Posted by Christ_empowered on March 31, 2011, at 18:50:46
In reply to Re: Previous hospatilizations = more meds?, posted by bleauberry on March 31, 2011, at 17:12:07
Before I was hospitalized, my shrink just kind of threw pills at me and didn't really take me seriously. 2.5 years later, I was put into a mental hospital--not entirely willingly, mind you--and diagnosed with Bipolar type I w/ Psychotic Features.
For some reason, the hospital arranged for me to see the same shrink I'd seen years ago. This time around, I not only got more meds, I got put on one of the most sedating combos imaginable.
Since I'd been in the hospital and I have the psychotic features, I was put on a full dose of Depakote and a full dose of Abilify, plus Klonopin plus Ambien.
I found that not only did my doctor put me on more meds and more sedating meds, I was treated differently. On the one hand, my problems were taken seriously--awesome. On the other hand, b/c I'd had a "severe manic episode w/ psychotic features," I was treated as if I was ready to go manic at any moment. My doctor kept trying to increase the Abilify, even though I'm prone to akathisia, EPS, and neuroleptic-induced dysphoria.
So yeah, long story short: it definitely happens. Hospitalization=increased severity of illness, at least in the eyes of the people who prescribe the drugs. Other factors that may make a patient seem more deviant and/or "threatening" (history of substance abuse, history of violence, even race--African-American patients are often put on higher doses of antipsychotics than white patients) seem to make neuroleptic use (and high-dose neuroleptic use) more likely.
poster:Christ_empowered
thread:981411
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20110321/msgs/981580.html