Plenty Fox

I am a drug and alcohol counselor, not a 'mental health' professional. I cannot diagnose mental health conditions but in my line of work we frequently see patients with what is referred to as 'dual diagnosis' i.e., an addiction along with a disorder. Because Bi-Polar disorder came up under Chit Chat I thought it wouldn't hurt to include some information on it here. THE MOOD DISORDER QUESTIONNAIRE Instructions: Please answer each question as best you can. Upon completing this form, print your completed form and take it to your health care practitioner.


This screening instrument is not a substitute for a full medical and psychiatric evaluation. If you or your family are concerned about your mental condition, please contact a healthcare professional immediately.

1. Has there ever been a period of time when you were not your usual self and...
...you felt so good or so hyper that other people thought you were not your normal self or you were so hyper that you got into trouble?	Yes	No
...you were so irritable that you shouted at people or started fights or arguments?	Yes	No
...you felt much more self-confident than usual?	Yes	No
...you got much less sleep than usual and found you didn't really miss it?	Yes	No
...you were much more talkative or spoke much faster than usual?	Yes	No
...thoughts raced through your head or you couldn't slow your mind down?	Yes	No
...you were so easily distracted by things around you that you had trouble concentrating or staying on track?	Yes	No
...you had much more energy than usual?	Yes	No
...you were much more active or did many more things than usual?	Yes	No
...you were much more social or outgoing than usual, for example, you telephoned friends in the middle of the night?	Yes	No
...you were much more interested in sex than usual?	Yes	No
...you did things that were unusual for you or that other people might have thought were excessive, foolish, or risky?	Yes	No
...spending money got you or your family into trouble?	Yes	No
2. If you checked YES to more than one of the above, have several of these ever happened during the same period of time?	Yes	No
3. How much of a problem did any of these cause you - like being unable to work; having family, money or legal troubles' getting into arguments or fights? No Problem Minor Problem Moderate Problem Serious Problem

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Damme ape’semmai, "Andabichidaiboonee’ gimmadu’i.Wihyu memme hainjinee’ nahandu’i. Enne wizha sudei’ tsaangu mabizhiahkande," mai.

The Creator said, "A foreign race of white people will come, who will become your friends. You should treat them well."

The Creator sure had a strange sense of humor!

Coyot_In_The_House

Am I supposed to answer those questions or the person inside my head? ..............Is there an echo in here?

jazzman004

Thanks so much for printing that questionaire on Bi Polar I think it will help those who are suffering with it but also those who are married to or have a loved one in their families. It really helps to know something about the disorder and it is no shame to have it. It isn't something you have a choice about. its something a person and a family have to deal with on a daily basis.
By the way is there medication a person can be prescribed to help them cope with this disorder?
Again A Big Thank You!!!!

Plenty Fox

There are a number of meds out there that can be prescribed by a doctor experienced with manic depression or bi-polar disorder. The trick is getting the right balance and frequently requires ongoing adjustment. Like with depakote, a loading (larger) dose is usually given to start up the patient, then a tapered to maintenance dosage. Other drugs are in the lithium family. The difficult thing is that like schizophrenia patients, bi-polar tend to self-medicate or more accurately, unmedicate themselves because they think they are feeling so good and 'cured'. There is no cure at this time. It can only be controlled.

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Damme ape’semmai, "Andabichidaiboonee’ gimmadu’i.Wihyu memme hainjinee’ nahandu’i. Enne wizha sudei’ tsaangu mabizhiahkande," mai.

The Creator said, "A foreign race of white people will come, who will become your friends. You should treat them well."

The Creator sure had a strange sense of humor!

jazzman004

Thanks for the information, yes it is unforunate that sometimes a person who has bi polar has a child and will not seek treatment or feels good and stops taking the meds prescribed. how does one protect the child if the bi polar person has an episode? Parental rights are a sensitive thing and some times the rights of the child are over looked.

Mr Bo Jangles

I'm scurred.

...I answered YES to all but ONE.

DANG!!!!!! Pass the Percocet and shove me into a darkened room!!!

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"This next song goes out to some girls in dot com. They don't know who they are, but, it doesn't really matter anyway."




"When the God's wish to punish us, they grant our prayers."

O. Wilde

Plenty Fox

Mr. Bo, percocet is an analgesic/painkiller and known to be highly addictive. Not something for a bi-polar person; but maybe you just wanted to pass out in that closet?

__________________
Damme ape’semmai, "Andabichidaiboonee’ gimmadu’i.Wihyu memme hainjinee’ nahandu’i. Enne wizha sudei’ tsaangu mabizhiahkande," mai.

The Creator said, "A foreign race of white people will come, who will become your friends. You should treat them well."

The Creator sure had a strange sense of humor!

