OK so the last post briefly covers alcohol, this one is about getting the right Dr.
My family Dr didn’t diagnose my bipolar & wasn’t at all flexible. By that I mean, when I booked an appointment at the surgery I had to book roughly two weeks in advance & even then I wasn’t guaranteed to see him. Although this was the Surgery policy, when I mentioned this to him his reply was “Well we’re a busy surgery.”
I find that my hyper phases usually only last for short periods, roughly 5-7 days. If I could see my own Dr within a couple of days of these hyper cycles starting, I probably would have been diagnosed a lot sooner. Instead, I had to wait either a couple of weeks to see him, (by then my mood would have changed) or I would see a Dr who didn’t know me, making it very difficult for them to spot Bipolar symptoms. Since 2001 my Dr had simply diagnosed me with depression and prescribed only anti-depressants (which can be dangerous for someone with Bipolar).
In 2009, after a particularly bad episode, I was referred (not by my own Dr I might add) to a Psychiatrist & finally diagnosed with Bipolar disorder.
In 2010, I attended an open surgery as I was having an episode and was struggling with my symptoms. I was given an appointment with a Dr who understood Bipolar & appreciated the importance of continuity of care. She advised me she would be able to fit me in whenever I was having an episode & needed to see a Dr, all I had to do was leave a message with the surgery receptionist & she would try & see me the same day. I have been under the care of this Dr now for approx a year & half & she has been true to her word. If I am struggling with my Bipolar symptoms, I call the surgery & nine time out of ten, I will see her the same day. If she is unable to see me (which is very rare) she will call me & we will have a consultation over the phone & discuss the best course of action to take. Over the past 12 months, this Dr has got to know me & my symptoms which has been instrumental in helping me manage my Bipolar.
I’ve been told that Bipolar usually requires a number of visits to the Dr to be diagnosed, as the highs & lows can take years to manifest, but I do think eight years is taking too long. Therefore, I would encourage anyone who believes they may have Bipolar to see the same Dr, as they will learn to understand what your general mood is like & what a hyper/depressed mood is for you. Also, I can not stress enough how much continuity of care has helped me manage my Bipolar symptoms on a day to day basis.
I think it is really important that you choose a Dr you’re comfortable with, as you need to be open & honest about how you’re feeling. Until I asked if I could switch doctors I didn’t even know it was possible to do so.
