Bipolar Disorder
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December 2006
Am wondering if there are any support groups in the Bay Area for parents/families who have a
teenager who has been
diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder? Our daughter sees a
therapist and is on medication, has been hospitalized, but
no one seems to have any recommendations for a support
group. She's struggled with depression and cutting as well
the past few years.
It is an often lonely journey for families and to be able
to talk to other parents who are living with this illess
24/7 would be extremely helpful. This has also affected
our son who worries about his sister and sees her mood
swings regularly. We've been very honest with him about
her illness as we don't want to add to the stigma that
exists about not talking about mental/nervous disorders. We
go to family therapy, which is helpful, but sometimes it
would just be nice to sit down and chat with other
families.
I've read and done alot of research on the subject, but to
be able to sit down with others on occasion would help my
husband and I to know that we aren't alone in this journey
with our daughter.
Thanks for any suggestions
anonymous
For the parents looking for a support group:
http://www.geocities.com/BerkBipolar/
I attended this group a few times early in 2006 when my
duaghter's 18 year old boyfriend was diagnosed with this
illness. It's run by ''consumers'', folks with bipolar
disorder, many of whom are in fairly good medication
control, but who have horror stories to tell. They break
into groups, usually 3 groups of consumers only, and one
group for family/friends and consumers together. Daughter
and BF attended with me once and we were in the mixed
group, which was the only way they could stay together.
His reaction was that there was no one there he connected
with except a young woman in her early 20's. It was really
heartbreaking to see the families of people hospitalized
upstairs at Herrick Hospital struggling with the revolving
door hospitalizations and downhill course of bright,
talented loved ones. I found it helpful to see that my
perceptions of the situation were for the most part valid,
but quite depressing overall.
They also have meetings/speakers which address various
aspects of dealing with this illness. Useful, including
the consumers' comments and observations.
Free, and worth a try.
Anonymous
Contact NAMI in Albany at namieastbay[at]inreach.com for
information about their monthly support group for parents
of teens and young adults with mental illness. Most of the
families who attend these meetings have teens with bipolar
disorder.
Andrea
There are a couple of support groups for parents of bipolar youth. One
is located in Lafayette/Moraga area, and I know another new one was
starting in the Fremont area. If you go on the website of the Child and Adolescent Bipolar
Foundation (Google it, and you'll find it...)...you can get all sorts of helpful information,
including information on local clinicians who
specialize in working with bipolar, and the parent support groups. I believe the one I mentioned
is sponsored by NAMI (National Alliance of the Mentally Ill)
of Contra costa County.
Contacts with the support groups may lead you to a group for teens.
The parents in the groups are very savvy about services available.
Also, there is a wonderful resource, Camp New Hope
(www.campnewhope.net) which is an overnight camp held for a weekend in
June at Camp Arroyo in Livermore for kids with a bipolar
diagnosis...Overseen by the Pediatric Mood Disorder Clinic at Stanford.
Good luck
anonymous
There are at least two parent-only groups you could attend.
In Lafayette, there is a support group solely for parents
of bipolar children (though of course no one is excluded
because of uncertain or varied diagnosis) at the Lafayette
Orinda Presbyterian Church ~Rm.#4~. The group meets the
second Monday of each month 7-9pm. No RSVP is needed to
attend. Visit the group's website at
www.newhopesupportgroup.com. I attend this group and it has
been very helpful.
In Albany, there is a parent support group for parents of
mentally ill children (all diagnoses) that meets monthly at
a church on Marin.(I used to attend this group and it was
very helpful, too--I switched because we moved to Contra
Costa County.)
Both these groups are sponsored by NAMI, the National
Alliance for the Mentally Ill, which has chapters in each
county. The phone book lists two numbers for NAMI in Alameda County:(510) 835-5010 and
(510)653-2162. One of these
numbers is bound to lead you to someone who can tell you
when the parent meeting now occurs. NAMI is a great
resource--a Google search might turn up further help.
