Ugh, honestly. I went to the psychiatrists office [after about a year and a half of not going to one] because my traditional practitioner won't give me sleep meds because I'm bipolar
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Okay so I gather that you are not on any meds at all currently for your bi-polar illness, right? Can I ask why not? And how do you control it? I suffer from w/bipolar tendencied and anxiety...I hate having to be on meds....but I cant not be on meds.
I am really suprised he wouldnt just give you a sleep aid and respect your wishes...what a joke. I honesltly dont know what the right thing for you to do...just make sure you make the final decion and dont let anyone else influence it. You have made it this far so you are strong and are making the right choices...good luck!
I haven't been on traditional meds for a few years - I've been seeing a homeopath. I got off meds because they either didn't work or they gave me horrible side-effects that I wasn't willing to deal with - and I tried a looot of meds.
I control it with the homeopathy and through relaxation exercises, and taking care of myself [eating well, exercise...reality checks...], and mood logging.
Meds definitely have their place, but they weren't working for me. I still have my ups and my downs, but they're bearable, and I have ample support around me to let me know if I'm acting strangely and haven't caught it myself.
I'm not anti-meds, but I would rather try natural paths before trying something un-natural [like manmade meds] - whether that mean homeopathy, chiropractic care, etc. There are a lot of ways to keep yourself in check w/o upping dosage everytime things go wrong...life skills come in handy.
Meds help, but they can really only help you get better if you are willing to help yourself get better in other ways, too. It's a
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wow, I really feel for you. I hate jerk doctors! They think they know everything because they have their PhD, but YOU'RE the expect on YOURSELF
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I've tried lots of natural things to help me sleep, and non-natural [like OTC sleep aids] - but I don't have a problem falling asleep, it's in staying asleep...so unless something stays in my system for long enough, it's no good. I can fall asleep quickly when I lay down, but I wake up after a few hours and can't sleep after that... :-(
I'm not anxious or anything - it's a part of the bipolar. I've had trouble sleeping since I was a kid - I just dealt with it until a few years ago after I had my fun little breakdown... and now I realize how much I NEED the sleep to stay stable.
You aren't a failure! It sounds like you really need a new psychiatrist-- one who is willing to listen and work with you-- and who isn't hell-bent on putting you on meds. That is a difficult search though, I know. I'm pretty blessed; my psychiatrist is pretty easy going and listens to what I have to say, plus I have an excellent Christian psychologist. BUt I had to switch around a bit before settling where I am now.
Can't you go to your family doctor for a sleep aid? That's what I would do.
I went to the family doctor for it and she refused to give me something for a sleep aid because I was bipolar. She said she knows some cause problems with bipolar and she didn't want to cause them to flare and was concerned that I wasn't hooked up with a psychiatrist down here yet - so I should consult with one about this.
Honestly, maybe I just need a different family practice doc...one that will give me sleep meds so I don't have to go through all of this crap...
Bi-polar in it's self is caused by chemical imbalance. There have been studies that have shown with out sleep some chemicals in our brain do not replenish like they should there by making some things like Bi-Polar worse. I do not agree with the psychitrist and his methods. Pychiatrists by nature are there to hand out pills. For him to give you the run through about your bi polar on first meeting you was unethical. It is tough to diagnose anything or understand the paitent enought in two or three visit, little along one. I see that you complain about not be able to stay asleep, is it something physical that wakes you up or mental? What's the longest you sleep natually? When you wake up how do you feel? have you ever slept walked? How long has the sleep deprivation occured? Do you feel physically or mentally drained or both? These are some of the questions he should have asked, but did he? So do me a favor and answer the questions and i'll give you my opinion, (note: not a diagnosis for the sue happy people) and i'll get back to you :P
The lack of sleep is something that has been going on since I was a kid - and until high school, I did nothing about it - just accepted it as how life was...but it was, all along, making the bipolar worse, sending me into manias [which of course can be fun, but very dangerous...].
I fall asleep perfectly - I just wake up in 2-4 hours and usually feel completely rested and can't go back to sleep [sometimes I feel as though I need more sleep, but generally I'm more awake than anyone else I know after 1/4 of their sleeping time...]. It's frustrating,and the less sleep I get, the worse I feel over time [not right away]. No sleep walking...though I have been known to fall asleep w/ my eyes open... :-P
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I am really suprised he wouldnt just give you a sleep aid and respect your wishes...what a joke. I honesltly dont know what the right thing for you to do...just make sure you make the final decion and dont let anyone else influence it. You have made it this far so you are strong and are making the right choices...good luck!
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I control it with the homeopathy and through relaxation exercises, and taking care of myself [eating well, exercise...reality checks...], and mood logging.
Meds definitely have their place, but they weren't working for me. I still have my ups and my downs, but they're bearable, and I have ample support around me to let me know if I'm acting strangely and haven't caught it myself.
I'm not anti-meds, but I would rather try natural paths before trying something un-natural [like manmade meds] - whether that mean homeopathy, chiropractic care, etc. There are a lot of ways to keep yourself in check w/o upping dosage everytime things go wrong...life skills come in handy.
Meds help, but they can really only help you get better if you are willing to help yourself get better in other ways, too. It's a ( ... )
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I'm not anxious or anything - it's a part of the bipolar. I've had trouble sleeping since I was a kid - I just dealt with it until a few years ago after I had my fun little breakdown... and now I realize how much I NEED the sleep to stay stable.
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Can't you go to your family doctor for a sleep aid? That's what I would do.
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Honestly, maybe I just need a different family practice doc...one that will give me sleep meds so I don't have to go through all of this crap...
Reply
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I fall asleep perfectly - I just wake up in 2-4 hours and usually feel completely rested and can't go back to sleep [sometimes I feel as though I need more sleep, but generally I'm more awake than anyone else I know after 1/4 of their sleeping time...]. It's frustrating,and the less sleep I get, the worse I feel over time [not right away]. No sleep walking...though I have been known to fall asleep w/ my eyes open... :-P ( ... )
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