and has recently gone off his meds, will those posters who need to be on meds please STAY ON YOUR MEDS!!???!!! Sheesh! You're all taking youselves way too seriously.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/22/2011 10:27PM by wine country girl.

Because I recently lost my job and my meds will run out soon I have had to start cutting mine in half so that I can at least taper off and not go cold turkey.

I'm not happy about it at all. I was diagnosed bipolar about 7 years ago, and have faithfully taken my meds every day as prescribed.

I'm looking into options like community mental health and going through the process of getting assistance straight from the drug company. (Astrazeneca has made THOUSANDS off of me over the years. I'd hope they'd float me for a few months.)

I know how hard it is....been unemployed for almost two years (just got a job). Have you gone to your local county mental health? They should be able to help you.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/22/2011 10:35PM by wine country girl.

I'm going to try.

Ironically, it's one of the places I have also applied to work. That's kind of weird.

It's okay. I've been going through A LOT in this process and am still really angry. I know I can't compare it to leaving Mormonism, but it's been hard.

Have I talked about it here? I might start a thread if I haven't, it's kind of a crappy story.

have you been to a bipolar bulletin board? I go to a schizophrenic b.b. for my son and find it very therapeutic to talk to other parents, caregivers and people with schizophrenia. You might google bipolar disorder and see what comes up. or ou could email me, and who knows what we'll come up with?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/22/2011 11:41PM by wine country girl.

Could you post that link to the bb board? I think my daughter desperately needs to talk to other young people whose spouses have just been diagnosed.

Tks WCG

Anagrammy

I'm well known at a great board (crazymeds). I haven't been there much lately (life has been crazy) but I know I can go there for support.

I'm actually looking to catch up with my old therapist- who will see me for half an hour or so without charging me, to get info on the local resources. He mentioned a few things back when I had to take a semester off of college and thought I was going to be uninsured. I'm also going to pick his brain about local entry level psychology jobs, since that's what my degree is in.

I do know that the process through Astrazeneca is tedious and might take too long. And I also know that COBRA is probably cheaper than one of my psych meds, but I can't afford COBRA either. (Who can? If I could I'd go that route, but I don't think unemployment will even cover my COBRA.)

Thanks so much for the support. :)

Any chance you could get Medicaid? Bipolar is a bear to live with even if you have found the right medicine combo - but to lose that chemical help through no fault of your own. . .that's just wrong.

Good luck!

...which is more about my recently job loss than about bipolar disorder- under the title "my heartbreak."

I know it's long, but if you want to hear how I got fired for hugging a kid with a dislocated shoulder... it's a great read.

I didn't name the company for many reasons- one being I don't want this to show up on a google search for that company.

your medication, they might help in some way. Any chance your drug company would?

I'm polar too. When I lost my job, I went to the county Behavorail clinic and they were able to get me meds cheap. Try it.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/22/2011 10:49PM by wine country girl.

New Dr. at the clinic. I'm going to switch you time released and upping your dosage, you haven't been getting the minimum thereputic dose of anti-depressent #2. Stay at the maximum dose of anti-depressent #1.

Known side effects which had been managable for years hit bad. Ended up cutting back to the minimum theraputic dose of #1 and the smallest avaiable size of #2. Side effects are still bad but most days I feel better than I have in years.

I wish this was an objective science.

I'm so conscientious I not only take my meds, I take anybody else's I can get my hands on. Of course I know the CIA has been spying on me so I have to be really careful because they put nano-sized trackers in the pills now and they can see everything that's going on inside my body!

I do.

And, let's back up. I'm so sorry to hijack your thread.

I'm sorry your son went off his meds. It must be devastating to watch.

I think the only reason I'm so treatment compliant is I was raised by a "batsh!t crazy" level bipolar mom who never stayed on her meds. I decided long ago I never wanted to be her, and I know that taking my meds is a step in that direction.

I hope he stays safe while he's off them, and gets back on them soon! Hugs to you!

Thanks for the well wishes.

Also a mother of a mentally ill son, I understand! My now 18 year old son just decided to quit taking his prescribed meds in favor of some less than legal drugs (he no longer lives at home). It is sad and frustrating (words aren't enough to describe the depth of emotion) to watch him destroy himself.
Good luck with your situation - that goes out to each person on this thread.

Our psych warned us that 18 year olds think they know everything and don't need their meds. anymore. My son spend two years of his life treading water. Once he got back on his meds. he got into a good college and is doing wonderfully. It was his decision to go back on, so hopefully he'll stay on his pills.

Thank God he didn't get into serious trouble. I thank his church friends and church girlfriend for protecting him.

I have a nephew who keeps doing the same thing. I wish I believed in prayer because then I could at least kid myself that I was helping somehow.

Oh, WCG! I wish you and your son well. Good news about the job, by the way.

My good thoughts and hopes are with you.

I feel for you WCT. There needs to be a specific strategy for us to help our kids get back onto meds (????) Does something specific trigger him going off of them, or is it just hit and miss?

I have a teen daughter who was the sweetest ever when she was on antidepressants, but didn't like how they made her feel, and has since gone off them. I wanted her to try alternate meds, and possibly even consider something natural (such as big increase in vitamins and other minerals --she's a really poor eater, which may be half of the problem)

She may be bipolar or even schizophrenic, but I really don't know because she's refusing to allow me to take her to get further assessed, even just to a doctor appointment.

I'm trying to go to a therapist and asking the therapist if she can help me figure out a way to motivate daughter to get assessed.

I say may be bipolar due to all kinds of crazy risk taking, including running away from home, substance abuse, doesn't think there's anything wrong with going out and jogging at night. Chances are schizophrenia is not it, but I have wondered because she has some really weird hang ups. I also have read that kids who smoke pot a lot are ending up with shizophrenia these days.

I'm sure it's frightening for you.
My nephew is Schizophrenic and gets an injection once a month.
He has financial help.........disability. And lives in his own apartment.

I remember when nephew had pills and would go off them. He always thought he didn't need medication at that point. Then of course he would need them later. He also chose to be homeless for awhile.

Happy to hear about your new job. Is it Chef related?

Hugs and Merry Holidays
K

My son just turned 26 and no longer has my ex's insurance. The meds are EXPENSIVE and take half his earnings in a month. Now I know I have options to help him.

From my perspective--I think the medical community makes it next to impossible to keep getting your meds and it costs so much--and then they wonder why people don't stay on their meds. It took me YEARS to get an anti-anxiety med (lorazepam). I finally found someone last April and I've been looking for literally years--but I have to go in every 3 months, but I have insurance.

For those with any mental health issues--going to the doctors, setting up appts, etc., becomes too insurmountable. There should be an easier way.

It's horrible trying to keep up with the paperwork and hoop jumping when you're struggling with a mental illness and/or depression.

Forums for all sorts of issues.