I know of no support group for the bpteens themselves
Especially with cutters (my son is one too) it would have to
be professionally-led. The New Hope group has talked about
a sibling group but we thought it should be professionally
led, too and it hasn't gotten off the ground.
If anyone has information about such a group, please post it!
Mom of bipolar teen
Jan 2006
I am close to a bright 19 year old young man who has
recently been dual-diagnosed with the above. He has Kaiser
coverage, was hospitalized for a few days with symptoms of
psychosis, then discharged on three psychotropic
medications for the bipolar diagnosis. He attended an
outpatient group briefly, but felt that the other young
people were much sicker than he (and it sounds like he's
right), and stopped going. He stopped one of the meds
without consulting his psychiatrist, and just changed from
a Solano County Kaiser to Oakland Kaiser. He reports
having finally seen a psychiatrist who (he reports) told
him to ''take [his] meds and [he'll] either relapse or
not''. No referral for any other kind of help. No mention
of the chemical dependence issues.
Meanwhile, I've been reading a very good book for people
with bipolar disorder and their families which emphasizes
structure, support and information of all kinds, as well
as a working relationship with health care providers. I've
given him the book, and he felt encouraged upon reading
around in it, so what felt like a rebuff at Kaiser was
hard for him.
Personally, I feel that the mental health diagnosis has to
be adequately addressed before we have a shot at dealing
with the substance abuse issue. He denies active meth use
at this time, but is smoking pot. And I don't know whether
to believe that he's not using meth.
Does anyone have experience dealing with Kaiser around
these two diagnoses? Must we have a fundraiser to see if
he can get help privately? His parents, while concerned,
have their hands somewhat tied due to Kaiser's
confidentiality rules, and do not have the cash it would
take to get private care. The young man has such a high
anxiety level that he can only work 4 hours per day and
sometimes not even that.
Thanks for any help you'll offer.
Anon.
The combination of bipolar disorder and stimulants is a
ticket to disaster. Even traditional antidepressants, in
the absence of mood-stabilizing drugs, can cause bipolar
disorder to worsen irreversibly.
The key to successful treatment of bipolar disorder is
pharmacologic therapy (drugs). A mood stabilizer such as
Lithium, Depakote (or one of the other anticonvulsants
found to be effective) is vital, and psychotherapy (''talk
therapy'') is generally ineffective (and in many cases
actually harmful) until the patient is controlled medically
with the drugs.
Resistance to the medication regimen is common among
sufferers (because the drugs tend to moderate the ''highs''
of the disorder), and it often takes months before the
proper medication regimen is achieved. Also, patients with
bipolar disorder should be managed by a
psychopharmacologist, a psychiatrist (M. D.) with special
training and experience in the area.
I am involved in several Lists for the ''significant others''
(including parents) of persons with bipolar disorder and
can be e-mailed directly (see address below) for more
information. Also, I would suggest surfing:
www.bpso.org
for additional information and links.
Robert
In response to Anon, and the 16 year old with
methamphetamine issues and bipolar. I work for Kaiser, and
have been in the mental health field for 25 years. It would
be very hard for anyone to give advice on this type of
situation without a LOT more information which of course is
inappropriate in this venue. There are so many issues at
play here. One is the substance abuse issue. Often, a
person can be misdiagnosed in the midst of substance abuse.
The symptoms of bipolar, or depression/anxiety can mimic
the side effects of meth/pot/alcohol. So, I think the
substance abuse issue should be dealt with WHILE dealing
with the possible bipolar. While it is certainly not
impossible, I find it hard to believe that a psychiatrist
would overlook or dismiss the substance abuse issue. And
marijuana is mentioned in your letter as a side issue, but
it is not benign. I suggest that this family meet again
with either the psychiatrist OR another psychiatrist at
Kaiser. I have been there 3 years, but have had Kaiser
coverage for many more and find it a very good health care
service. Going outside of Kaiser is going to be expensive
and you will not find the continuum of care that a place
like Kaiser has to offer. Did the parents meet with the
doctor as well? How much family involvement was advised?
