Manic Nurses.

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Those familiar with bipolar disorder know that mania does not necessarily mean extremes in happiness. Sometimes, the mania is manifest as anger, aggression, irritability...or a combination of those.

I think this was the case with me yesterday. It makes it a challenge to deal with at work. I'm under a lot of stress and maybe that just exacerbated it, but I picked a fight with my husband and showed my butt at work (nothing like stripping naked or anything, but it was totally out of character for me.) I was cursing a lot (mostly the "s" word and the "d" word) and I was mocking this other nurse (she is one of those snotty, arrogant, nasty people no one can stand, even the ADON says she was hoping this nurse would have quit by now). I'm not defending myself for acting like an orifice but if you knew this nurse...you would understand. I was very animated, verbally and physically.

As a side note, I was a busy body, too. My alertness and attention to detail was greatly enhanced. I was actually overdoing my job until another nurse left early and a lot happened that left me overwhelmed late in the evening. Then, I turned back into that other person. Still, patient care was not compromised. If anything, I think my job performance was better.

But aside from that, I'm usually very quiet and agreeable. But enough about me.

I would like to know if you work with manic depressive nurses who are usually sweet-natured and easy to get along with but who, once in awhile, gets a little "different."

I'm not sure the answer is always to give someone a pill because of this. I knew a nurse who seemed to always be manic. She would fly up and down the halls and she admitted that she spent her checks before they got there. She had a problem with spending, spending, spending. She was a little hard to work with because she was a perfectionist, but she was an excellent nurse. One of the best nurses I've seen. I would have hated to see her put on Lamictal and Clonidine for the sake of "treatment." I think this would have destroyed who she was. Not that I'm trying to compare someone with manic depression to Beethoven, but do you think he would have accomplished what he did on Depakote?

What is your experience in dealing with manic depressive nurses?

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Professional female nurses understand better than male nurses. Males are more prone to depression. Nursing comes naturally to females.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

I have a dear family member who is bi-polar, and I am basing my response on my experience with him.

If you are aware that your behavior was out of character, please contact your health care provider and discuss it. While you may not believe that patient care or safety was compromised by your altered behavior, it is my experience that the affected person is not always able to evaluate his/her own behavior accurately and objectively. What seemed "a little out of character" to you may have appeared far more extreme to others.

I wish you well.

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Specializes in ICU.

My ex husband (not a nurse) has bipolar. He did not stay on his meds thinking he was fine.The disease tricks the person who has it to think they are ok and everyone else has the problem. He became sicker and sicker every year and I could never get him to take his meds. He always blamed me for his troubles. He decided to leave me four years ago in search of something better and less of a hassle. For me this was the best thing he could have ever done since he was pretty emotionally and mentally abusive. He has gotten even worse after the divorce and because of his behavior which then was directed towards the kids, I got custody and was allowed to move out of state to finish my degree. Then he lost his job twice in the last three years. His family is seeing how off he is and they have pulled away. He has gotten so bad he doesn't even call our children, even when they leave him messages. He has nothing and no one anymore...and I often wonder if regrets not trying to get help before he lost everything. He was an immense jerk to me...but I still feel slightly bad for him. I would not want to see you mess up your life in the way that I have witnessed bipolar mess up my ex's. Try to get help, if you have bipolar you really aren't aware what your behavior seems like to the outside world. Please don't let what happened in my family happen to yours. Get help!

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By reading your post it seems your actions were over the edge...showing my butt here at work would have gotten me fired. Go see a mental health professional for an evaluation...your next episode might have more severe consequences.

But being bipolar does not make you a bad nurse...

And you may not be bipolar--have you ever seen a nurse that self-diagnosed and was wrong? LOL!

But still, go see someone!

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also, there are many, many folks who are gentle, passive by nature, yet carry around a lot of suppressed rage.

what i'm saying is your 'outburst' doesn't automatically make one bipolar.

either way, i think a mental health eval is in order.

good luck sweetie.

leslie

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Specializes in LTC/Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.

Why does nursing "come naturally for females"?

I find this statement offensive.

