Aa
Should i be ashamed?
my step dad tells me that taking pills is kinda like cheating. that i couldnt controll myself if i realy wanted. i should be greatfull i have them bc just about everyone has a problem they think they need pills for. should i be ashamed to depend on pills to help me? he says i lived without them before... i just dont know. Help?
Heidi
Heidi
If you don't have a doctor or therapist, how do you know you are BP1?
Were you diagnosed before? How do you get your meds and are you monitored?
Like ILADVOCATE said, you need to look into benefits.
Were you diagnosed before? How do you get your meds and are you monitored?
Like ILADVOCATE said, you need to look into benefits.
If you are not working you could apply for Medicaid. If you are see if your state has the Medicaid Buy in for Working People with Disabilities and apply for that. There should be a way you could obtain coverage. There are also clinics that have a fee on a sliding scale in many places.
i am Bipolar 1. i dont have a therapist, i dont have a docter, i dont even have meds anymore. im on my own right now and do not have the income for any of it.
thank you for all your helpfull suggestions!
thank you for all your helpfull suggestions!
First off, Heidi, why are you taking the meds? Bipolar, scizophrenia, anemia, infection....what? I am assuming you are taking them for a mental disorder or you would not have posted in here. Yes Nami, DBSA and your local county or city mental institution all have classes for families. Your stepdad likes mindtrips and no child of his is going to have to rely on meds by darn. I made it to forty three or four without meds coming from a family like that. I kept it hidden until my gp skrewed me up and my family of origin found out because I was in the hospital. I hope you have a psychiatrist. He or she can sit with your stepfather and talk with him about the necessity of medications for mental disorders....just like for diabetes, cancer, krohn's disease and the list goes on.
Thank you for being brave and asking in here and I hope we have all given you encouragement.
momma zzzmykids
Thank you for being brave and asking in here and I hope we have all given you encouragement.
momma zzzmykids
If you were a diabetic - would your father think you could control your illness without insulin? Same thing.
You should surround yourself with support. I know you can't divorce your family, but you have to do what's best for yourself.
Bipolar is NOT something that you can deal by being strong. It can wreak havoc on all aspects of your life, and receiving proper medical care is key to having a healthy life. Please continue to seek assistance from a pdoc and take your meds.
You should surround yourself with support. I know you can't divorce your family, but you have to do what's best for yourself.
Bipolar is NOT something that you can deal by being strong. It can wreak havoc on all aspects of your life, and receiving proper medical care is key to having a healthy life. Please continue to seek assistance from a pdoc and take your meds.
True he should be the one to be ashamed of his ignorance. If he really likes you and wants you to feel well then he would never dare to announce this. This is why i doubt his relationship with you.
I remember my father 3 years ago convinced me to stop the meds which i passed to my pdoc. I stopped the meds and relapsed and got worse and never went back again to my original status. My father was angry with 2 pills, now i take 6 and am struggling to return to my original situation but in vain. He never even utters now a word about my meds and he swallowed his shoe (Arab proverb) of course this is an issue of quarelling all the time between my both parents and my mother keeps on an off blaming him for that
Don't rely on the public opinion to take a decision, only pdocs consent which you take into consideration only.
I remember my father 3 years ago convinced me to stop the meds which i passed to my pdoc. I stopped the meds and relapsed and got worse and never went back again to my original status. My father was angry with 2 pills, now i take 6 and am struggling to return to my original situation but in vain. He never even utters now a word about my meds and he swallowed his shoe (Arab proverb) of course this is an issue of quarelling all the time between my both parents and my mother keeps on an off blaming him for that
Don't rely on the public opinion to take a decision, only pdocs consent which you take into consideration only.
Your stepdad should be ashamed , he should be supporting you not putting you down. Ignoe his comments and keep on your meds after all the main thing is you stay in control and not let the Bipolar control you .
wow... thanks everyone for ur imput. and im in college now so im out of the house. and i havent had my meds for a while bc i cant pay for them now. but i wish i did have them bc im haveing issues dealing. lol. college is so stressful like overload.
Maybe the guy with muscular dystrophy realized we all have to die in some way at some time and that's just the way he's going to go unless something else gets him first of course. Life dealt him those cards and freaking out about it and worrying over it aren't going to fix his problem.