So many unanswered questions for a very tough situation.
Hopefully, this can be worked out through the teen's current
Kaiser coverage. I have a very good friend who works only
with children and adolescents. He charges over 1,000.00 for
the initial work up. Granted, he takes several hours to
days, and gathers much information from all sources, but
it's quite expensive. Child and adolescent psychiatry is a
sub specialty and it's tough to find a really good
psychiatrist with openings....they are in great demand.
Kaiser has many.
Diane
A great person at Kaiser Oakland is Kitsy Schoen. She
coordinates support and educational groups that may relate
to what your friend is going through. Her number is 752-7983.
I wish you the best,
Anon.
My son attended Kaiser's Chemical Dependency Program for
teens, New Bridge's youth outpatient program in Walnut
Creek, had an intake at Thunder Road in Oakland, so I have
some experience with the local options for addicted youth.
He said the same thing as your teen: he didn't want to go,
the others are sicker than him, they have different
problems, etc. He didn't like AA meetings or NA meetings
either. I think the Kaiser psychiatrist may be saying that
mostly, addicted teenagers are hard to treat, the success
rate is low and so unpredictable. Long term residential
programs often work, but who can afford that? Your support,
and your sense to look for treatment for the bipolarity is
important. A nonprofit I now work with, Options Recovery S!
ervices in Berkeley, is a free outpatient substance abuse
center for people 18 and over. Many of the clients are
dually diagnosed (have a diagnosis of addiction combined
with trauma, psychosis, or bipolarity), though you don't
know until someone stops using if there is in fact an
underlying mental illness, because drug use can both cause
the symptoms of it, and certainly masks it. In January they
opened a clinic to provide free therapy by marriage and
family therapists and medication monitoring to help those in
the substance abuse program. The success has been amazing.
Relapse rates have declined, and people who were really
suffering found ways to stop self medicating to try to stop
their mood swings, anxiety, etc. I don't know if he would be
interested in this program (the average age is older than he
is), but if he is, the person to call is Dr. Davida Coady,
who was recognized this year for all she has done for the
city. Tom Gorham ru! ns the clinic, is an expert in dual
diagnosis treatment, and may be able to talk to him. And
you, you can do the footwork, but try to let go of the
outcome. After 4 years of putting me on an emotional roller
coaster, my son moved out of Berkeley at age 17 and finally
took control of his life: is living on his own, finishing
high school, and is doing great. I don't think it was
anything that I did; it was his choice to extricate himself
from the stress of the city and the social scene that kept
him in that spiral of use and abuse. Bless you.
Anon
June 2004
I just glanced at a book about bipolar children and was shocked
to find how well this described my 6 year old daughter. Things
are getting worse with her angry rages becoming more frequent,
interspersed with her being the most loveg, affectionate,
outgoing child I know. My question is, what do I do now? I
have no idea. Do I get her evaluated? Should I be asking for
Recommendations instead of Advice? I don't have health
insurance, but I can get some if she is going to need some kind
of therapy. What I don't want is for her to be labeled bipolar
if she isn't. What would happen next? Am I supposed to tell
her school? She seems to be mostly okay at school. Help!
Shocked and Confused
Hi,
It's great that you're aware of the possibility of bipolar, but before
you get
overly concerned, I do want to state that all 6 years olds have rages
and are
alternatively loving and angry. The fact that your child does not
display these
behaviors outside the home is a very, very important and good sign. I
think
seeking consultation is a good first step, and won't be too damaging to
your
budget, and you can do so first without your child. It will be
important for a
therapist to know what you've already tried, and to suggest new
strategies.
