Be Your Own Advocate!

I am really excited about some new books I ordered on Amazon.com today. I have decided that I need to become even more educated on the biology and chemistry surrounding Bipolar Disorder as well as the Psychopharmacology behind it. I realized if I don't become my own advocate I loose my voice in this battle and surrender control to doctors who, let's face it folks, may or may not have my best interests in mind. Did you know that pharmaceutical representatives go around from doctor's office to doctor's office with loads of samples in an effort to get the doctor to prescribe their drug more often? It's true. Then what happens is the drug that the doctor prescribes might not be the right fit for you. So you go back to another appointment and they give you a prescription for another drug that a different pharmaceutical representative has given them samples for. And on and on it goes.

Sometimes illegal activity can go on where the pharmaceutical company offers the doctor a set amount of money for every prescription of their drug the doctor writes. It is illegal, but folks, it happens everyday.

My suggestion in all of this is to be your own advocate. Educate yourself on Bipolar Disorder, the drugs available for your Disorder and talk to other people who are Bipolar to see what works for them. It may or may not work for you, but you will never know if you don't ask and try. Fight for the treatment you deserve. Be your own voice and let it be heard. And don't let the fact that you have been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder make you think you can't take on bio/chem and psychopharmacology. Some of the most brilliant minds in this world are and were Bipolar. Einstein was and look what great things he accomplished. Take control.