Pharmacy Fallacies

Many bipolar sufferers are heavily medicated. They require a substantial and often changing cocktail to manage their behaviour through day to day life. This means that their psychiatrist will often make strange and even unorthodox choices in order to try to maintain stability for the patient.

When the patient requests a change in their medication, please follow through with the medication as prescribed by the psychiatrist. If you have questions about the approach, feel free to consult with the psychiatrist as to the reasons for the approach but do not confront the patient directly. They lack a good understanding and see the questions as accusatory and even as suggesting the patient may be an addict. Please direct the questions to the doctor or primary caregiver.

These people need to understand that affecting the mood of a bipolar sufferer, especially in a negative way can lead to violent changes in biorhythm which forces the support group to deal with fits of rage or sorrow.

This is not to question your competency o your motives, this is to protect the support network. Please delay filling the prescription with a simple, "this will be ready later" and it will allow you as a professional to make an informed decision.

Just some simple advice...

There's Just No Joking....

One of the great truths about bipolar is that trouble sleeping will be common place. In order to combat the tremendous energies associated with the manic period, often powerful sedatives are used for sleeping. This can lead to sleeping in on many days. This has been a part of our life. One of the side benefits has been a few hours of alone time for me on the weekend mornings. This is a time for quiet reflection, for writing in a variety of genres. This has also afforded me time to enjoy guy TV like sports highlights or science fiction.

I love this time. Unfortunately, with pharmaceutical sleep comes irregular sleep pattern. This has changed my wife's rhythm from sleeping late to going to bed early and thus waking up early. She is now awake in my guy time. I made the mistake of joking that she was invading my time. I was trying to be funny not realizing that I had entered a bipolar phase... You just never know.

As most bipolar support group members know, irregular moods bring amplified response. She took a smart aleck comment and turned it into I don't wan her around. I am embarrassed and ashamed. I should know better. There is no joking...

I love her dearly. I definitely want her around. I forgot that you need to be very careful in choosing your words when dealing with a bipolar sufferer. Always remember, there is no joking!