BipolarCentral
Your One Stop Source For
Information On Bipolar Disorder
BipolarCentral
|
|
|
|
Loved One With Bipolar Disorder?
Do You Have Bipolar Disorder?
Child With Bipolar Disorder?
Dating Someone With Bipolar?
Marrying Someone With Bipolar?
Need Money Because
of Bipolar Disorder?
Drug Addiction and Bipolar Disorder
Need Affordable High
In Debt Because of Bipolar Disorder?
Improve Your Emotional Health |
Are You Gambling With Your Life By Self Medicating?By David Oliver
Many people self-medicate because they feel they can't afford the medications that are commonly used to treat bipolar disorder; however, in nearly all cases there is aid available to those with mental illness who need reduced price or free medications. Others who are bipolar may self-medicate after years of medical care because of frustration stemming from the need to periodically readjust medications - they may feel that since the doctors can't seem to get it right, they can probably "experiment" with it just as well themselves. This is extremely dangerous, though, because even small changes in drugs like Lithium and other drugs can lead to serious episodes or worse. With Lithium, small changes in dosage can lead to hallucinations, severe illness and even death. For this reason Lithium use should always be carefully monitored by a doctor with regular blood tests. If you self medicate incorrectly, you risk your life and you risk your health. Others "self medicate" by using alcohol or drugs as a way to temporarily relieve their symptoms when they are in the grips of an episode of either mania or depression. Both of these are common responses that can have dangerous or fatal results. When using drugs or alcohol while suffering a manic or depressive episode, you may temporarily feel better or at least feel like you are "numbing" yourself, but this is only an illusion. In reality you are blurring your sense of reality even further and inhibiting your ability to react properly to the world around even more. Your judgment is severely damaged. Combine this with the lack of common sense found in mania or the sorrow and lack of self-preservation found in depression and you have a recipe for disaster. In fact, many people who have bipolar disorder aren't diagnosed for years because they are too busy self-medicating with alcohol or drugs and don't seek medical advice. In the meantime, since they aren't being properly regulated, their manic phases aren't being controlled. They are medicating themselves with booze and pills and still going into episodes of wild spending, promiscuous sexual activity and bizarre, risky behavior. They may lose spouses, friends, jobs and their life savings. People who are depressed and bipolar will self-medicate to keep the depression at bay, but this actually only pushes the depression back temporarily. When it returns it can feel even worse, and will sometimes result in a suicide attempt or, in some instances, a successful suicide. Obviously, self-medicating with drugs and/or alcohol doesn't work. It doesn't get rid of the symptoms of bipolar disorder, and in many cases they actually make the characteristics of an episode much worse, causing the extremes to be more violent or explosive. If you don't believe this, take a look at some examples of individuals who were not properly medicated who ended up in extremely bad situations. Some actual stories can be found at http://www.leverageteamllc.com/bipolarnews19/ . These include one where a woman in Palm Desert, CA ran over a man she referred to as, "road kill," during a manic episode. In other stories, two unrelated shootings (one in Portland, ME and the other in Philadelphia, PA) were both tied to bipolar sufferers who weren't properly medicated. Please don't take your situation into your own hands - you'll be gambling with your own life and the life of others. Self medicating isn't the answer. A licensed, professional doctor's supervision and prescription medication is the only way to adequately control bipolar disorder effectively. About The Author David Oliver is the founder of FreeBipolarSupport.com a one stop source of information on how to cope and deal with bipolar disorder. Sign up for one of his FREE Mini Courses on Bipolar by visiting FreeBipolarCourse.com. Back to Article List |
|
This Week's Bipolar NewsBipolar support group forming Stepdaughter defends man charged in bus stop death Dear God: Wheat, Weeds, and Surrender When jail is the only place mentally ill inmates get treatment ... Police Say Fatal Shooting Was Justified Click here for all Bipolar News.
|
Featured Article:TAKE ACTION!I received an email from a person the other day. She asked me why so many great successful people, leaders, business people, etc. have Bipolar Disorder. I have long had a theory (but I don't have any kind of study to point to which would prove my theory). Here's what I think, though: In order for you to start something, whatever it is: open a daycare center, write a book, build a website, go to college, discover the cure for cancer, create world peace – you have to do something really important. Know what it is? You have to TAKE ACTION! Click here to read the entire article. Featured Article:A Basic Coping Strategy for Survivors of Bipolar DisorderThere are many ways that I’ve tried to cope with having bipolar disorder, as I’m sure you have as well. One of the most basic ways I’ve discovered as a basic coping strategy to deal with bipolar disorder is the Serenity Prayer:
It doesn’t matter whether you are “religious” or not, the prayer still works. |
Visit Our Other Websites:
Borderline Central
Health and Wealth Central
Mental Health World
SchizoInfo.com - coming soon
| Home | About Bipolar Disorder | About David Oliver | Bipolar Articles/Stories | Bipolar Success Stories | Blogs and Podcast | Catalog | Contact | Current Bipolar News | David Oliver In the News | Donate | Events | FAQ's | FREE Resources | Health Directory | Other Illnesses | Recommended Sites | Site Map | Speaking | Success Profiles |
|
The information contained on this web page is not meant to provide medical
advice. Specific medical advice should be obtained from a qualified and licensed health-care practitioner. There is no warranty that the information is free from all errors and omissions or that it meets any particular standard. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy Copyright 2004-2008, BipolarCentral.com |
