Borderline PD/Depression/Alcholism-need advice pls?

Zoelikesjam

your so right mm, I have rapid cycling BP which means the cycles of downs and ups are frequent and often. I never know what is worse, the highs when i blow money i dont have, (used to) become very promiscous and doing stupid things i would never normally do, or the lows when i want to end it all. However, now i have some decent meds, a decent cpn etc i have learnt to 'know' when a cycle is coming. I get certain symtons and i can soften the blow by switchin my meds and changing things about iyswim?
Re the dla, i've filled in the forms as honestly as i could, and keep getting on the phone to them to see how its coming on. Atm they are waiting for a report from my gp...my only concern is that i've recently moved house and doctors and worried the gp wont forefil this request as i am no longer his patient, does anyone have and experiance with this? I dread having a report from my new doctor as ive only met him once and he is an !!!!(sorry) so un caring grrrrr. I had to go and collect my meds last week as id run out and i was outright accused of being a drugg addict by the practice manager when they wouldnt percribe me my pain relife(morphine) after lots of tears and a petrified me(withdrawal and pain i was terrified) she sorted it with a snarl....i went into meet my new gp yest and he was very business like and not at all bothered(or didnt seem to be) apart from the fact that he was concerned about my meds etc. he actually berated my wonderful old gp which upset me. long story not so short he informed me that the area we have moved into(in some parts) has a drug problem so they are more concerned about giving out medication...I was horrified. how DARE they tar me with the same brush? Ive never taken drugs in my life apart from ones percribed by the doctor. I was so upset and angry. Anyways, rant over lol!

msmoose

Getting on the right medication is the key to getting BPD part of the way under control along with some proper therapy... I practically begged the NHS Dr's for years for mood stabilisers but in their eyes my moods were not severe enough for them, my answer was to them “You’re not the one experiencing them how the hell would you know?” In the end I went private and at my first appointment I found a sympathetic female Psychiatrist who prescribed me a newish mood stabiliser which was also proven to stop binge eating and gradually over the past six months we have increased the dose and my mood swings have decreased so much and I am so much calmer... I can’t thank her enough! It just goes to show that go with your gut instinct and if you think you are right to continue to push until you get what you want.

I am also the implusive spender and am trying real hard now to reduce my debts and control my spending, I've already been bankrupt once 9 years ago and thought this year I was going to declare myself bankrupt again but decided my debts, my problems and I was going to face up to them and pay them off like the adult I am! I've had a gambling problem, a drinking problem (I was 15 weeks drink free till the middle of August, now 4 weeks and counting!) not self harmed since the end of May. I've never done illegal drugs, that's never been my thing but have self medicated with my own medication and taken often too many of my own drugs just to knock myself out because I didn't want to be here...

BPD is still a very much misunderstood illness and there are so many triats to it each person is different but I am determined to continue the road to recovery, it won't be easy and I am sure I'll slip up, no one is perfect :eek: but hey that's life!

System

I do hate the fact i get no help with my BPD. They labeled me and pretty much discarded me. A friend who also has BPD has a SW, has DBT and is on mood stabilisers, but i'm on on ADs for my depression and its taken them going on 4 months to get me CBT despite me being referred for high intensity as i was high risk at the time!. Its so frustrating, i was better off not knowing i had it.

Zoelikesjam

Its terribly frustrating isnt it MU? Im now waiting for my new 'wonderful' (sarcasm!!!) GP to organise a phsych and a CPN. The CPN is more so needed atm cus i am in the middle of a cycle and the gp doesnt seem to care, its like he just wants to pass the buck. Concerning my knee and [STRIKE]hop[/STRIKE] hip(im tired!) problems he has passed me over to the consultants and a pain clinic. I am very happy about this but the way he did it GRRRRRRRRR, he outright said i shouldnt be on morphine as they dont like perscribing it(and thats my problem HOW>?) and if he pain clinic were happy to they would take over my care. He said he was not happy my old gp had taken over the care himself....maybe it had something to do with the fact he was a very good doctor and empathised massivly with my problems. The practice manager(the !!!!!) actually turned around to me and said i should be living my life to the full, not dosed upto the eyeballs on morphine and quetiapine at the age of 25.....(this is the point i burst into tears) and ranted back at her,

'living my life to the full?' i nearly shouted at her 'living my life to the effing full? you have no idea lady. before my diagnosis i was working as a vet nurse, and could actually(nearly) function with the children. Now i have no quality of life, i cant play with my children, i cant take them to the park, i cant do normal things normal mums do and you have the cheek to tell me to live my life to the full?'

OH MY GOD!
Anyways, i hopefully have this referal to the pain managment clinic, a new cpn and psych...but he gave me no information about a crisis team, or support groups whilst i wait for these said apps. I just feel like im stuck in a hole and cant get out.

Messedup what is DBT and SW and have you found the CBT any help? xxx

starnight_2

Feel free to correct if I'm wrong...far as I remember

SW = social worker
DBT = dialectical behavioural therapy

Errata

starnight wrote: »

Feel free to correct if I'm wrong...far as I remember

SW = social worker
DBT = dialectical behavioural therapy

You're right, although as yet DBT has very few practitioners compared to CBT. HTH

toodles60

I have a severe anxiety disorder and panic disorder which is another condition that is overlooked a lot of the time. Also have social agrophobia and depression etc. I have been on lower rate care and mobility for 3 years and as my condition has worsened recently with the onset of hypothyroidism which is fine and controlled, but worsened my anxiety related issues, applied for a higher rate. I was turned down and appealed.

Went to tribunal on Friday and as an anxiety sufferer, got very upset and panicky. Was sure i was going to be turned down but was called back in and told I was going to get the Higher Rate Care allowance backdated from 3rd March this year. The mobility was staying the same though, which is fair enough as I only have problems in crowded places [Shops etc]I wasn't expecting them to leap over middle and go straight to higher.

They do fire questions at you, but when you go to the tribunal, especially if you have a mental health problem, let them SEE that problem. Don't sit in the chair stoically and hide your upset and being questioned about personal things by these people. If your upset, let them see it! It's the only way with non physical claims they will understand what you go through. I had a panic attack and cried all the way through. Think they threw the higher rate at me to get me outta there.

You need to go, no matter how upsetting for you. [As said above let them see it] If you don't go your chance of winning is only around 20 odd percent. If you go it rises to over 60%. It is humiliating and upsetting but going will help you get what you need. There are only 3 people sat at a table and they're fair and unbiased, but will stick to the letter of the law. Sometimes, with MH conditions, the full impact of those conditions cannot be perceived from a form. You need to go hun and as said before don't hide your symptoms there.

System

starnight wrote: »

Feel free to correct if I'm wrong...far as I remember

SW = social worker
DBT = dialectical behavioural therapy

Yeah that's right, sorry should have been clearer! I'm sure i read somewhere about DBT being used for BPD and having a slightly better success rate in helping to treat it? I'm very lucky in that i haven't had to appeal/go to tribunal over my DLA as i've just been awarded MRC and LRM, but still worried about ESA after hearing so many horroe stories. They seem obsessed on whether someone will be ok to work in 6 months time, my condition varies far too much to put a date on it, and this is my 5 or 6th breakdown in about 10 years so i don't see me miraculously recovering in 6 months!