How your child has responded and will respond to these approaches will
be
important information. If you find that after consultation and a period
of time
to evaluate what's going on with the assistance of a professional, that
everything is the same and still worrisome, then an assessment may be
in
order. I encourage you to use some time to gather inform! ation about
when the
rages occur, and to look for any patterns. If you did not have concerns
about
bipolar before, and they originated from the book, I think that is also
a good
sign. If you do not have longterm concerns, I would encourage you to
take
things one step at a time. In general, 6 year olds these days have
demanding
and complex lives and it is not unusual for this to show up at home. As
a
parent of two former 6 year olds, there were moments when I thought
they
were Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Again, I don't want to minimize your
concerns,
but rather, I'd like to encourage you to rule out the developmental
approach
first (before you panic) before the pathological one.
Good luck!
Nancy
I've just been through the whole thing--diagnosis, therapy, other
treatment--and have found wonderful success for my 5-year-old
daughter with nutrition therapy through a clinic outside Chicago.
If you contact me at this e-mail address I'd be happy to share
my experience.
Robin
Before you take your daughter to get evaluated, ask your ped if
it couldn't be simply normal six-year-old behavior. I've talked
to several experts on this topic (in the course of my work) who
told me that six-year-olds often start acting out in ways you
haven't seen since the toddler years. They stomp out of rooms,
scream at you, slam doors, etc. I'm told it's because they're
newly in school and have become keenly aware of where they are
in the pecking! order of things. They're not ''big kids'' yet but
they're not ''little kids,'' either. They see that there are new
social rules of being in kindergarten or first grade, but
they're pretty unsavvy when they try to pull them off. They
feel strongly about everything, and you, the parent, feel the
brunt of their righteous indignation. It passes, the experts
promise. In the meantime, you're just supposed to tow the line
and keep the already set-limits in place. Just a thought to
consider before you open that ''diagnosis'' door.
Good luck,
Julie T.
I think the behavior you describe seeing in your daughter is
common and may not necessarily mean that she is bipolar. I
would recommend two things.
1. Consider that children's behavior is almost always a symptom
of something else that is occurring in their lives. I
wholeheartedly recommend you read Hold on to Your Kids by Gordon
Neufeld and Gabor Mati M.D (only available in Canada now at
amazon.ca or visit www.gordonneufeld.com). The authors point out
that children's behavior is
directly rooted in their attachments to their parents and that
when the attachment falters or is threatened their behavior can
change. The authors also directly discuss anger and aggression
(a result of frustration w/ relationships that aren't ''working'')
Addressing the attachment w/ your child is more
important than addressing the behavior itself...the behavior
will fall into line once the attachment is re-solidified. The
book offers a good dose of development psychology as well as
techniques for establishing and maintaining strong att! achments
w/ your children throughout their growing years. Also included
are discipline principles that are accomplished via the
attachment dynamic. The book is not wishy-washy. I wish I
could offer a better synopsis that would encourage you to give
it a read as I would recommend it to any and every parent.
I don't know you or your daughter, of course, so what I've said
above should be taken w/ a grain of salt, I suppose. I have
been reading the book and have found it to have a very positive
impact on my relationship w/ my own ds.
2. See a pediatrician you trust and seek a second opinion if
the doctor recommends meds.
Be loving w/ yourself and your daughter. Best of luck.
Nita
I could have written this post last year! I asked my
daughter's pediatrician who suggested temperment counseling
before the leap to therapy. After filling out a mail-in
survey, we got an appointment with Kaiser's temperment
specialist, Nurse Rona Renner. Rona gave us lots of things to
try as preventative measures and they really worked. If you
are a member of Kaiser this is a free service. If not, maybe
you can investigate other temperment counselors.
Anon
My suggestion is to call Langley Porter Institute (the psychiatric
section) at UCSF and
ask if they evaluate children. They have an Affective Disorders Clinic
where they
offer sliding scale evaluations for adults that are much more extensive
and complete
than you can get fr! om a private psychiatrist without paying thousands
of dollars. If
the don't evaluate children, I'm sure that they can give you leads for
other lower cost
options. Their orientation is to the psychological/therapeutic as well
as the
psychiatric/medical. As a bipolar adult, I know that early evaluation
and treatment is
more effective and successful than waiting until adulthood.
anon
I advise you do get your child evaluated, but don't let her be
labeled as bipolar without thorough evaluation. Our older ADHD
son is subject to rages, and also sweet at other times, but the
'fit' with bipolar is superficial (bipolar rages are
charaterictically very long, destructive, frequent, showing
amazing strength that would exhaust an adult).