And, two of the best nurses I know both happen to be men.

Professional female nurses understand better than male nurses. Males are more prone to depression. Nursing comes naturally to females.
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Why does nursing "come naturally for females"?

I find this statement offensive.

And, two of the best nurses I know both happen to be men.

sometimes there are posts that are worthy of ignoring, kwim?

best to just move on.;)

leslie

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My ex husband (not a nurse) has bipolar. He did not stay on his meds thinking he was fine.The disease tricks the person who has it to think they are ok and everyone else has the problem. He became sicker and sicker every year and I could never get him to take his meds. He always blamed me for his troubles. He decided to leave me four years ago in search of something better and less of a hassle. For me this was the best thing he could have ever done since he was pretty emotionally and mentally abusive. He has gotten even worse after the divorce and because of his behavior which then was directed towards the kids, I got custody and was allowed to move out of state to finish my degree. Then he lost his job twice in the last three years. His family is seeing how off he is and they have pulled away. He has gotten so bad he doesn't even call our children, even when they leave him messages. He has nothing and no one anymore...and I often wonder if regrets not trying to get help before he lost everything. He was an immense jerk to me...but I still feel slightly bad for him. I would not want to see you mess up your life in the way that I have witnessed bipolar mess up my ex's. Try to get help, if you have bipolar you really aren't aware what your behavior seems like to the outside world. Please don't let what happened in my family happen to yours. Get help!

What about people who realize it is not normal and the ones who are not looking to blame anyone else?

What you are describing sounds more like BPD.

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My mom is bipolar, but doesn't take meds. She was on meds for a very brief time when I was a child, and life was much more pleasant, but she stopped taking them because she couldn't drink with them. She has always used alcohol to self-medicate. It is a very sad situation.

I remember always being terrified that she would fly off the handle. You never knew what would set her off. Her mania definitely manifested itself as anger/hatred. She would yell and tell us kids that we were worthless and she wished we'd never been born. Sometimes she would be physically abusive. It seemed that would be the height of her mania, then she'd go into these crying fits where she said she wanted to die and she'd go hide in her room. I was always scared of what would happen.

If you ask her about it, she was a great mom and doesn't understand why people think she overreacts. And she swears she doesn't have an alochol problem.

Sometimes people who are ill cannot recognize it. Mocking coworkers, cursing alot, and picking fights are not normal, professional behavior. Please seek medical advice soon, so you can get the treatment you need, before you alienate those who love you.

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also, there are many, many folks who are gentle, passive by nature, yet carry around a lot of suppressed rage.

what i'm saying is your 'outburst' doesn't automatically make one bipolar.

either way, i think a mental health eval is in order.

good luck sweetie.

leslie

I had one. Technically, it only takes one episode of increased energy, hyper behavior, etc. to be labled bipolar. I actually have substantial frontal lobe damage from a horseback riding accident I had when I was 13 and was told by a psychiatrist that when I have episodes like this I am actually having seizures. He started me on Lamictal and was going to increase the dosage and add other medications but I became pregnant and stopped it. I felt horrible when I was on that medicine, like I had a lobotomy. I still had emotions but I could not act on them.

I'm not sure I buy what the psychiatrist told me.

At the same time, if this was real, isn't it a shame that a diabetic or someone suffering from a medical condition that could affect their mental state could have an episode where they were delirius and "showed their butt" yet this would not be forgiveable in someone who was labled bipolar?

The biopolar person would get their "butts fired" while the diabetic would receive sympathy for their infirmity.

Mental illness is one of the saddest, most complicated, misunderstood illnesses a person can have. No, I don't want sympathy. Maybe I'm not mentally ill, maybe I'm just a fool. Either way, it isn't fun.

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Golytely- nobody said it wasn't forgivable. If the diabetic continued having outbursts because she refused to get treatment for her disoder, then she would probably be fired, as she would be considered a liability risk. Same goes for mental illness. It is forgivable when you have these outbursts, but only when you are actively trying to get help for it. I have no sympathy for people who know there is something wrong, but refuse to treat.

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