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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by clubfitter on August 27, 2011, at 21:04:01
Unfortunately, my depression has become so profound I am disappointed to say I am disabled. Are you?
Posted by Christ_empowered on August 27, 2011, at 22:16:16
In reply to Are you disabled?, posted by clubfitter on August 27, 2011, at 21:04:01
My disorder is fairly severe. I'm trying to work past it, but yes, I think I'm disabled. Bipolar sucks.
Posted by Phillipa on August 28, 2011, at 0:21:50
In reply to Re: Are you disabled?, posted by Christ_empowered on August 27, 2011, at 22:16:16
Was til turned 65 then it kicked into Social Security Pays exact same thing. Phillipa
Posted by floatingbridge on August 28, 2011, at 9:28:40
In reply to Re: Are you disabled? » Christ_empowered, posted by Phillipa on August 28, 2011, at 0:21:50
Yes.
Posted by floatingbridge on August 28, 2011, at 9:30:47
In reply to Re: Are you disabled?, posted by Christ_empowered on August 27, 2011, at 22:16:16
CE, , you deal with bipolar, too? Well crumbs. I'm sorry.
Posted by Christ_empowered on August 28, 2011, at 10:03:58
In reply to Re: Are you disabled? » Christ_empowered, posted by floatingbridge on August 28, 2011, at 9:30:47
yeah, they call it "Bipolar I with psychotic features," which I guess is the best they could come up with. Agitated, manic psychosis; slow, mind-numbing psychosis...anxiety in between. Apparently, I don't have a "thought disorder" or anything else that would qualify for schizophrenia, so bipolar it is.
Posted by floatingbridge on August 28, 2011, at 10:36:48
In reply to Re: Are you disabled?, posted by Christ_empowered on August 28, 2011, at 10:03:58
CE, it's still a tough dx. I'm sorry if I've misunderstood all this time, but I thought your dx was schizophrenia.
Apparently, I have BP with psychosis, too, when depressed.
fb
Posted by Christ_empowered on August 28, 2011, at 11:25:32
In reply to Re: Are you disabled? » Christ_empowered, posted by floatingbridge on August 28, 2011, at 10:36:48
no, don't feel bad. I post about voices and my antipsychotic medication. I think its only natural to assume that I'm dealing with schizophrenia. Besides, one reason its "bipolar" and not "schizophrenia" is because I come from a white, professional, middle-class home.
When I was in a mental hospital the last time, I overheard the docs talking about some cases. First they talked about the old guy who had severe dementia (why he was in the hospital I still don't know) and then they started talking about mine. A resident--the one who hated me--asked "isn't he schizophrenic?" and my prescribing doctor said "that diagnosis has been overturned. Besides, schizophrenia is a poor man's diagnosis."
When I left the hospital, they gave me a stack of papers on "bipolar disorder" and an Rx for depakote and risperdal.
Posted by floatingbridge on August 28, 2011, at 12:08:14
In reply to Re: Are you disabled?, posted by Christ_empowered on August 28, 2011, at 11:25:32
CE, I have never heard that distinction, I wonder how much you intelligence factors into your diagnosis, too. I have gotten the impression that I am too 'intelligent' to have certain dosorders. I'm no genius, plus it's kept me from proper treatment. I find it aggravating. And sad, too.
You've had many experiences in your young life. I wonder if you'll ever have a mind to write someday.
Posted by sleepygirl2 on August 28, 2011, at 13:08:30
In reply to Re: Are you disabled? » Christ_empowered, posted by floatingbridge on August 28, 2011, at 12:08:14
I've heard it said that schizoaffective disorder is the poor man's bipolar.
Posted by Solstice on August 28, 2011, at 14:19:46
In reply to Re: Are you disabled?, posted by Christ_empowered on August 28, 2011, at 10:03:58
> yeah, they call it "Bipolar I with psychotic features," which I guess is the best they could come up with. Agitated, manic psychosis; slow, mind-numbing psychosis...anxiety in between. Apparently, I don't have a "thought disorder" or anything else that would qualify for schizophrenia, so bipolar it is.
CE - or anyone - I am not clear on what psychosis is... on what it *looks* like. It would be helpful to me if those who have experienced psychosis can describe for me what makes an episode one that's called psychosis, as opposed to, for example, mania. In an episode of psychosis, are you aware of being in an altered state? Maybe it's very different for each person, and it would be very valuable to hear about different experiences with it. My work often involves patients with 'altered-mental-status,' and I think it would be helpful to me to better understand the range of characteristics that manifest during a psychotic episode.
Solstice
Posted by sigismund on August 28, 2011, at 14:32:24
In reply to Re: Are you disabled?, posted by Christ_empowered on August 28, 2011, at 11:25:32
>A resident--the one who hated me--asked "isn't he schizophrenic?" and my prescribing doctor said "that diagnosis has been overturned. Besides, schizophrenia is a poor man's diagnosis."
That is very interesting. I'm immediately attracted to your prescribing doctor's comments, but am a little unsure about the extent of his ironic detachment.
Posted by Christ_empowered on August 28, 2011, at 19:42:34
In reply to Re: Are you disabled? - Psychosis?, posted by Solstice on August 28, 2011, at 14:19:46
I think "psychosis" is too vague and general a term. Different people experience hallucinations differently, and the content of their hallucinations vary wildly.
For me, my major "crack up" was like this: I started out hearing voices saying negative things about me, but I knew they weren't real. This had been going on for 2+ years (I hadn't been taking meds) and I was used to it. Then, it "revved up"; I started believing bizarre things. I thought, for instance, that I was "the transcendent one" and an "avatar." I also thought there were cameras in my apartment and that my ex-shrink was filming my nervous breakdown. I later became convinced that my ex-shrink had been putting massive quantities of Thorazine in my food, juice (I loved Welch's), and niacinamide capsules in an effort to create the world's first real "chemical lobotomy."
My psychosis has dissociative features, which for me just meant I learned to space out from everything and carry on. I lost a lot of weight, I looked younger and got really pale. With the help of Klonopin and Ativan, I was able to sometimes seem normal.
After this more active psychosis, I entered a phase of a hollowed out, slow psychosis. I couldn't think clearly, I was lazy, and I was wide-eyed and dulled out.
Posted by jono_in_adelaide on August 29, 2011, at 18:30:38
In reply to Re: Are you disabled? - Psychosis?, posted by Christ_empowered on August 28, 2011, at 19:42:34
I guess I am partly disabled, I'm able to earn a living and care for my self, but I perform below my capabilities at wrk, and often opt out of social stuff because I'm not in the right frame of mind, but overall I'm doing ok
This is the end of the thread.
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