurance companies. It just makes it easier for docs and insurance companies.

Dsm has drastically our culture. Bipolar used to be rare. Now it is one of the most diagnosed mental health issues and the most broad. It is considered "lifetime". Before you might be considered depressed. Medicine was something you took to help you heal... The implication being you don't take it for life and you can heal. Now the implication is the bipolar brain is defective and needs a chemical fix forever. This shift is due to dsm. Either that or the cdc should be testing our water