From the http://www.bpkids.org/learning/about.htm website:
''However, the illness looks different in children than it does in
adults. Children usually have an ongoing, continuous mood
disturbance that is a mix of mania and depression. This rapid and
severe cycling between moods produces chronic irritability and
few clear periods of wellness between episodes.''
I would look into ADD/ADHD, perhaps combined with sensitivity to
something in her environment (school may be stressing her out,
and she takes it out on you; there may be a hidden dietary
allergy/sensitivity). This CAN cause explosive acting out. It's
hard to manage too, but by identifying issues that cause
problems, it can be managed.
Best of luck to you!
Please don't get caught up with the label. I had to deal with
this about three years ago when a doctor had to give my son an
autism/mental retardation label just so he could get services
from the school district. If I were you, I would be okay with
her getting a label of bipolar if it meant she would get
treatment from the school district.
The school district, if they assess she is bipolar, will give
you the therapy you need at the school site to help her
function. But your concern should be that she is being treated,
not with what they call it.
Hope this helps.
Anonymous
My own daughter was full of apparent rage and then could be
totally spent from some kind of violent ''tantrum'' ... this from
birth, practically. She did not have any discernable problems
at school, other than being shy. We *finally* had her
evaluated when she was eight because I had read enough about
Obesessive-Compulsive Disorder to suspect that she would be
diagnosed with it. She has OCD, and it accounts for much of
the behavior that also looks bipolar, when you read that
literature. If your child is a ''control freak,'' some of the
rage is because she can't control what she needs to control, if
there's something going on underneath, like bipolar disorder,
OCD, or whatever. Here's what I have experienced: if you go
to some kinds of counseling/therapy, you may be pressured for
contact with the child's teachers. If you prefer not to have
her ''labeled,'' do not give permission. I was adamant that a
counselor did not have to talk with my daughter's teachers, and
I know that this counselor felt I was hiding something (the
only thing I was doing was protecting my child from being
labelled!). Some types of therapists seem to automatically
assume problems at home, and will want to treat those problems,
real or imagined, even if you suspect a chemical imbalance or
disorder that is NOT caused by ''family problems.'' Shop
around: not all therapists are a good match for your child
and/or for you. Since you don't have insurance, you don't need
to worry about this, but in case you acquire insurance, you
might want to check: would the process of getting a referral
to a child psychologist (for the purposes of an initial
evaluation) trigger any ''red flags'' within the insurance? In !
my opinion, a medical evaluation will give you peace of mind
and is worth the out-of-pocket expense. You will know, if the
evaluation is medical, what the diagnosis is, what the
treatment options are, and what kinds of therapy, if any, will
be worthwhile. Finally ...... join a support group for
yourself, because dealing with a child who does not fit the
anticipated mold can be exhausting, demoralizing, and
isolating. If you can get validation that others have the same
experience, you will not only benefit from what they share
about treatments, etc., you will also have much-needed empathy.
Best of luck to you
I worked as a special educator for 10 years in public school systems in
CA and MA.
My advice to you is to pursue an evaluation through your child's
pediatrician. The
pediatrician probably can not diagnose whether your child is bipolar or not and you
will likely be referred to a specialist. If your pediatrician
dismisses your concerns, I
would insist on some referrals to specialists... you can't
self-diagnose and the
sooner your child is diagnosed (or not) the sooner you'll know what
action to take.
