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Permalink Reply by lotsofshots on October 19, 2012 at 7:26am

http://youtu.be/T5X4jRsSZK4

Link

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Permalink Reply by lotsofshots on October 19, 2012 at 4:06pm

Oh no there goes Lots, talking to self in forum again.

Seriously, good Channel for researching any psychiatric medication from how it works, side effects, interactions, combining meds, what is used for what, on and on.

Come check out meet dog Zoey, have fun. This psychiatrist is totally up on current research, travels all over the world. So has lots of videos, is so sweet and unassuming, funny, did I say smart . . .

One in four have diagnosis of mental illness, in lifetime. Learn all about meds without reading that humungous package insert.

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Permalink Reply by lotsofshots on October 20, 2012 at 2:31am

Buddy so cute, love horses.

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Permalink Reply by lotsofshots on October 20, 2012 at 2:44am

http://www.youtube.com/user/DOCTOROFMINDMD?

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Permalink Reply by lotsofshots on October 21, 2012 at 4:38am

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Permalink Reply by lotsofshots on October 21, 2012 at 4:48am

Zoey

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Permalink Reply by lotsofshots on October 20, 2012 at 5:15am

My Story
I have been Type 1 for over 22 years. Twelve years ago I was put on Disetronic Insulin pump. This pump was malfunctioning and giving boluses of insulin without my knowledge causing me to have severe lows for over a year and a half. The pump was newly being used by military in a pilot program and the doctor’s treating me was just learning how to use it. This was a replacement pump, the one that was defective and was later recalled. I was told that if I did not have seizures not to worry about lows. My lows were attributed to user error. Severe hypoglycemia caused much stress to brain, which as an organ is fueled by glucose. Brain was not happy.

I had developed subclinical hypothyroidism, and was ill due to symptoms of that when I became depressed emotionally and became so ill that I developed a one-time psychotic episode. During that episode I sought help from paramedics by walking to fire station to get help, right down the street from my home. I was severely low, delusional and making no sense. I was not wearing medical alert bracelet as it had fallen off early that day, and I didn’t notice. Paramedics just thought I was a crazy person, did not check me, did not see pump. They called police, and police officer called crisis care mental health unit but they never showed up, my family was called, and friends, one of them a doctor and his wife was there, my husband and young son. Waiting too long for mental health to arrive the officer decided to take me to jail.

Dragging to police car, pump was dislodged. Upon arrival at detention center a dog leash of all things was placed on my leg. I was tossed  in a filthy very small holding cell and forgotten. My pump with my only supply of insulin was taken and put with my other belongings and unavailable for my use. I spent over seven days in filthy cell, vomiting and not eating with NO assess to insulin. No doctor was on call for some reason, due to it being a weekend. After I began to vomit everyone assumed I was dope addict coming off street drugs, when really I was just soccer mom very sick. Guards did not understand my cries for help and medical attention for diabetes, didn’t understand I was insulin dependent.
After I finally passed out I was given medical treatment by detention center doctor who claimed my high glucose was caused from “refusal to eat."

All charges were dropped and I was released to hospital, where I spent 3 days with irregular heartbeat and with electrolytes all out of whack, dehydration and in diapers, and though I was bruised and had many abrasions, and told hospital what had happened nothing was or investigated or reported. I was too out of it to take matters of reporting into my own hands, and my husband and his family were Asian and strictly did not believe in mental illness, I was banished from family, and lost my home and husband, and many friends.

I was put on Haldol and so sedated I was incoherent, and misdiagnosed with bipolar for twelve years. I was treated with chemical cocktail,  Depakote ER, mood stabilizer, Abilify, antipsychotic, Klonopin, benzodiazepine, controlled substance, Cymbalta, antidepressant, and Provigil, stimulant. I was soon after diagnosed with hypothyroidism  and prescibed synthroid, and due to the psychiatric mediations developed continued depression and mood swings that made me believe I was bipolar as well.

I worked for seven years in a mental health facility, with clients suffering from severe mental illness and still have that job as a caseworker. I was high functioning, but not well and suffered from zombie like state of being, depression and severe fatigue all those years, and became a person with big skeleton hiding in closet. I accepted treatment and believed it when I was told that I would be bipolar and on medications for the rest of my life. I was so scared due to my experience that I took all medications religiously and was cooperative and compliant in my treatment. My health as far as diabetes and hypothyroidism though, became very unmanageable.

In April of this year I developed severe CNS side effects from psychiatric medications, and also over the years developed hypertension, high cholesterol, unpredictable blood glucose levels, insulin resistance, severe fatigue, muscle pain and weight gain. I now have enlarged thyroid as well.

In May I was hospitalized and removed from all medications due to CNS being compromised, not weaned as is typical, but total washout of medication was done in a period of only four days. It was a very traumatic and brutal experience, both mentally and physically difficult . I also started was started on and stopped Risperdal, for Abilify withdrawal, buspar for anxiety, Trazodone for sleep and Inderal from tremors in a period of only three weeks. I then experienced a increase in CNS side effect.

I was hospitalized many times during summer with severe withdrawal symptoms like vomiting uncontrollable tremors and difficulty swallowing and insomnia. Once drugs wore off and I could dream again, no more REM suppression, I  began having flashbacks, panic attacks and severe anxiety. Finally, I got treated in new hospital and a full work up was done with internal medicine, neurologist, psychiatrist and tests were performed on CNS symptoms, and I had CAT scan of brain, lungs, scope of throat because I couldn’t swallow and several other serious and painful effects of medication withdrawal were noted.

