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Bipolar Disorder/med
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I need help. I was diagnosed several years ago with bipolar . I have gone for several years without med and have done fairly well. I am at apoint now where i tink I need med again and I can't seem to get any because the small town I live in has had too many people abusing prescription drugs that i can not get the meds i need. I have gone to 2 different doctors who turned me down. The last doctor I went to gave me a prescription for 20 clonipins and she really acted like she didin't want to or was scared to. I am afraid to go back to her because i dread the look on her face and her reluctancy to give them to me. Then i go home worrying worse than i was before i came because i am afraid she thinks i am a drug abuser. My husband is a police man and i don't want people to think his wife is trying to get drugs just to get high on. It simply isn't true. How can i get the meds I need without having to feel bad about it. This is ridiculous!!
I am concerned about whether or not you have talked to your husband about your diagnosis, law enforcement or not, he should at least be aware of the situation - I'd be disappointed if he failed in trying to be supportive of your efforts to get the help from the medical standpoint of treating your bipolar. You haven't said what kind of doctors you have seen when trying to get prescribed the necessary medications. If they are general practice physicians, particularly when they are practicing in the small-town setting, they may or may not have the experience in dealing with treating mental illness.
We all think that we're doing a decent job at keeping things together; it's why we decide to go off meds because we feel fine after taking them for a while, it's why we don't always recognize the more subtle signs that another major shift in mood is getting ready to wreak havoc in our lives, and it's why we spend years believing that the problems are in those around us - "we're fine".
Klonopin shouldn't be the only medication that you are taking, since it is predominantly something used to deal with the effects of an anxiety attack or similar. I'd recommend that you make an appointment with someone who only sees patients who need treatment for mental illness, and therefore has the necessary experience and training required to help you find the appropriate medication therapy based on your specific treatment needs. Doctors and pharmacists have had to be made aware of the growing problem where people are abusing prescription medications, but if presented with a valid prescription, (and in the case of doctors, a letter from a psychiatrist regarding a patient and specifying the diagnosis and medications needed when financial matters prevent more frequent appointments with the psychiatrist - a very common situation these days), you should have no problems getting your meds with no reason to fear how you will be perceived when you go pick them up at the pharmacy.
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Answers by Expert:
Jennifer
Expertise
I am available to answer questions of a general nature about bipolar disorder, provide online resources that address bipolar disorder in a more in-depth manner and sources to serve as a starting point for those looking for substantial information on the illness from a healthcare professional approach. I am not a doctor or a psychiatrist, my background is based in personal experience and extensive reading in my own process of understanding my diagnosis. I can also take questions that deal with the social issues surrounding bipolar disorder such as relationships; coping for family, friends, and the patient; marriage, choosing to start a family and related. Answers to questions of a legal nature will provide general information but anyone with a serious legal problem should consult an attorney licensed to practice in their jurisdiction.
Experience
I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder type II in 2000; as a SSI beneficiary, have experience and knowledge of the limitations and processes involved with the program; I understand the moods, the feelings, the worries, the doubts, and a lot more that there's not enough room to express - from the personal experiences of being bipolar. I have first-hand experience with the challenges of returning to college following hospitalizations and various combinations of medications that were tried before my doctor and I finally arrived at the most effective medication program for my treatment. My family and I have learned so much about each other in the process of dealing with the highs and lows that followed my diagnosis. I've had relationships with someone who also is bipolar and someone that is not - romantic relationships are no easier on either side! I feel that many of the ideas and beliefs that people have regarding bipolar disorder and those who have the condition promote the continuation of social stigmas associated with mental illness in general, and after learning from others with bipolar disorder, hope to guide others who may be trying to navigate the government health care system,& share information on other possible means of obtaining assistance with the cost of medications and/or mental health services and limited financial assistance programs for meeting basic living expenses for qualified individuals, dealing with problems from or with family & loved ones, co-occurring substance abuse problems, medications and side-effects (and when it feels like nothing will work, or why it's not helping the situation to ask whether or not a patient has taken their 'meds' when they seem hostile or moody to those around them).
Education/Credentials
I have a B.A. in Liberal Arts and will earn my J.D. upon completion of the Spring 2011 term after which I will be preparing to take the multi-state bar exam.
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