Random Psychiatry venting

[Messerschmitts]

My patient's GF: (at appt with pt) "Doctor, I too have bipolar disorder. My psychiatrist has me on Zoloft and Klonopin".

Me: "Oh, anything else?

Her: "Nope, those two meds are what works for my bipolar disorder."

Me: "Uh....alrighty then, I will leave that to your psychiatrist".

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[finalpsychyear]

My patient's GF: (at appt with pt) "Doctor, I too have bipolar disorder. My psychiatrist has me on Zoloft and Klonopin".

Me: "Oh, anything else?

Her: "Nope, those two meds are what works for my bipolar disorder."

Me: "Uh....alrighty then, I will leave that to your psychiatrist".

Im guessing this psychiatrist is probably private vs at a community care setting.

 

[NickNaylor]

Maybe she mixed up the two possible meanings of BPD.

 

[wolfvgang22]

My most memorable experience last month was when an extremely reactive woman brought her 90 year old father to my Alzheimer's clinic. She said "I know all about mental health, I have Bipolar and I take a lot of medications! All he needs is Xanax 1mg three times per day, it works for me and our old doctor prescribed it to him for years!"

 

[Attending1985]

Bipolar is now like the boy who cried wolf. I believe no one who says they have it probably missing some who do.

 

[randomdoc1]

Bipolar is now like the boy who cried wolf. I believe no one who says they have it probably missing some who do.

that and ADHD.
Definitely don't believe anyone who claims they have "bipolar schizophrenia"

 

[birchswing]

I'm not defending long-term benzodiazepine use, but I imagine the thinking is something similar to things I've heard before: That Klonopin is "different" (maybe but I'm not sure how) than other benzos, is more of a traditional anti-epileptic med than other benzos (maybe but I'm not sure how), and has mood stabilizing properties like other anti-epileptics. Just saying things I've heard. A quick Google search shows people have studied it for mood stabilization. Not defending. Just things I have heard.

 

[Stagg737]

My most memorable experience last month was when an extremely reactive woman brought her 90 year old father to my Alzheimer's clinic. She said "I know all about mental health, I have Bipolar and I take a lot of medications! All he needs is Xanax 1mg three times per day, it works for me and our old doctor prescribed it to him for years!"

By far the best use of that emoji I've ever seen. I'd upvote it twice if I could.

Bipolar is now like the boy who cried wolf. I believe no one who says they have it probably missing some who do.

It's legitimately painful how often I've heard bipolar thrown out there. Kid with intermittent explosive disorder? Definitely bipolar. Clear PMDD symptoms? Clearly she's bipolar. Borderline PD with constant mood swings? Well that's obviously rapid cycling bipolar. What's that? You've got track marks visible across the room, horrible teeth, and a positive UDS for meth? Better prescribe some fentanyl for that bipolar disorder...

For real though, I feel your pain and I haven't even started residency yet.

 

[WingedOx]

Kid with intermittent explosive disorder? Definitely bipolar.

Well of course Joe Biederman is still at Mass Gen, so don't expect that to go away any time soon.

 

[Monocles]

Well of course Joe Biederman is still at Mass Gen, so don't expect that to go away any time soon.

Omg hahaha one of our lecturers just made a joke about that this morning... did not realise that Biederman was this well known outside of Boston.

 

[Mad Jack]

Maybe she mixed up the two possible meanings of BPD.

Or she's got one of those "I'm diagnosing you with bipolar for billing purposes but you're really borderline" psychiatrists