Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

The mentally ill in prisons don’t get good treatment.  They use the cheapest drugs to treat them. The mentally ill in jails are disposable.  And what does that say about us?  I learned about this from a lady who spent time in jail.  They had her strapped down in a chair for days.  She went cold turkey from all her medications and convulsed.  She could have died.  She did not even belong in jail.  They made a mistake arresting her.  Her psychiatrist gave the jail hell for what they did.  Then I found out how poor treatment the mentally ill get in jails.  They don’t really care about them.  It is only now they are beginning to address the problem.  And there are more mentally ill in jails than in hospitals.  That is a travesty.

Tags: medications, mental health, prisons, psychiatrist, The Mentally ill in jail, the poor treatment of the mentally ill in jail
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Feeling shame is the worst thing about experiencing mental illness.  It isolates you.  It keeps you in a prison of your own making.  The truth is everyone has problems.  Unfortunately those diagnosed being mentally ill are singled out.  And others around them by a wall of silence tacitly agree something is wrong with that person.  And the stigma becomes internalized.  While all it really is, is another set of problems.

And the truth is the only people who don’t have problems are those “under the ground.”  Society perpetuates the stigma in all kinds of ways:  the media is one big way.  Of course, the pharmaceutical companies want to sell their drugs.  Each version of the DSM has more diagnoses and is driven by the drug companies.  They want to push their drugs.  I find it interesting we are the only country to use the DSM.  And they don’t care about the side effects.  It just means they can then prescribe more drugs to treat them.

I have become very cynical about the drug companies.  Most people want nothing to do with these drugs.  For many people they don’t work and even make things worse when you are prescribed them and you go off of them.  Medication is overused to treat mental illness.  Medication can only help you so much assuming they are even helping you, which is a very big assumption.  In fact nowadays most family doctors prescribe them.  Most people do not want others to know they are seeing a psychiatrist.  There is just too much shame about it.

Tags: diagnoses, drug companies, DSM, everyone has problems, family doctor, medication, medication overused to treat mental illness, mental illness, pharmaceutical, psychiatrist, shame, side effects, stigma
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Your feedback is essential to the psychiatrist.  In the beginning patients want to be “fixed.”  They want the medication the doctor prescribes to solve everything.  You have to take an active role in your treatment.

Question everything the physician does, every medication you are put on.  After all, it is your body you are putting the medication in.  Learn what to expect, with every medication adjustment.

Learn what a therapeutic level is.  How long it takes to get there, what changes to expect.  Learn the side effects of each medication you are on, whether you can live with them.

Learn, also, what changes will occur in you body and mind, when to determine whether the medication is, truly, helping you.

You are not a passive participant.  The doctor can not prescribe medications properly without your accurate feedback.

Know the time frame of each medication, how long you have to wait before it works properly, if at all.

The medication is only an aid.  You still have to help yourself.  The medication does not work properly if you do not take care of yourself:  that means eating correctly and sleeping enough regularly.

You have to know if the doctor is listening to you.  Don’t be afraid to change doctors if they are not.  I have fired a few in my time.  This is harder to do if you are going to a mental health center but it can be done.

Learn everything you can about every medication before you take it so you know what to expect.  Your feedback is essential to the doctor.  He can not do his job properly without it.

Tags: eating correctly, help yourself, medication, mental health center, mental illness, patient feedback, patients want to be "fixed", physician, psychiatrist, question your doctor, side effects, sleep, therapeutic level
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I don’t have to feel or think perfectly to thrive.  I have a bipolar disorder and I know certain symptoms persist but I ignore them and realize it is my brain tricking me.

People who are older understand this perfectly.  Their mobility may have become limited and also have other diminishing illnesses but that is okay.  You do your best and you do not complain.

Sure every disturbing thought of mine can be extinguished but at a heavy price:  I no longer would be able to function at the drug regiment (???) that would accomplish that.

I just know my subconscious can annoy me with disturbing thoughts that make me anxious but so what.  I do take the meds that lower this threshold.

I refuse not to do the things that I enjoy simply because my brain (or subconscious) is not totally cooperating.  I still do what gives me pleasure as much as I can realizing fully there are times it will be more difficult to do certain things.

At certain times I avoid crowded areas particularly restaurants fully aware that in certain states it will be more difficult to deal with my thoughts but If I have to go out to dinner I just go.

Somewhere your personality can be found in that “book” some psychiatrists use but so what.  Every person is different and flawed.  You (and other people) simply have to accept that.

Tags: accept yourself, anxious, bipolar disorder, brain tricking me, crowded areas, disturbing thoughts, do your best, drug regimen, everyone is different, everyone is flawed, illnesses, medications, meds, my thoughts, older people, pleasure, psychiatrist, subconscious, symptoms, think perfectly, thrive, your personality
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