It sounds like even if she isn't bipolar, she has some behavioral
issues that need to
be dealt with. It may take several weeks/months to get in to see a
specialist. I
would recommend that you try to see someone who has experience
diagnosing/
treating children rather than adults. I would also recommend that you
get medical
insurance ASAP, as you don't know what course you will be taking once
you start
down this path, but if she is bipolar she will likely need treatment,
which may
include therapy and medication. You do not have to let the school know
what's
going on if/until you have a diagnosi! s... but once you do, you would
likely want to
meet with your child's teacher and then likely the special education
team. They
should be willing to help implement the needed behavioral
plan/intervention as
recommended by the outside evaluator (specialist). The school may
offer some kind
of on-site counseling which may help your daughter cope at school,
depending on
her needs. The in-school stuff can be handled with a 504 plan unless
she is found
to also have learning disabilities in which case they'll do some of
their own
evaluating and write up an IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) and
she'll get direct
special education services... but all this IEP stuff only if her
problems are affecting
her ability to learn. I'm sure all this seems overwhelming. Begin by
pursuing an
evaluation. In addition to calling your pediatrician, you might call
the Ann Martin
Center in O! akland... if they can't do the evaluation, they can likely
point you in the
right direction. Best of luck.
a special educator
Feb 2004
Is anyone out there dealing with a young child (6-11 yr range)
who has been diagnosed as being bipolar? I need help. Any
recommendations you could provide regarding treatment, Doctors,
therapies that worked, special parenting classes, medication,
etc. would be greatly appreciated. I would really like to find
a support group (face-to-face) in Oakland, Berkeley (or even
SF). I am feeling overwhelmed with concern for my child's well
being. Thank you very much.
Help!
I don't have experience with Bipolar Disorder, but just want to
suggest that you get another opinion. My child has a social
anxiety disorder that is VERY often misdiagnosed. Fortunately
I've done a lot of my own researach on his stuff so I know for
sure (and knew for sure) before anyone else made any diagnosis.
So often symptoms can overlap and diagnosis can be incorrect.
Good luck to you.
anon
There is a support group for parents of children with mental
illness run by NAMI at a church on the corner of Marin and
(Stannage?) in Albany on the third Tuesday of the month from 7-9
PM. It's truly a wonderful group. Call East Bay NAMI for the
exact location.
Another parent
There's a book called ''If your! Child is Bipolar,'' by Cindy
Singer and Sheryl Gurrentz, published by Pespective Publishing.
You can probably get it on Amazon. It's got a lot of good
information and advice that might prove a good jumping-off
point for you. Good luck!
Julie T.
Call Berkeley Mental Health about support groups. I know there
is one that meets Tuesday evening for parents of bipolar
children. I think mostly the children are over 18 years old but
the facilitator may know of another group for parents of younger
kids. Good luck. It's wonderful you are reaching out for
support.
anon
My son has been on Depakote since August, though Kaiser has not
officially diagnosed him as pipolar, because he fits the
criteria for both ADHD-Hyperactive and bipolar. In any event,
he's moody and difficult to manage at times. I don't have a! ny
solutions, I'm looking for an NPS school for him. He doesn't
have any LD and is very bright.
Max's Mom
Hi,
first of all, with the right medication, your kid will not even
notice he/she is bipolar.
Second, I know of a wonderful doctor who used to be a
pediatrician and now is a psychiatrist. She is a very positive
and very capable woman.
Her name is Virginia Blacklidge, she works in Kensington, and
her number is (510) 525-9116.
Good luck to you.
anon.
While our child does not have Bipolar Disorder, we are part of a parent
support
group which includes 2 families with children with this diagnosis. Feel
free to
email me for more info.
Zach
Hi,
I wonder if your child is taking medication? I'm an Alexander
Technique teacher and develompmental psychologist who works with
adults and children in a holistic, body oriented way. My
approach with children entails a series of physical, mental and
emotional exercises which encourage a child to relax. An
awareness of the breath and body develops, so when the swings
come the child can learn to consciously relate to the stress of
it through his/her own body.