Now I no longer have diagnosis of bipolar, and I am off all medication except Cymbalta, which is being weaned due to migraines, will be off completely in one month. I still have residual tardive dyskinesia, EPS and tremors, vomiting, difficulty swallowing and my immune system was compromised causing severe bronchitis that took 30 days of antibiotics, steroid shots, prednisone, and Ativan IM injections to relax diaphragm because I couldn’t breathe. High blood glucose was caused by steroids and also developed GERD from stress and antibiotics effects on stomach and new phobia not yet in DSM, fear of bathroom, especially toilet, operant conditioning, just kidding. No one gets my jokes sometimes!

I was diagnosed as having only PTSD, and now being treated for that, I take Valium TID for now to control the panic attacks, flashbacks and nightmares, which have gotten much less severe. I am also going through therapy for PTSDas wll with  focus on breathing exercises, meditation and mindfulness. I am on medical leave and job is open for me to return. I hope to be strong enough to return to work with a goal date of November 5th. Emotionally I am doing well, but have a way to go with recovery in physical health. Big Blue Test will help to motivate my recovery and help me to gain my stregth back.

I spend a lot of time in bed due to weakness, lost 30 pounds because I couldn’t eat, and it took a long time for the doctors to admit that there was a problem. I have since been given whole new doctors, psychiatrist to wean medications completely and handle drug withdrawal, psychologist for treatment of trauma, neurologist to address residual CNS symptoms, and now testing for  neuropathy, and  he will treat, and new primary care doctor too. Now I am dealing with benzodiazepine withdrawal as they stopped Klonopin last week in the hospital.

It has been a hard summer and I tuly appreciate all the support that I have received on this site from friends and am truly thankful that even strangers from all over the world have reached out to me. I know that mental illness is a sensitive topic, and controversial, so I am sorry if I caused anyone strife in my posting, sometimes not in good shape but still tried reaching out.

Now mental illness is being identified as a medical issue and much research and science is being conducted with functional MRI and the field is being combined with research in neuroscience. I am hopeful that new treatments and discoveries will be made, stigma will dissipate and situations like mine will occur less often.

Psychiatry is reactively new science and only became a treatment option worldwide in the last one hundred years. New research backed by scientific studies is coming in the near future and soon scientist may develop tests that determine and diagnose mental conditions with valid medical tests. This is on the horizon.

My intent is only to help others and to avoid anyone being hurt like I was. As a person with diabetes, I feel it is imperative that people become aware and educated about mental illness, one because it could affect you, two because it might affect a loved one, and three to raise awareness and try to dissipate the harmful damage caused by stigma and get more resources for research and scientific discoveries to help people with serious conditions who lack resources and the support they need.

Psychiatrists like Doctor of Mind are like me, quirky, a bit damaged myself. I feel he going out on the ledge in new ways to try to educate public and draw attention to this issue. I know it is a hard subject, and that from lack of responses to my posts and misunderstanding of where I am coming from with my own personal experience, maybe I have offended some here, but I know we are all like one big family, so my hope is that things will work out in the end and my story will be helpful for others. I have always been somewhat eccentric and radical, but I have a compassionate heart, am harmless really, and my intentions are not to harm or offend anyone. I don’t wish to start arguments only to share my experience in the hopes that they may be of use to others in some way.

I care ddeply for all tocuched by mental conditions and that is why I do what I do. I am not afraid to expose my weaknesses and will do so with pleasure and tenacity and much passion becuase if I can be of help to only one person I will rejoice. Peace, Lots

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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on October 20, 2012 at 6:03am

That's one of the more hair-raising stories I've read here. It's amazing that you are as together as you seem to be! I don't disagree that lots of people probably have mental health issues and just ignore them or keep them to themselves.

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Permalink Reply by lotsofshots on October 20, 2012 at 6:12am

Hi AR, yes must use blowdryer longer now to get hair to go back down. Thanks for replying to my post, as I was getting tired of talking to self, heheh, and hoping someone would stop by to share their thoughts. I hope soon to be out walking and doing Big Blue Test and hope your are doing well, and have nice weather to run, here where I live it is beautiful and leaves turning, blue sky and crisp but warm wind is big incentive to venture for a walk outside.
Take Care.

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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on October 20, 2012 at 6:23am

Last night I ran in a misty rain, not too bad, but the sun has blown it away and, astonishingly, it's not windy for the first time in weeks! I'd like to try to get in one of the last bike rides of the year! We have stuff on our plate though as it's junior's birthday today. No big parties, as her friend is having them over for a slumber party (sort of odd, part of the transition to being "grown-up" perhaps) but I feel badly as we got into it last night and everyone was stressed out by what I feel like was my blundering/ temper. It's been a long week and I'm very glad to see the sun out even if I can't finagle 2 hours of playtime into the day. When I read stories like yours, I don't worry about myself any more. Which is probably unhealthy...

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Permalink Reply by lotsofshots on October 21, 2012 at 4:06am

AR, good weather, enjoy bike! My junoir just turned 21, yikes! October 4

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Permalink Reply by MissKitka on October 20, 2012 at 9:16am

Lots,

A very scary story being treated (or not) by cawps and doctors who make assumptions instead of properly diagnosing. Most times when that happened to me, because of my meds for bipolar, and then all of a sudden they did not care about me anymore.

Don

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