Your stepdad is an idiot and has no idea what he's talking about.
Medication is not there to cure you, it is there to help you live with BP. That's why people end up taking it for the rest of their lives. But seriously...I don't understand how someone could be opposed to taking a pill that will help them not feel crazy a majority of the time. I've been medicated for 10 years and I NEVER miss my meds. I don't ever want to feel that way again. I still have episodes and very slight mood swings, but its worth it to take that little pill (I'm on Lamictal + Lexapro + Abilify at the moment).
Stay on your meds and go to therapy to help you live with your illness. This is hard work, you're not going to feel better simply from taking the meds and you're going to have to work at it, but continue to do what your doctor tells you and don't listen to your stupid stepfather.
Medication is not there to cure you, it is there to help you live with BP. That's why people end up taking it for the rest of their lives. But seriously...I don't understand how someone could be opposed to taking a pill that will help them not feel crazy a majority of the time. I've been medicated for 10 years and I NEVER miss my meds. I don't ever want to feel that way again. I still have episodes and very slight mood swings, but its worth it to take that little pill (I'm on Lamictal + Lexapro + Abilify at the moment).
Stay on your meds and go to therapy to help you live with your illness. This is hard work, you're not going to feel better simply from taking the meds and you're going to have to work at it, but continue to do what your doctor tells you and don't listen to your stupid stepfather.
It sounds like he really needs to walk a mile in your shoes. Are you old enough to be able to move out or not? Have you spoken to your mom? And is there a chance you can live with your biological father? Your step dad sounds insensitive. Just my opinion.
Haven't spoken to the person in years, I'm not sure if they are doing well (with their disability in a number of years they won't be around) and if I didn't take my medications for my physical disability I wouldn't be alive. Literally. Its not a choice. I know I'm a nit picker for terminology but that's me lol. But one thing that's important is that people realize why they need treatment. I prefer the term responsibility over compliance. Its good to know why you need medication and be responsible for your own decisions and sure your psychiatrist's decisions too. But I want part of the decision to come from me and to know why I need medication and stick with it. Of course I report anything going on to my psychiatrist but I take my medications because I need them and they help me recover not just out of fear but I take them all the same. Its good for all of us to learn about our treatment and yes we shouldn't consider ourselves apart from those with physical disabilities. Many people need medication for a variety of disabilities and it comes down to the same matter of personal responsibility.
Just stop taking your medication for a week and cling to him. See how he feels then.
I'm kidding of course
I'm kidding of course
Well I do tend to refer to myself as having a psychiatric disability. People are free to use what term they want but although I'm the first to acknowledge I and other people need treatment I just don't like being refered to as "sick". It makes it seems as if I will never recover, even with treatment. As for a person with a physical disability on the one hand I know many people in this position and they hate the term "wheelchair bound" as its sounds condescending and prefer the term "wheelchair user" but of course they acknowledge they need to use a wheelchair. In the same way people with epilepsy need anti-convulsants and people with diabetes need insulin. Honestly, I learned the terminology from a person I knew who was a disability activist (but not in a confrontational manner he taught in the college I went to). He has muscular dystrophy and he got on with life and refused to feel sorry for himself. I can't say I would be capable of that knowing that is eventually fatal. But it taught me how to cope with my psychiatric disability and when I acquired a physical disability I was prepared for it and might not have made it otherwise. I focus on recovery and what I can't recover from, accomodations around them. It seems to work out well for me but each person is different.
God no you shouldn't be ashamed of taking pills for a valid medical illness. It's not cheating. It's more like... it's like saying a person who needs a wheelchair is cheating if they use it. Now that would obviously be retarded to take away their wheelchair and tell them their cheating and can learn to cope by crawling around all over in public. Eventually mental illness gets to where you HAVE to have therapy and medication or else you're going to be like that disabled person in need of a wheelchair but being forced to crawl around everywhere.
When someone lacking knowledge, it's very easy to tell others what to do. Lots of times is about self-control and self-discipline. If you do that or you should do this...
