My wife has gone through nearly a dozen psychiatrists in search for the perfect doctor to treat her bipolar disorder. Some have moved, others were lost due to changes in insurance, and a few were simply ineffective in providing treatment.

I would say that the absolute worst was when she was receiving treatment through the local university’s School of Medicine, where the doctor in charge delegated her care to various grad students. Each appointment seemed to usher in a change of doctors-in-training and subsequently a change of medication cocktails. Continuity of care was absent (as was the supervising physician), leaving my wife feeling like a disoriented lab rat.

With most of the doctors, however, the problem was a lack of balance. On one extreme were doctors who would prescribe whatever my wife asked for, regardless of how effective, ineffective, or risky it was. On the other extreme, the doctors wouldn’t even listen to her… so she returned the favor by not listening to them. Her current doctor seems pretty good. He listens, but he makes it clear that he’s the doctor in charge. My main complaint (as with almost all doctors my wife has seen) is that the doctor is not always accessible, especially on weekends when most crises seem to occur.

Here’s my wish list for the perfect psychiatrist:

• Knowledgeable and experienced in treating bipolar.
• Covered by insurance… in network. (If you can afford to pay out of pocket, this may not be an issue.)
• Responsive to patient feedback and requests, without being a pushover.
• Ready, willing, and able to team up with the therapist.
• Works at an acceptable mental health facility (acceptable to us) that’s covered by insurance (if hospitalization becomes necessary).
• Readily accessible – returns phone calls in a reasonable amount of time or at least has someone on call.

Please share your experiences and insights on psychiatrists and other treatment providers you’ve had. This information can be very helpful for consumers shopping for providers and for mental health professionals who want to improve the care they provide.

Remember
Teamwork is essential, especially given the fact that most insurance companies won’t pay your psychiatrist to serve as your therapist, too. In Bipolar Disorder for Dummies, we show you how to build an effective mood management team, including a doctor (for diagnosis and prescriptions), one or more therapists, and a support group of family members and/or friends.

Ari Asks…

I have a friend who has most symptoms of bipolar, but doesn’t seem to have any obvious sign of depression. He has most other signs of bipolar. He’s had about four episodes of manic behavior in the last five months which had lasted three to four days. Could he be bipolar in your opinion – like rapid-cycling bipolar disorder without the obvious sign or suffering of depression?

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In Bipolar Disorder for Dummies, we talk a little about the differences in how bipolar mania is seen from the outside as opposed to how it is experienced from the inside. Inside, a person experiencing mania may feel…

• I am amazing!
• Everything is wonderful!
• I can do anything and everything!
• I have all the answers! My ideas will revolutionize the world!
• Sleep is only for people who have nothing better to do!
• Everybody loves me!

Outsiders may have a completely different perspective, saying or at least thinking…

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With this post, we continue our sort-of-biweekly series on medications used to treat bipolar disorder and related symptoms. A few weeks ago, we began our coverage of the SSNRI antidepressants with Effexor (venlafaxine).

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Bipolar disorder affects more than the individual who has it – it affects everyone it touches, especially family members, and can in turn be affected by the words and behaviors of others. In my family, for example, when my wife starts cycling into mania, I tend to get depressed. Our son becomes borderline abusive. Our daughter gets confused and defensive. All of our reactions seem to feed into the bipolar, worsening the mania.

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Over the past couple weeks, my wife, who happens to have bipolar, has not been sleeping well, which is always a bad sign. For two weeks, she’s been trying to get something to help her sleep - to get her through the often manic days that seem to reach full bloom about the time school lets out. You can read the whole account, “Tragedy of Errors” on our Bipolar Blog.

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I work at home. My wife (who has bipolar) works for the local school district. Several times during the year are difficult for us. It seems, for example, that when we “spring forward” for daylight savings time, we almost invariably spring into mania. We do okay over the summer. When she returns to work in the fall, sometimes we do okay, sometimes not. The Christmas break is also usually a bad time.

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Sandra C. Asks…

I have been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder for 3 years. I spent one month and many drugs on a psych unit at the hospital where I was an RN on staff. After approximately one year, I got rid of oh so many drugs down to Lithium Carbonate and Ambien for sleep.

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As soon as you get diagnosed with bipolar, one of the first things you’re likely to hear about or read about are all the famous people past and present who are believed to have or have had bipolar. Mental Health Today has a long list categorized by field of endeavor. You’re likely to recognize at least a few names on the list, including…

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With this post, we continue our biweekly series on medications used to treat bipolar disorder and related symptoms. Over the past weeks, we covered several commonly used SSRI antidepressants, including Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, and Lexapro. This week, we turn our attention to another class of antidepressants known as SSNRI’s, the most popular of which are Effexor, Cymbalta, and Pristiq.

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