the most important thing for people suffering from bipolar is choosing
a doctor they like. Usually those doctors give advice and they know it
that you learn and come back to the doc's original prescription. It is
experiment till YOU find what's right - try lamictal (my favorite!).
Post by p***@hotmail.comMarkey,
I have done that before. I didn't like my doctor and was dissatisfied
with the services I was receiving. I had a real nazi for a doctor that
almost killed me with too much depakote and a case manager that I
didn't get along with. They were too restrictive and it seemed to me
they were talking down to me. I didn't like that. I looked into some
of the other service providers and found one that seemed better, so I
switched. I have a much better team now and I am glad I switched.
You are right. You are in charge of yourself and your care. You are
the reason they exist, the reason they are getting paid. If you don't
like something you can speak with a supervisor, file a complaint or
grievance. If your problem isn't resolved by talking to them, write a
letter to the director of the company detailing what is going on and
who is not doing their job. You have to take charge of your own care
and speak up for yourself if you can or you can fall through the
cracks. Know your rights and the services you are entitled to. You
have to do some research. Read all those forms, pamphlets, and books
and stuff they give you about their company. They should have a
mission statement, philosophy, policies and procedures, and so forth.
Let them know if you think they are not living up to what they
advertise or aren't following the rules.
One thing you might also do if you feel you aren't getting the services
you need is start asking your case manager and others for a state
mental health advocate. Ask questions about that and ask for numbers
and so forth. Let them know clearly what you want. I have done that
before. They really seem to respond to that pretty quick. The
advocates can be quite useful. Even just telling your case manager you
need an advocate for something seems to get them moving and you may not
even need one. I have only done that once and it seemed to be
effective. You don't need to do that unless they seem stuck; if they
say their hands are tied in some way or something, if they say they
can't do it or something. I didn't do that as a threat. I just needed
something done and they weren't able to do it, so I said I needed help.
Suddenly they were able to do it.
While it is good to take charge and speak up for yourself, it is also I
think important to have a positive attitude towards the people that are
helping you. They are overworked and underpaid. The programs are
underfunded. Most of the time they are putting out fires much bigger
than yours, so they might not be able to get to you right away
sometimes unless it is an emergency. Be patient. There is an
overwhelming need for services and not enough people qualified to do
the work. It takes a special kind of person to work in this field.
There are some that burn out or shouldn't be there also, that don't
seem to care. I am thankfull and grateful for the people who have
chosen to dedicate their lives to helping people like us. Most of them
are truly wonderful people that are dedicated to helping people like
us, so you don't need to get pushy or bossy with them. Try to have a
good relationship with them. Let them know you appreciate what they
do. They like that. They also seem to like helping you more if you
make them feel good about their work. If they see that you are really
trying to recover, they seem to pay more attention to you and help you
with the things you need. They like seeing the progress you make. Try
to be one of the consumers they love working for--you know, try to
stand out in a positive way. They like to make a difference. I think
that is why they choose this field. So be nice to them.
Take care,
Dan
Post by MarkeyHi,
I am not sure if we talked about this before. But my medication makes
me forget a lot.
I wa working with my therapist the ohter day. And we were talking about
firing service providers.
I think even if you are receiving government services you have a right
to fire your doctor, therapist, social worker, case manager, etc.
Services providers whether we pay them or not, need to know who is in
charge. And that is you!
I realize when you are sick sometimes, you have to rely on service
providers. It's like you have no choice.
Any comments?
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