BeOne77

Yes there is reason to be afraid of a medications classification such as an antipsychotic. 1) There are several physical problems as a result of taking any AP, such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, kidney disease, cardiac arrest, insomnia, eye issues, fibromyalgia, intrusive thoughts, anxiety, abnormal muscle movements, tardive dyskinesia, NMS, serotonin syndrome, CNS damage and depletion of GABA receptors and many other side effects too long to list but can be found on RXlist.com.. 2) There are reports, studies and clinical trials that report that people who take AP's have more incidences of rehospitalization and more relapses than those treated with placebos..Incidences of psychosis are more common once on a AP and also there is a risk of psychosis in a withdrawal period. Not to mention long term disability 3) No there are not many conditions AP's are used for except for psychosis and sleep (Seroquel) 4) There is agreement now between many prominent psychiatrists that AP's should be used short term and that long term use can cause permanent disability. 5) Resulting Stigma, discrimination among others in society as well as medical discrimination and inability to receive life insurance.

Yes it is possible to go to nursing school with a mental illness, to graduate and get licensed however if your illness is reported either by you, someone who knows you, your doctor or anyone else who may have issue with this, or if you have prior hospitalizations, or if their is a complaint against you for any reason and this is revealed, you will be put into a monitoring program from anywhere from 2-5 years with reporting from your psychiatrist, therapist and be required to submit to random drug screens at your expense anywhere from 1-12 times per month, you will be required to send in monthly reports, sign your privacy consent away and also be required to pay for administrative fees every year to pay for participation in the program...Sorry chris you are having intrusive thoughts which sometimes be a result of a change in medication, withdrawal of one or a side effect of one. Blocking out thoughts or changing them is sometimes more beneficial than medication at times. It was put to me at one point that we get 60,000 thoughts a day and a way to assist with intrusive thoughts is to just watch them, notice them as if you are a bystander, and imagine that they are on a conveyer belt just dropping off the end...distraction is also helpful...it is common under the stress of nursing school to experience anxiety as to the nature of the stress involved, the expectations and the pressure related to exceed and pass...remember that intrusive thoughts are just that, harmless, bothersome, etc....we do have control over what we think about at times. Norman Vincent Peale said once "Change your thoughts- change your world"

At times people are suffering so much physically that the pain is so great and the struggle so difficult that Yes people do decide to take their lives....Not only can the physical pain be great but the emotional pain can be equally as great and for someone who is in withdraw or coming off of psych meds or being switched around from one to another the insomnia alone is enough to literally go off the deep end....

In balance from what? Getting back into balance....No this is not vertigo or low blood sugar or even orthostatic htn....Its as if to say someone who is depressed is unbalanced? No these drugs do not balance any chemicals in the brain...If anything they cause imbalances where there were none before. They also mess with the GABA system. Too many people who experience "depression" for the first time and start on ADs report worsening of depression, sometimes nightmares, and yes it can cause increased energy because it is causing an imbalance not rebalancing...They are inhibiting neurons and synapses and causing multiple other issues such as dizziness, increased appetite, dry mouth, anxiety, low blood pressure, etc. etc.. And no they do not increase serotonin as they market them for everyone to believe....The side effects are numerous..why do you think their energy levels are rebounding here? And if they were to increase serotonin as claimed why do you think it takes 4-8 weeks to reach a steady blood level?? It does not take 6 weeks to increase serotonin. There are foods that do this and exercise. No these drugs are known to "change" brain neurochemistry, not improve it...When you start manipulating brain chemicals and people's thoughts and thinking...Yes you are bound to have problems...and no, patients are not being monitored because their energy levels are increasing, it is because they are more at a risk of suicide having the drug in them and having more "energy" to finally carry it out....to make a detailed plan...What is your definition of a "true" mental disorder? Please explain your rationale...

Just In............... Video: Marlon Wayans: Antidepressants may have caused Robin Williams’ suicide | INTERNATIONAL COALITION FOR DRUG AWARENESS

