I don't live in America, but in Canada instead, but I wanted to share my experience with our healthcare as I feel there is a huge misconception in the world about how "amazing" it is.
I am bipolar, but that diagnosis was only given after 15 years of misdiagnosis and being an involuntary guinea pig for greedy doctors who perscribed me in…
I don't live in America, but in Canada instead, but I wanted to share my experience with our healthcare as I feel there is a huge misconception in the world about how "amazing" it is.
I am bipolar, but that diagnosis was only given after 15 years of misdiagnosis and being an involuntary guinea pig for greedy doctors who perscribed me insane medications. I trusted them, I had no choice. The antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, mood stabilizers and antidepressant salads I was given for years never worked, they always made me worse, but they just gave me more and more meds. Multiple doctors over years. I was told the physical side effects like rapid weigh gain, twitching, and being zombified to name a few were a "benifit outweighed the cons" situation, though its funny how no one seemed to ever care about my opinion of that.
Obviously the medications were terrible for me and often resulted in my having emergency room hospital trips for suicidal thoughts or self harm or just a general psychotic break. I would wait for 8 to 10 hours sometimes in emergency for some white coat doctor to ask me some questions about my mental state and then always, ALWAYS, they would dismiss me and send me on my way. They would tell me I "didnt seem suicidal" and that they weren't to concerned about me. I would beg them to keep me there for further assessment, for help, for anything, as I was terrified of myself, and they would say they only keep people who are "actually a danger to themselves". I have a strong will to live apparently, and even when ever cell in my body wanted to die, and i would always manage to find a way to hold on for another day. But I often wondered how many people were turned away, like me, but couldn't hold on.... and how many people even know they had gone to the hospital for help first only to be turned away?
Unfortunately, one fateful day, I couldn't hold on anymore and I did attempt to take my life. I went to the hospital in an ambulance, they stitched me up, and then they sent me home. Yep, thats right. I cut my wrists so deeply i needed stitches and they didnt feel I was at risk enough apparently to keep there for further assessment. I was flabbergasted. Oh, and lets not forget the wait periods to see a psychiatrist. Were talking years sometimes.
Our country has an opioid crisis. Mental health issues are running rampant. People are dying by their own hand every day. And our political leaders are more concerned with 10 dollar-a-day day care, virtue signaling, and blaming eachother for l these issues than actually offering compassionate care for some of the most vulnerable people in our society. I survived my ordeal, and after my suicide attempt I finally was given a Lithium and wouldn't ya know it, I haven't had a single hospital trip since.
I can't speak for everyone of course. Not every one is bipolar and was used as a drug tester for greedy doctors, but I can say beyond a doubt that our systems are deeply broken, and I fear people die every day unnecessarily and thinking that they aren't worth the care or time of our doctors and health care systems, because quite frankly, that's how they make you feel. Like you're a burden.
Thanks for posting from a fellow Canuck. I am glad you survived. Healthcare in both our countries is quite atrocious but mental healthcare is especially so. A lot of homeless people are on the streets for that very reason.
And thank you for sharing it. You’re in my thoughts. I’m struggling with my niece with bipolar and way too many medication so it’s just a nightmare so I hear you
It is very difficult for both the person and all involved. I hope your niece is able to find a medication that works well for her and that things get better!
It was perscribed, I dont believe its available here over the counter. I was put on 900mg, but had it upped to 1200mg 4 months later and that seemed to be the perfect dose. I had been on Lamotrigine with antipsychotics prior to Lithium, and they left me on it, but removed the antipsychotics. So I take 1200 mg of Lithium and 100 mg of Lamotrigine and have done so for 4 years now and finally get to experience a "normal" life for the most part.
Thank you for your kind words. I am grateful every day, and believe me, I really simplified the years of ridiculous stuff I went through, so it makes me even more grateful.
Dr. Malone thank you for writing this and sorry for blasting your comments section with my links. This was just too perfect. You are so good at explaining the problem - one which I have recognized for almost a decade now. So lately I have been working with a think tank of like minded people thinking about solutions. And we have been tackling this problem with several recent articles. We are trying to discuss what can we do to fight back that is both VERY EFFECTIVE and SAFE. No one wants violence if possible. But governments and power structures tend to get violent when attacked.
So we have a plan that we believe will work: radical transparency and decentralization. We don't need government's permission. All we need is some open sourced tech built and a new agreement between all people that focuses on one thing - our biggest issue: ENDING CORRUPTION IN THE SYSTEMS THAT GOVERN OUR LIVES.
All of our problems are because we are running our software on a bad system. It just needs a few tweaks, and the system can be great again.
If this interests you or anyone else at all I beg you to at least read some of the ideas. To change this we will need a movement. Either that or we can just sit here and wait for everyone else to save us.
I don't live in America, but in Canada instead, but I wanted to share my experience with our healthcare as I feel there is a huge misconception in the world about how "amazing" it is.
I am bipolar, but that diagnosis was only given after 15 years of misdiagnosis and being an involuntary guinea pig for greedy doctors who perscribed me insane medications. I trusted them, I had no choice. The antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, mood stabilizers and antidepressant salads I was given for years never worked, they always made me worse, but they just gave me more and more meds. Multiple doctors over years. I was told the physical side effects like rapid weigh gain, twitching, and being zombified to name a few were a "benifit outweighed the cons" situation, though its funny how no one seemed to ever care about my opinion of that.
