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Nurses Disabilities

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Hi,

I've been in nursing for 16 plus years and due to happenstance have found myself moving on. Part of my journey included a tough wake up call, waking up in an inpatient psychiatric unit after having a psychotic manic reaction to a SSRI. Even after I became stable, as a psychiatric patient I had absolutely zero credibility, I was even patronized when I asked about the medications I was given. In the begining, when I tried to explain that I was a nurse, my statements were quoted as part of my "psychosis." The story does go on and on from this point, but my interest is now if other people have had any simliar experience. Also, in stories of losing jobs or licenses due to mental illness. Even the experence or stima or prejudice by people in the medical or mental health profession towards your mental illness. You can either reply directly to this thread or to me privately. I am using the information in a paper describing the marginalization of people with mental health challenges, and that even the use of the term mental illness reinforces marginalization- it seperates it from a physical illness though many are chemical imbalances in the brain and COULD be classified as a physical illness. etc etc etc.

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sadly, mental illness is terribly stigmatized in this country.

and grossly misunderstood.

i have kept my personal life, out of my professional one.

if i hadn't been well enough to nurse, it wouldn't even be an issue.

but since i am better than ever, this is the decision i have made, to protect myself.

leslie

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Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
Hi,

I've been in nursing for 16 plus years and due to happenstance have found myself moving on. Part of my journey included a tough wake up call, waking up in an inpatient psychiatric unit after having a psychotic manic reaction to a SSRI. Even after I became stable, as a psychiatric patient I had absolutely zero credibility, I was even patronized when I asked about the medications I was given. In the begining, when I tried to explain that I was a nurse, my statements were quoted as part of my "psychosis."

Just too darn familiar satis, sorry this happened to you! I relate to the psychotic manic reation d/t SSRI, loss of credibility, being patronized on the unit, and - it was almost like they were saying, well she's DOUBLE crazy because she's a NURSE! Weird.

I also had serious physical symptoms that they would not allow me to go to the ER for (atypical chest pain/pressure going into my neck/arm) - I had to practically threaten them and insisted I had a right, even if I was wrong. I was SO MAD. (that month I had had a CT scan that showed I had a pulomonary embolus! and then another dr. said no, it wasn't. So, what if the 2nd dr was WRONG, and it WAS a PE! Was that paranoia?)

oo, still boils my blood and that was almost 2 yrs ago.

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I think it's a crime that the medications peddled by "The Man" to help cure people of such dibilitating diseases such as mental illness are the same medications that have caused you to lose your ability to help others with other ailments.

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Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
I think it's a crime that the medications peddled by "The Man" to help cure people of such dibilitating diseases such as mental illness are the same medications that have caused you to lose your ability to help others with other ailments.

I agree!

My meds for bipolar and depression caused me to lose a lot of memory and comprehension - and my brains were my "claim to fame". I am on a lower dose now and I am hoping it comes back!

I refer often to how I felt, and the effect on my thinking process, as "chemical shock treatments". I didn't have the voltage applied but the chemicals did essentially the same thing.

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I did have that similiar experience also, I went to the ER for chest pain, though I had already rationalized at my age 32, with no cardiac history, I was 99% sure in wasn't a MI BUT it was something. Of course you say chest pain and you re dragged back quickly, I even told the doc, I didn't think it was cardiac, Due to terminology he found out I was a nurse and suddenly again, I knew nothing, It wasn't cardiac, and he told me panic and anxiety to which I replied I had thought of that nd already tried relaxing, after 4 mg of ativan the pain was no better. A chest X-ray showed bilateral pneumonia and a P.E. THEN he had the nerve to tell well your a nurse you should have told me your trouble breathing was significant. MY SAO2 was 84%, I thought spoke for itself. Being a nurse make you either inconvientantly competent or convientantly incompetent, which ever seems to serve the purpose at the time.