Yes and we also have to remember that before the 1800's or so, there were rarely any diagnoses of Mental Illness, the term bipolar was very rare in the early 1900's and it wasn't until recently that there was an explosion of bipolar diagnoses which I find interesting being that there are more than 40,000 psychiatrists in the world all promoting various voted on diagnoses in the DSM in which there has never been credible evidence that the chemical imbalance theory is valid. And now being on the internet for more than a few hours a day is now a psychological impairment requiring medication as well as selfies. These theories of chemical imbalances have been perpetuated by these doctors as a logical answer to depression and the various behaviors people have but it is theorized that neurotransmitters are the cause of this which is almost impossible to delineate. High serotonin is known to be an indicator for carcinoid tumors. Not to mention that several psychiatrists have some patients on 4 to 5 different antidepressants at one time looking for the "magic" combination. These are theories which have in turn tried to become fact as a way to supplement the psychiatrists income in order to prescribe psychotropics to the public in order to satisfy the multibillion dollar profiting of the pharmaceutical industry who in turn claims to be making us better. Really it was the drug Milltown that started all of this in the 50's with its anxiolytic drug that was the first one to be marketed. Prior to that there was not as much outpouring of diagnoses of mental illness...Now its rampant....Is this because of the overabundance of psychiatrists? Or the TV, newspaper marketing being done from the pharm industry? These days there are mental health kiosks in the grocery store asking personal questions and screening individuals based on ten questions. Our kids are getting screened at school, women being questioned in ob gyn offices, primaries giving out and prescribing all of this...Now there are at least 100 or even more of these drugs. And too many of them are being restructured as new drugs and the names of the drugs are being changed *I.e -ambien and intermezza) So I find this interesting that people are being medicated with benzos for not sleeping well and thus becoming physiologically addicted and the time to withdraw from a benzo can take years and then recovery from this even longer. And I also find it interesting that medicine has changed its focus from disease prevention to disease management in the US...I also think that depression and other related "illnesses" are being overmedicated and treated like disease when emotions like grief and periods of depression are being manipulated and concocted as medical illnesses when they are based on feelings... Now, if you grieve your husband who just died for more than 2 weeks you have major depression and need to be medicated...As far as I know grief is a normal process to go through according to Kubler-Ross...And anxiety is pretty much a normal emotion too, so I am not sure how this got to be as big as it is and why it is being claimed as being scientific. There is big money to be made if you are a psychiatrist period. But is it gratifying if you know you are not curing but manipulating neurochemistry for emotions. And psychiatry is clever calling these disorders because they cannot claim they are illnesses or diseases because they are not. I think this branch of medicine should take a closer look at itself because of the physical problems that can occur as a result of taking these medications over a period of time. And further for the people who have been unlucky enough to get a mental health diagnosis are then further stigmatized in the workplace, in their communities, shunned by others, put onto disability due to the physical side effects and impact on career and lose friends and family members in the process. These mental health labels affect the person diagnosed for the rest of their lives and are told they are hopeless and need medication for the long term with no hope of recovery. They are told they must "manage" their "illness" and must take highly potent and powerful drugs for the rest of their lives which eventually produces drug induced dementia as well as kidney and liver disease....I remember talking to someone who has been taking many of these drugs and we both felt is was ironic that as high school students in chemistry class we were told never to mix chemicals together because the outcome was dangerous and toxic...I wonder if psychiatrists took this class as well...The chemicals and molecules used to make these drugs are very interesting indeed and no one has any knowledge of the long term effects of using these or what they are actually doing or accomplishing but there are many many reports of people suffering on the drugs with no real improvement and even more clinical trials where placebos were used and the outcomes were better on placebo than the actual drug.... Enough said.

Just posting my personal opinion based on my experience with this as well as looking in a somewhat objective sense....I believe that mr. Williams went to a treatment center in the beginning of July for his addiction to alcohol and depression and while there was given medication such as an antidepressant or an anti-anxiety pill which unbeknownst to many on this board do not understand the implications of switching meds or withdrawing from them which can induce suicidality...you may be aware that the antidepressants themselves have these warnings as well but when put into an extreme position of a CT withdraw if indeed this happened at this facility (no one knows for sure) the resulting effect is downright mental torture, with intrusive thoughts, anxiety and terror, panic, breathing and cardiac palpitations, a suffering like no other, so before you judge this man on just plain , bipolar, alcoholic, drug addicted maybe using humor to combat it all, I really don't believe anyone can comment to to this except for those who have experience themselves with taking and withdrawing from psychotropics...it not only changes your neurochemistry, jolts the CNS but brings thoughts and images worse than your favorite horror flick...........And to think this is drug induced....It was his choice to do this... just as anyone can deny chemo, surgery, or any other medical procedure.. ..and if you care to comment or post challenging views pm me and i'll bring you to a world of sufferers who are trying their damndest to get off these drugs reregulate their brain chemistry, return to homeostasis and survive after being given these drugs...And perhaps you might be more wary before encouraging the "mentally ill" to take their meds. It is no fun, a serious issue and a lifetime of rehabilitation after taking these drugs which not only mess with brainchemistry but result in kidney, metabolic, liver, heart and TD,NMS, antichlinergic effects, stomach issues, severe nerve and muscle pain among over 3000 side effects for some drugs such as Abilify and Seroquel, when in all reality before a dx is made in a casual 20min visit, there are no blood tests, x-rays, biochemical markers, brain scans only on medicated subjects or gene tests to determine this when in fact new studies have come out that psychotropics only 50% metabolize in the system, ...... ...the research out there has been flawed in regards to clinical trials, safety and the truth of FDA approval in which drugs are given the green light in 6-8 weeks on small test subjects and do not include those who dropped out..And no one discusses the significance of discontinuation syndrome, serotonin syndrome and no one acknowledges the severity of withdrawal syndrome which should be in all reality a college course for nursing and medical students alike in which needless suffering can be avoided if there was places to go for withdrawal and educated individuals assisting with the process and not just brushing it under the rug calling it depression, schizo, bipolar, ocd, gad, etc.. ...and then adding more drugs for this symptom, the next symptom..and yes the antidepressants can cause Mania as well as anti-anxiety drugs can cause depression and worse symptoms... .We do not know enough about the brain to be haphazardly throwing meds at people as a once size fits all solution when their minds are the most precious piece of hardware....Their must be other solutions, Not everyone is on these drugs, they must have some idea.?? And for those of us who have been through the med merry go round and withdraw...please don't judge people who have gone through this, have a dx and for me will continue to speak out at the dangers of these medications...Been on both sides of the fence as a patient and healthcare provider...for too long.