Sincerely,
Susan
You might be interested in attending the workshop that Kiki
Chang, MD is doing in a few Bay Area locations at the end of
this month/ beginning of next month. He is a Stanford doc & is
an expert on childhood & adolescent bipolar disorder. I work in
adolescent psychiatry & several of the doc's that I work with
speak very highly of him & his work. Email me if you are
interested in more information.
Romy
April 2003
Does anyone know of a good therapeutic day school for a bipolar
fourth grader? Or of any highly recommended residential
programs? Has anyone taken part in a residential study where the
child was taken off their medications? Did the pros outweigh the
cons? The last question is: Does anyone have personal experience
with the Lincoln School in Oakland? Would it be appropriate for
a gifted fourth grade with emotional problems? How are the
staff? academics?
I don't know specifically of a good therapeutic day school for a
4th grader, but I can recommend the NAMI support group for
parents of kids with mental illness. There are people there
who know quite a bit about residential and therapeutic placements
in the area.
The group meets on the third Tuesday of the month, from 7-8:45
at the Albany United Methodist Church, 980 Stannage Avenue at
Marin.
If you would like to talk more with me, call me at 528-2951.
A Mom
October 2002
I'm looking somewhat urgently for a Psychiatrist in private
practice in Berkeley/Rockridge (or somewhere else in the East
Bay easily accessible by public trans) who has a good knowledge
of bi-polar disorder. This is for my 35-year-old son who has
been diagnosed as bi-polar and has received some treatment
through the county, but who now needs a regular and reliable
m.d. of his own for treatment and prescription monitoring.
nk
Recommendations received:
Richard Levine
Sept 2005
I was diagnosed with having Bipolar II a few months ago. Since
then I've been on Depakote ER and Celexa. I have had it with
the side effects that these meds are causing! I've also tried
Wellbutrin and Topamax both of which I was allergic too! I
talked to my Nurse at Kaiser and told her I've had enough and
want to get off them and try a natural approach, of course she
was skeptical about the idea. I have gained 21 pounds in 2
months I'm dizzy all the time and my mind just doesn't work
like it used to I have no energy for anything, it's all I can
do to just get up in the morning. I wasn't like that before!
Frankly I feel worse now then I did before I started taking
these darn drugs! I was wondering if anyone knows of a good
Holistic Practioner that can help me figure out what do
naturaly and safely. I've never sought out one and I don't know
what to look for. Also if anyone has Bipolar and are being
treated the natural way I'd love hear know what you are taking
and how it's working for you.
Thanks, Anonymous
Try looking at the icarus project site http://theicarusproject.net/
There should be alot of info as well as personal stories there
that could be helpful.
I don't know about natural methods but if you can afford it, I
would go to a psychiatrist outside of Kaiser to get your meds
right. Sometimes the difference between feeling awful and
feeling great is a half a milligram or a cocktail of drugs. In
my experience, Kaiser is just not the place to make the slight
adjustments that can make the difference. They have an all or
nothing approach and just put you on and pull you off drugs
abruptly and without making subtle adjustments. I have had this
experience personally as well as seen how they medicate my dad
and other friends. Your frustration with drugs may simply be
because they are being administered poorly. Good luck to you!
5 milligrams difference between zombie and happy
Hi. I do not have an answer, but I share your experiences and
would love to find a way to help myself. I am currently off
medication and now, I can get out of bed in the morning, and I
can enjoy myself and not just be in a funk, but the bads come
more often and are much more severe! My mother has seen them at
various times for various reasons and what I noticed, was that in
addition to over $100 a visit (at least once a week) she was
spending $100s of on bottles and bottles of suppliments and
treatments - even $2 a liter for a more pure water. She has
usually been happy with her experiences, and when she is not, I
guess what she has invested is not a loss for her because she
just moves on to the next person. That said, I do believe there
is help out there, I just don't think I can afford it.