I'm fed up with all of this, to tell others what they should do and what is best for them. My whole life has been like that. Look, that didn't make me feel any better at all. More the opposite, I felt worse and tried and tried to do what my family told me to do. Today I feel ok for the first time in my life, but I have gone my way.
Do try not take any notice of what your step dad says or others around you. You know somewhere what you are doing is good for you. Your health is more important then what others says or tells you to do specially when their lacking knowledge.
Is not about cheating, more your step father that is cheating, cause his trying to not to see and tries to live in denial.
*my english isn't good =(( This is not my first language*
I'm fed up with all of this, to tell others what they should do and what is best for them. My whole life has been like that. Look, that didn't make me feel any better at all. More the opposite, I felt worse and tried and tried to do what my family told me to do. Today I feel ok for the first time in my life, but I have gone my way.
Do try not take any notice of what your step dad says or others around you. You know somewhere what you are doing is good for you. Your health is more important then what others says or tells you to do specially when their lacking knowledge.
Is not about cheating, more your step father that is cheating, cause his trying to not to see and tries to live in denial.
*my english isn't good =(( This is not my first language*
I don't think it's a case of being "attached" to medications. Medications are an important part of managing Bipolar Disorder. Without medications it has been proved that the symptoms and episodes get worse.
All medications have listed side effects which are well documented on the patient information leaflet and which can also be accessed via the internet. Major side effects or long lasting side effects are rare.
It is important to be well educated on Bipolar Disorder across the spectrum and the medications used to treat it. It is also important to be treated by a psychiatrist and if possible therapy is also a very good source of management of support.
All medications have listed side effects which are well documented on the patient information leaflet and which can also be accessed via the internet. Major side effects or long lasting side effects are rare.
It is important to be well educated on Bipolar Disorder across the spectrum and the medications used to treat it. It is also important to be treated by a psychiatrist and if possible therapy is also a very good source of management of support.
It depends on the person.
I've seen a lot of people who feel really attached to their meds, even if they were having no beneficial affects on them whatsoever, and actually making their condition worse (and also causing other health conditions) Sometimes you want to believe that it's helping you so much that you're blinded to seeing that it's actually hurting you.
I have seen instances where it was medical necessity to go on meds. Meds can significantly improve quality of life, or just save lives in general. And a lot of times they are necessary just to get you down to a manageable level so that you can work on improving things until you don't need them anymore, although it often takes a couple years. I have personally done that (not for my BP, but it worked for me with panic disorder, although I have occasional flare-ups it's no where near the level that it was at.)
When someone says soemthing like that, it doesn't mean you should go off your meds, but try to remind yourself: Don't be in love with medications just because they are medications. I have a close family member who has bipolar I with psychosis, who was on various medications for at least the past 20 years. Eventually one of the medications he had been taking for 5-6 years started causing him to have seizures daily for about six months straight, even after discontinuation, and he has difficulty speaking in "real words" at times. He ended up having to go on disability (which takes a really long time to get for psychiatric causes), and later another medication caused him to have a severe heart attack. Not saying any of this to try and scare you, but just remember to weigh the pros and cons.
I've seen a lot of people who feel really attached to their meds, even if they were having no beneficial affects on them whatsoever, and actually making their condition worse (and also causing other health conditions) Sometimes you want to believe that it's helping you so much that you're blinded to seeing that it's actually hurting you.
I have seen instances where it was medical necessity to go on meds. Meds can significantly improve quality of life, or just save lives in general. And a lot of times they are necessary just to get you down to a manageable level so that you can work on improving things until you don't need them anymore, although it often takes a couple years. I have personally done that (not for my BP, but it worked for me with panic disorder, although I have occasional flare-ups it's no where near the level that it was at.)
When someone says soemthing like that, it doesn't mean you should go off your meds, but try to remind yourself: Don't be in love with medications just because they are medications. I have a close family member who has bipolar I with psychosis, who was on various medications for at least the past 20 years. Eventually one of the medications he had been taking for 5-6 years started causing him to have seizures daily for about six months straight, even after discontinuation, and he has difficulty speaking in "real words" at times. He ended up having to go on disability (which takes a really long time to get for psychiatric causes), and later another medication caused him to have a severe heart attack. Not saying any of this to try and scare you, but just remember to weigh the pros and cons.