Thank for your reply

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Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
of course you say chest pain and you re dragged back quickly,

these guys assumed i was having anxiety - or faking. they did not listen to my rationale about the ct that had showed pe - as if my being 'crazy' negated everything (come to think of it, i had another experience w/ another doc, in the er, re migraines - i had facial, neck, and l arm numbness - because i had a hx of mental illness i was not credible re my hx, concerns, etc... you would not believe how incensed i was - and it's not wise to tick off someone with bipolar... rofl!!)

being a nurse make you either inconvientantly competent or convientantly incompetent, which ever seems to serve the purpose at the time.

no kidding, eh? i think it's because they hear "nurse" and they are afraid - because deep down they know, if it could happen to us it could happen to them (be afraid ... be very afraid ... mwahh hahh hahhh...)

w/ the dr. who gave me a hard time re the migraines - i did make a formal complaint. w/ the second re my chest pain i did not because i was very high (the night of my ct scan my mania was a 10 out of 10!!!). so my perceptions could easily have been exaggerated, or at least be considered exaggerated, so there seemed to be no point.

it's nice to know i'm not alone :( altho sad to know these situations are not isolated.

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Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.

Here's a kicker! My second hospitalization for an unknown diagnosis. On 4L of O2 and sats at 86-88%. The doctor puts in my hospital record, psychosomatic???? as a dz.

I had whooping cough. Should have coughed on him.:angryfire

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Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..
Hi,

I've been in nursing for 16 plus years and due to happenstance have found myself moving on. Part of my journey included a tough wake up call, waking up in an inpatient psychiatric unit after having a psychotic manic reaction to a SSRI. Even after I became stable, as a psychiatric patient I had absolutely zero credibility, I was even patronized when I asked about the medications I was given. In the begining, when I tried to explain that I was a nurse, my statements were quoted as part of my "psychosis." The story does go on and on from this point, but my interest is now if other people have had any simliar experience. Also, in stories of losing jobs or licenses due to mental illness. Even the experence or stima or prejudice by people in the medical or mental health profession towards your mental illness. You can either reply directly to this thread or to me privately. I am using the information in a paper describing the marginalization of people with mental health challenges, and that even the use of the term mental illness reinforces marginalization- it seperates it from a physical illness though many are chemical imbalances in the brain and COULD be classified as a physical illness. etc etc etc.

I had a physician for 10 years who was very prejudiced. I'm not mentally ill, but do take an anxiotic for breathing problems, and and antidepressant for neuropathic pain and clinical depression. I'm currently not depressed. However, the pain persists, and I'm also on other meds to control it. Topamax altered my personality, and I had to go off of it. Also, that physician thought I was a nut who exaggerated my pain. I have that documented in my medical records. So after his misdiagnosing me twice that I know of, and not treating me correctly, I fired him and gave him a new name.

After that, I looked in my phone book and saw the name of a doc. Hmm, I thought, that sounds like a professional, I think I'll try him. What a blessing he is. Even though my diseases have advanced, I am stable. I have no idea how long it will last, but I'm so totally thankful for him. I even hugged him one day, and complemented him for managing to do in about a year what the unbelieving, prejudiced physician didn't do in 10 years.

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Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..

Leslie posted wise words, but if you would like to PM me, I'll give you further details.

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Specializes in Level 2 and 3 NICU, outpt peds.

Hey there, I am on ssri's for disthymia (sp?) and have chosen to keep quiet about it d/t the judgements I hear everyday re: nurse with bipolar disorder that we all work with. I have to say that we as a profession are the worst about supporting those with mental disorders o matter how highly functioning we may be. Had a previous manager call me the "psycho" nurse and that I neede to be put on more meds. The nurse with bipolar disorder had enormous issues when her MD changed her meds. Just remember that under th US's ADA, mental illness is a recognized disability, so u have some protection under the rules, but in my experience,if they want to get rid of u, they'll find a way!:o

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Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.
I did have that similiar experience also, I went to the ER for chest pain, though I had already rationalized at my age 32, with no cardiac history, I was 99% sure in wasn't a MI BUT it was something. Of course you say chest pain and you re dragged back quickly, I even told the doc, I didn't think it was cardiac, Due to terminology he found out I was a nurse and suddenly again, I knew nothing, It wasn't cardiac, and he told me panic and anxiety to which I replied I had thought of that nd already tried relaxing, after 4 mg of ativan the pain was no better. A chest X-ray showed bilateral pneumonia and a P.E. THEN he had the nerve to tell well your a nurse you should have told me your trouble breathing was significant. MY SAO2 was 84%, I thought spoke for itself. Being a nurse make you either inconvientantly competent or convientantly incompetent, which ever seems to serve the purpose at the time.

Thank for your reply

I call them jerk doctors!

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