Plenty Fox

An 'episode'? Bi-Polar's or the old term--Manic Depressives--have 'episodes' all the time. A diagnosis of Bi-Polar is not reason enough to remove a child. Many of us have survived nicely despite our parents being Bi_Polar. If the child's needs are neglected, if the child is being abused; then it is time to alert Child Protective Services. If you are a family member and disturbed by a Bi-Polar relative merely having custody of a child you should discuss it as a family, discuss it with the patient; and if there are legitimate concerns go to the patient's physician or therapist. Naturally, if there is obvious abuse or neglect go directly to authorities. Despite patient privilege, therapists are required to report if they believe a child is in danger or being neglected or abused. If the patient is not in treatment, or not following the treatment plan with prescribed medications and being monitored properly, they can become overwhelmed with the responsibility of caring for a child. This is why a family support system is so necessary for these people. I would strongly encourage any family member of a person with a mental disorder to hang in there; don't pull away from the patient because you are frightened, angry, disgusted or don't approve of their behaviors. You often become the 'eyes and ears' Social Services need to ensure that any children are not unduly affected. But, again, just a diagnosis is not justification for removing a child from a parent.

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Damme ape’semmai, "Andabichidaiboonee’ gimmadu’i.Wihyu memme hainjinee’ nahandu’i. Enne wizha sudei’ tsaangu mabizhiahkande," mai.

The Creator said, "A foreign race of white people will come, who will become your friends. You should treat them well."

The Creator sure had a strange sense of humor!

jazzman004

well all I know is that bi polar people are extremely difficult to be around
they can go off the deep end fairly easy and can leave a person bewildered and wondering what the hell crawl up their *** and died. It something I wouldn't want to wish on my worst enemy. Bi polar people suck big time. they should just be carted off somewhere so they can't bother anyone for good. enuff said bout dat!!!!

River Spirit

Wow! ARen't you a caring fella?I hate to think how many imperfect folks out there you'd like to put on a raft and set out to sea permanently.... it's not like they can help it from what I've read. they didn't ask to be born that way...

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"The Cleveland Indians are going to change their name. They don't want to be known as a team that perpetuates racial stereotypes. From now on they're just going to be called the Indians." - Native Comedian Vaughn Eaglebear, Colville/Lakota

AngelFeather

Hi,
Thx alot fer your info on BiPolar, but my question IS, are there natural remedies to help with this dis order cause i am one suffering from it and hate taking the meds they give me, the meds make me feel yuky and tired, id rather find a natural way of healing instead of filling up my body with extra toxins i DONT need, Plus with my existing Kidney malfunction it can sumtimes be hard to find meds that werk with me. I miss the quality time i use to spend with my children and I know they miss the mom they use to have. It is just gettin really frustrating being a mom of 5 and struggling to keep things together.
Hope i didnt go too deep fer anyone here but it was a post i found really helpful and thankyou fer making me NOT feel alone.
AngelFeather

Plenty Fox

Dear AngelFeather,
I wish I could tell you there is this great herb or root or... that will 'cure' your bi-polar. Or, even 'control it. Sadly, I can not.
There will always be someone out there that makes claims they have something that will cure or control bi-polar; but as of now such claims are no more than snake oil. Sorry, snakes... And, just so you know...I'm all for using what mother nature provides so long as it works. I've used roots, herbs, berries and the like for years on myself for things like insomnia, mentrual cramps, rashes, headache... but the nature of bi-polar is such that the imbalance requires stronger methods. I know meds are expensive, they are a pain to remember to take, they have side effects...but if you are going to function 'normally'; or as I prefer to say "to your potential" you need to stay on the drugs and give them a chance. That means don't give up after a couple of days, or two weeks or even a month. The drugs have to be absorbed into the system. The reverse is true, too. You can't go cold turkey on these things. You will have a reaction. The same rules apply to most antedepressants and drugs given for even more life threatening mental illness such as schizophrenia. Folks start to take them and 1) keep taking them successfully; 2) keep taking them successfully, think they are 'cured' and quit taking them suddenly and suffer a setback; 3) take the drugs for a short time, feel inconvenienced, wanna barf, etc., and quit taking them. Sometimes it will take the doc a few tries to find the right medication and dosage that works for you. Please don't give up. These meds are NOT extra toxins as you put it. You have Bi-Polar and are deficient in a chemical your body needs; or you have an imbalance of one or more. When you say your kids miss the Mom they used to have...think about it. How good is a Mom that wants to scream and yell at you one minute, kind and playful the next, and maybe laughing hysterically over the least little thing the next? You need to give the treatment a chance. As I said before, the doctor will need to work with you to get the right combo; and your responsibility is to let him/her know in what way the meds may be interfering with function so they can adjust them; and then you need to be patient and give the new schedule a chance. It's a journey, nobody said it would be easy, but you can do it! YOU are worth it. YOUR KIDS are worth it. I assure you, five years from now if you stick with the program, you'll be amazed when you look back and see the progress you've made. Take care of yourself AngelFeather...God bless...

__________________
Damme ape’semmai, "Andabichidaiboonee’ gimmadu’i.Wihyu memme hainjinee’ nahandu’i. Enne wizha sudei’ tsaangu mabizhiahkande," mai.

The Creator said, "A foreign race of white people will come, who will become your friends. You should treat them well."

The Creator sure had a strange sense of humor!