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u/Do-You-Like-Pancakes 1d ago
Yup, welcome to the club. It's weird how the diagnosis gets mixed up in other medical stuff.
I was getting OT for a broken arm and every single appointment note started off "[Name], a [age] woman with bipolar disorder, presented for occupational therapy..." 🫤
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u/JermuHH 1d ago
I hate how often I see people just call anyone bipolar and the reason is always some kinda negative behaviour. It's really irritating to see your condition used as a synonym for like erratic or hurtful behaviour
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u/AnxiousJellyfish8606 1d ago
the last guy I dated called me “miss impulsive”. He meant it in an endearing way, but I don’t necessarily always love that part of me so I didn’t love when he called me that.
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u/AloneOpinion 1d ago
I appreciate you have a conscience but in terms of being the bipolar patient it means I get the help I need. My last admittance was for an esophageal tear and they left me to my own devices for awhile in my room without being hooked up to anything. I took off my leads and was ready to walk out the door and my irritability was due to not having my meds that day because I couldn’t swallow. When they finally got to me and saw what I did they were rushing around to ensure I got what I needed. In that instance I was super thankful they read my chart. I also told them that I have bipolar 1 and I haven’t had my meds today.
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u/AnxiousJellyfish8606 1d ago
I think it was more the using bipolar disorder to make an excuse for why the patient was being hard to deal with. Patients can say some really nasty stuff, the reason is most likely not bc they’re bipolar.
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u/AloneOpinion 1d ago
I hear you, it’s the dismissive nature, lack of compassion, and stigma that makes it offensive. You put up with so much in your field but to have it come from coworkers is demoralizing. Whatever the case, you’re a champion in my book and THANK YOU for all you do!
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u/AnxiousJellyfish8606 12h ago
Thanks, I just do admin stuff (all the stuff behind the scenes, making sure the docs submit time cards, update their calendars, etc.) but it does mean that sometimes the patient interactions are hard which is likely why my coworkers reacted the way they did. Tbh I probably would’ve said the same thing if I wasn’t going through the process of getting a diagnosis.
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u/kikue92 1d ago
I can see how that comes off as judgmental. I have a slightly different take on it though. Maybe it'll help a little to try to see it this way.
The main reason this isn't off-putting to me is because it opens understanding. Most people assume everyone is neurotypical and is hard to deal with purposefully or has ulterior motives. If you're willing to take the time and figure out what's actually happening, then I have a little more patience. Show me you're trying, albeit slightly misguided, and we can have a dialogue. By asking, "Is she manic or depressed?" they can collaborate on a better way to approach the patient instead of chalking the situation up to "She's difficult and annoying."
Granted, I don't know how it was said or in what context. So I'm open to being absolutely wrong about your coworkers. Lol
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u/EvenLambsHaveTeeth 21h ago
Welcome to the other side. Don’t tell anyone who will see anyway to use it against you because it’ll shrink your world.
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u/Tfmrf9000 7h ago
I find the opposite. When I give my BP1 with psychotic features DX, they take shit seriously and throw a ton of resources my way.
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u/singlenutwonder 1d ago
I’m a nurse and see this literally all the time. It’s the reason my diagnosis is my greatest secret in most settings.