Trust me you need your meds....
really it can be hard for a normal person to understand the mind of someone with bipolar
I guess if it was me I would just disregard his comments. Take my advice don't stop taking your madication because I have done this before it it was bad to say the least.
The most you can do is get support for a group or website like this if you feel conflicted or don't have anyone to turn to
really it can be hard for a normal person to understand the mind of someone with bipolar
I guess if it was me I would just disregard his comments. Take my advice don't stop taking your madication because I have done this before it it was bad to say the least.
The most you can do is get support for a group or website like this if you feel conflicted or don't have anyone to turn to
no my mom isnt on meds.... it is only recently shes considerd she has it n now she fully believes. she doesnt want meds bc she "doesnt want to take a pill the rest of her life" i only take 100mg of lamictal a day n no therepy. i dont know how to go about any of this bc ive only been diagnosed for 7 or 8 months now. always knew though bc i was the one that made my own docters appoinment for it.
Don't let others tell you (wrongly too!) not to take your meds. Don't believe that you can pull yourself up if you really try. You have a chemical imbalance as does your mother. Read all you want, and you should, to understand BP but you cannot make anyone else do it or listen if they don't want to. Get a therapist and take your meds. Ignore your step father when it comes to this.
Feeling alone seems to be common amongst a lot of people with BP. Once you start talking to others who are also dealing with BP you will hopefully feel less alone. Can you talk to your mum about it all, is she on medication?
When you start to reach out and look around it is actually quite scarey how many folk do have this condition in varying degrees.
Do you have access to a therapist? A lot of people benefit from a combination of medications and therapy as well as self education. My husband won't read anything about BP either, I think he maybe thinks that if he ignores it then it won't be real (he doesn't have it, I do). You can lead a horse to water and all that.... Thing is sometimes people learn sub-consciously, so even if you don't see your family reading the book they will see the large print. Might be worth printing out short paragraphs of info in large print and leaving them lying around the house. That's what I did - I stuck things to the fridge and left them in obvious places like the bathroom where they couldn't avoid seeing them.
I would also start a conversation with "I know you don't like talking about this..." or "Can I just tell you something without you getting mad ..."
Hugs
When you start to reach out and look around it is actually quite scarey how many folk do have this condition in varying degrees.
Do you have access to a therapist? A lot of people benefit from a combination of medications and therapy as well as self education. My husband won't read anything about BP either, I think he maybe thinks that if he ignores it then it won't be real (he doesn't have it, I do). You can lead a horse to water and all that.... Thing is sometimes people learn sub-consciously, so even if you don't see your family reading the book they will see the large print. Might be worth printing out short paragraphs of info in large print and leaving them lying around the house. That's what I did - I stuck things to the fridge and left them in obvious places like the bathroom where they couldn't avoid seeing them.
I would also start a conversation with "I know you don't like talking about this..." or "Can I just tell you something without you getting mad ..."
Hugs
my mom has Bipolar 1 as well and it can be a touchy issue in the house. i have 9 siblings and i cant seem to get any of y family to get interested enough to look this illness up. ive even bought a book on it.... no ones read it but me. i say i feel alone and they think thats selfish. sometimes i cant help the way i feel.... its like i loose that little voice and i just explode. this is so hard to explain to people that dont have it.... its like they think im purposly attacking them!!!
i feel so alone sometimes...
i feel so alone sometimes...
Oooooooh, that sort of comment really drives me crazy! I've heard it said by so many and I can only put it down to fear which is bred from ignorance. Unfortunately some people are too pig headed to learn any better.
As Leta has said, there are a variety of reasons that people need medication and just because your need is a mental health one doesn't make it any less worthy. You will come across people throughout your life that just don't get what mental illness is all about, you will learn to brush their bigoted opinions to one side.
Your meds are there to help you and give you a better quality of life - you deserve that!!
As Leta has said, there are a variety of reasons that people need medication and just because your need is a mental health one doesn't make it any less worthy. You will come across people throughout your life that just don't get what mental illness is all about, you will learn to brush their bigoted opinions to one side.
Your meds are there to help you and give you a better quality of life - you deserve that!!
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