-Psychiatrists don’t spend time talking to the patient. I have seen Cool regularly come out of these appointment in 5 min-20 min at the most.
-An appointment costs $100 up to $260
-These doctors have no emergency hours, staff, or procedures. If the patient is really bad off they are told to go to the regular emergency room.
-It’s not just a matter of getting on one medication and taking it as directed.
-There is no ONE magical pill to treat bipolar.
-It’s normal that patients are put on a cocktail of meds.
-The meds have to be taken 2-3 times a day. Some at specific times, with certain side-effects (sleepiness) in mind, or with or without food.
-Each med has its own set of side-effects: Weight gain, loss of appetite, nausea & vomiting, weak bladder, tiredness, lethargy, ticks, etc, etc. . .
-Cool is on 4-5 meds at any given time.
-Before she got health insurance, just ONE of those meds cost $800+! That’s more than our entire rent.
-You can only get a one month supply at any given time, so calls and trips to the pharmacy must constantly be made.
-Many people with bipolar have an inability to plan ahead and may not have a stable mood–how can they get organized enough to arrange the medication protocol?
-The meds will suddenly stop working–old meds have to be stopped and a new med has to be started. It’s a process largely based on trial and error.
-The really fun part? Patients are not in touch with their moods/feelings. This includes suicidal lows, long-term depressions, and mania. To them, they just seem average. It isn’t until after the fact they realize something was “off.”
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- Getting to Know the BiPolar Stoner (thebipolarstonerdiaries.wordpress.com)
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