Obviously the medications were terrible for me and often resulted in my having emergency room hospital trips for suicidal thoughts or self harm or just a general psychotic break. I would wait for 8 to 10 hours sometimes in emergency for some white coat doctor to ask me some questions about my mental state and then always, ALWAYS, they would dismiss me and send me on my way. They would tell me I "didnt seem suicidal" and that they weren't to concerned about me. I would beg them to keep me there for further assessment, for help, for anything, as I was terrified of myself, and they would say they only keep people who are "actually a danger to themselves". I have a strong will to live apparently, and even when ever cell in my body wanted to die, and i would always manage to find a way to hold on for another day. But I often wondered how many people were turned away, like me, but couldn't hold on.... and how many people even know they had gone to the hospital for help first only to be turned away?
Unfortunately, one fateful day, I couldn't hold on anymore and I did attempt to take my life. I went to the hospital in an ambulance, they stitched me up, and then they sent me home. Yep, thats right. I cut my wrists so deeply i needed stitches and they didnt feel I was at risk enough apparently to keep there for further assessment. I was flabbergasted. Oh, and lets not forget the wait periods to see a psychiatrist. Were talking years sometimes.
Our country has an opioid crisis. Mental health issues are running rampant. People are dying by their own hand every day. And our political leaders are more concerned with 10 dollar-a-day day care, virtue signaling, and blaming eachother for l these issues than actually offering compassionate care for some of the most vulnerable people in our society. I survived my ordeal, and after my suicide attempt I finally was given a Lithium and wouldn't ya know it, I haven't had a single hospital trip since.
I can't speak for everyone of course. Not every one is bipolar and was used as a drug tester for greedy doctors, but I can say beyond a doubt that our systems are deeply broken, and I fear people die every day unnecessarily and thinking that they aren't worth the care or time of our doctors and health care systems, because quite frankly, that's how they make you feel. Like you're a burden.
Anyways, thanks for reading!
Thanks for posting from a fellow Canuck. I am glad you survived. Healthcare in both our countries is quite atrocious but mental healthcare is especially so. A lot of homeless people are on the streets for that very reason.
I started bodybuilding in my teens and vacuumed up nutrition science and the latest studies. 30 years later still lifting, eating well and on no meds.
Im still shocked how the system as is feeds us crap and makes us sick.
But it’s too lucrative so it rolls on and on.
And thank you for sharing it. You’re in my thoughts. I’m struggling with my niece with bipolar and way too many medication so it’s just a nightmare so I hear you
It is very difficult for both the person and all involved. I hope your niece is able to find a medication that works well for her and that things get better!
May I ask… What dose of lithium you were or are taking? Was it prescribed? Or over-the-counter as it is here.
It was perscribed, I dont believe its available here over the counter. I was put on 900mg, but had it upped to 1200mg 4 months later and that seemed to be the perfect dose. I had been on Lamotrigine with antipsychotics prior to Lithium, and they left me on it, but removed the antipsychotics. So I take 1200 mg of Lithium and 100 mg of Lamotrigine and have done so for 4 years now and finally get to experience a "normal" life for the most part.
Thank you so very much. I recognize that that is private information and I appreciate so much that you gave it.
An interesting video I saw recently, do a YouTube search for bipolar research Korea. There’s a few different videos. Interesting. About dendrites
Dr Malone, I’m aware that our conversation took quite a side road here. But thank you 🙏 for providing this road.
I’ve always heard that government healthcare is great, as long as you’re healthy.
That is some truth right there if I have ever heard it!
I have started to listen to Praying Medic. See if he might be of some help. Good luck to you.
My heart goes out to you. I am grateful to read that you finally were given a way out of those hellish years.
Thank you for your kind words. I am grateful every day, and believe me, I really simplified the years of ridiculous stuff I went through, so it makes me even more grateful.
I pray that you are remaining well. You are brave to share your ordeal. Thank you and God bless.
Dr. Malone thank you for writing this and sorry for blasting your comments section with my links. This was just too perfect. You are so good at explaining the problem - one which I have recognized for almost a decade now. So lately I have been working with a think tank of like minded people thinking about solutions. And we have been tackling this problem with several recent articles. We are trying to discuss what can we do to fight back that is both VERY EFFECTIVE and SAFE. No one wants violence if possible. But governments and power structures tend to get violent when attacked.
So we have a plan that we believe will work: radical transparency and decentralization. We don't need government's permission. All we need is some open sourced tech built and a new agreement between all people that focuses on one thing - our biggest issue: ENDING CORRUPTION IN THE SYSTEMS THAT GOVERN OUR LIVES.
All of our problems are because we are running our software on a bad system. It just needs a few tweaks, and the system can be great again.
If this interests you or anyone else at all I beg you to at least read some of the ideas. To change this we will need a movement. Either that or we can just sit here and wait for everyone else to save us.
#TransparencyMovement
https://joshketry.substack.com/p/what-we-need-is-a-transparency-movement