Have you had some dilly Pdocs in your time?

Hi Deb,

Welcome to HW! You're really welcome here -- no dillies around at the last count lol :)

Wow, you have had a run of bad docs -- wish they'd strike people like this off the register and have done with all the time-wasting (and worse!!). I'm *so* glad that Dr. J has come to your rescue!! -- No, don't be pessimistic about this one: there *are* good docs out there, and from my own experience I'd say you always know when you've found one. That doesn't mean that once in a while he won't miss returning a call for a day, but that's not a crisis or a sign that he's bad -- just that he's human. I think your instincts are important here and your instincts, they say "yes"!!

I'm not sure if bp can be *caused* by ECT and med-switching (I'm sure other problems can, and these things may make things worse -- though ECT does work for some people who are very med-resistant). Bp is a genetic condition, and if you have it you've always had it, whether or not it was actually presenting. Bad treatment can of course add to your bp triggers -- or even trigger it on their own.

It took me a long time to find a great doctor for my depression, but once I did I got more confident about making sure that I never lost that level of support (I move fairly frequently so always having to find new docs). I think once you know what a good doc is like, you stop feeling like a burden -- or a pincushion -- or a guinea-pig! That in itself halps with depression (unipolar and bipolar), because you reduce the number of stressors in your like (and I know from past experience just how stressful visits to unhelpful docs can be!)

I hope this is the start of great things for you!

Rosie x

Yep, I have had my string of bad doctors.  I don't even know where to start and what the names are.

The first bad psychiatrist I had was when I was only 15.  He thought I had depression and put me on Zoloft.  Well I reacted to the Zoloft and it threw me into a manic episode.  Then he started thinking I had bipolar disorder, but still kept me on the Zoloft.  It was actually my family physician that told me that Zoloft can actually induce manic episodes if I was bipolar.  So, I got a different doctor.

Then I saw Dr. G and he really didn't do anything for me.  He said that I was too young to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder.  Told my parents that it couldn't be diagnosed until my early 20's.  Then I went off my meds and was doing alright. He said maybe I did gave me the okay to stay off of them.  So, I went through my teen years as undiagnosed.  I had an episode again at 17, and again the doctor said the same thing.

When I went to college I had issues.  I saw the Dr. G. over the summer and he gave me Remeron for depression.  It caused me to gain 35 pounds, so he thought a weight neutral drug like Prozac might be better.  So, I went back to college 500 miles away and reacted to the Prozac.  This was the second time I had a manic episode made worse by an SSRI.  When I called the doctor over the phone he got mad.  He said that he didn't make any money on phone consults.  And then he said that it was people like me that could cause him to lose his bussiness.

Anyway, it is a long story with the doctor's.  I saw a Dr. J who was alright but didn't communicate well.  I saw a psychologist who told me that I didn't have bipolar(and boy did I want to believe her).  I went back to Dr G. and that was bad.  I saw a Doctor B. who pretty much just drugged me up.  Then I finally got Dr. S who is the one I am still seeing right now.  I can schedule 20 min med check appointments, or have an hour for therapy.  He always tells me that if anything comes up to feel free to give him a call.  This doctor is by far the best one I have seen.