The emphasis is "outside" nursing

What can one do outside of nursing with a BSN and a BS. in Liberal studies, a phlebotomist certificate, a MA certificate and a CPS certificate? IDEAS?? BESIDES THESE?

best of luck finding a job...they are out there....

Hi Dean, Most PNAP contracts are usually 3 to 5 year contracts sometimes less, there are narcotic restrictions, you must work under another supervisor, three month reports from your supervisor, cannot work in er, icu, homecare, etc., must attend support group meetings, monthly ua's, cannot leave state for more than 20 days, monthly reports to case manager, therapist appointments, doctor appointments, and many more...I would advise you to call hark and hark in Philadelphia before signing the agreement and bestowing yourself to the Pnap which also I might add is at your expense for the ua's( $50-65), the appts, and the administrative fees which are 300.00 per year...AND ON IT GOES....

Does anyone know who makes decisions regarding information provided to PNAP...psych evals...they go to the case manager but who else sees that info?

does anyone know if you surrender your license, you can still use your degree (BSN) to move to another area of medicine even if you no longer carry the license? The education (degree) should still be transferable isn't it? the license to practice may be gone but the degree itself isn't correct? does anyone have knowledge in this area?

does anyone know if you surrender your license, you can still use your degree (BSN) to move to another area of medicine even if you no longer carry the license? The education (degree) should still be transferable isn't it? the license to practice may be gone but the degree itself isn't correct? does anyone have knowledge in this area?

would you hire someone with these issues or would you eliminate them from the pool?

Does anyone here who is in a board order feel very uncomfortable in talking with a therapist knowing that the contents of these "sessions" are being reported to the BON on a quarterly basis...How are you handling the lack of privacy? And what can be done on our parts to protect that which is SUPPOSED to be confidential...? For those who are required to see a therapist...

Not sure if this should be posted here in Nurse Management or elsewhere Trying to get an idea of chances for employment...in any area of nursing... Would someone hire a nurse who is on probation for the next 4 years who is in the DataBank Nurs/SYS as having a psychological impairment/mental disorder/physical illness? Level of Experience: 6mos. biometric screenings, 2mos literature review/adverse effects identification. 6mos. Red Cross telehealth, BSN refresher course recent with hospital clinical experience, nurse's aide and nurse extern experience..phlebotomist..medical assistant. DisorderlyConduct/summary harassment charge for disobeying a police officer in 2006 Never diverted, or had issues with alcohol dependence..

Hi, Not sure if this should be posted here or in Nurse Management... Trying to get an idea of chances for employment...in any area of nursing... Would someone hire a nurse who is on probation for the next 4 years who is in the DataBank Nurs/SYS as having a psychological impairment/mental disorder/physical illness? Level of Experience: 6mos. biometric screenings, 2mos. 6mos. Red Cross telehealth, BSN refresher course recent with hospital clinical experience, nurse's aide and nurse extern experience..phlebotomist..medical assistant. DisorderlyConduct/summary harassment charge for disobeying a police officer in 2006 Never diverted, or had issues with alcohol dependence.. Trying to determine if I should continue with probation or not.....

PsychGuy: More interesting reads: Another good one is "The myth of the chemical cure" by Joanna Moncrieff, M.D. a prominent psychiatrist in Britain...Rethinking Psychiatric Drugs by Grace E. Jackson and her newest Drug induced Dementia which may as well be worthwhile to gain an even more wider perspective on these issues...

"PsychGuy" - There is also "The myth of the chemical cure" by the prominent psychiatrist Joanne Moncrieff M.D. from Britain and the new one "Drug-Induced Dementia by Grace Jackson M.D. another well read and studied psychiatrist as well as her thought provoking Rethinking Psychiatric Drugs...which offers a rounded perspective...on the subject..

Just curious...did they report you to the BON? and what were the results? and what is mental hygiene code?

Personally, I don't know if I have a biochemical imbalance, and I don't really care. I only know that what I suffer with bipolar disorder isn't imaginary, Isn"t "bipolar" based on the chemical imbalance theory Viva???

To be educated is to consider both sides of the issues and to also realize that not everything you learned about Psych is necessarily the truth...