Affordable things I have tried, include adding omega 3 to my
diet, adding magnizium to my diet, meditating, group therapy
(kaiser - Cognative Behavioral Group Therepy, this was a valuable
group, but somehow not something I am willing to continue because
I have been given the tools, now it is up to me to impliment them
which can be very difficult when on a down cycle. In general, I
have been pretty disappointed with my doctors at Kaiser, they
seem to have little/no concern for my mental well being and for
helping me find answers)....however, with all of the things I
have tried, I have yet to find one that I felt was doing enough
to continue. I am currently researaching cortisol (a chimical
our brain produces) and how to manage it. Please feel free to
contact me if you wish.
Briefly (feel free to e-mail me directly for more). A good over-
view book for natural treatment for bi-polar (I also am
diagnosed with bi-polar 11) is ''The Natural Medicine Guide to
Bipolar Disorder'' by Stephanie Marohon........I have experience
with different practictioners and methods. I'm most impressed
with homeopathy which I am working with now. Barbara Osawa is
very experienced and my friend who had really BIG bi-polar 1 has
had such a life turn around with her.........Barbara Osawa 707-
257-6752...homeopathy is the most wholistic ''way'' I''ve come to.
Treating the whole specific person, not a ''label'' that could
cover everyone. The ''title'' bi-polar too big an umbrella for
that.......Also website with a pretty wide range is
www.theicarusproject.net ...... I won't go on.....good
luck......Diana
Just a brief thought -- before you reject conventional medical treatment
for Bipolar II, you might want to invest in a really good doctor who can
tune your meds appropriately, even if that Dr. is not on your medical
plan. You will find that it makes a huge difference.
My husband was diagnosed by Shane McKay, and pays out of pocket to
see him. Given that proper treatment may save my husband's life, and
improve quality of life for our whole family.... the expense of seeing the
right specialist is comparatively minor.
Type II Wife
It would be akin to medical malpractice for a doc or nurse
practicioner not to strongly recommend meds for you. The problem
is that bipolar is a cyclical illness and sometimes when it comes
back it can lead to serious life problems ( dropping out of
school, relationship problems, incapacitating depression, loosing
jobs, suicidal thoughts or attempts) These problems can lead to
BIG TIME redirections in your life that you might not want, so it
would be best to continue to work with your nurse practitioner to
find something that works but isn't intolerable to you. Maybe ask
for a second opinion or a review of your case by a psychiatrist.
Bipolar disorder is a serious illness. Consider it like diabetes-
it can kill you.
By the way, even with the best of treatment some folks have
recurrences of the depression but these are fewer and milder than
they would be if you went untreated ( or used only alternative
treatments).
Just my 10 cents and, yup, I'm a psychiatrist.
Good luck,
JM
I was also diagnosed with bipolar II eight months ago. I am very
empathetic for what you're feeling. I really wanted to get off
the side effect roller coaster, too. There are some things you
can do, like taking supplements and omega-3, which I think will
help, but I'd still suggest you stick with a medical approach to
this for awhile. Bipolar isn't something you can work through
with vitamins and therapy.
I'm not that familiar with Kaiser, but what concerned me is that
you're talking with a *nurse* about your situation. Why are you
not talking with a psychiatrist? I've been given a very different
group of drugs from what you've listed and I can't help but
wonder if you're working with someone who doesn't have sufficient
knowledge of a very complex area of medicine. I think my
psychiatrist saved my life, my therapist dragged alot of money
out of me, my regular doctor is helpful but would have referred
me to a psychiatrist, and no nurse I've ever had would have had a
clue. I'd really push to talk to a doctor who specializes in
psychopharmocology.
I've been on Risperdal, Geodon, Zoloft and Lamictal. It took me
six months to go through all that, and there were some pretty
awful side effects, but Lamictal has been amazing. There are so
many drugs that are considered effective that you haven't tried.
Some of the side effects I had a few months ago were worse than
the disease. I've gotten to the point now that I can hardly
remember what it was like being bipolar I feel so good.
Check out www.crazymeds.org (some course language, but good
information) and www.remedyfind.com. These are both good
resources you can use when talking with doctors.
All the best to you.
anon
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