I have my appointment with my psychiatrist on 1st March and I have a few questions. Can any of you fellow Mighty members advise me on what I am proposing to ask

1. What are the long term effects of Depakote?

2. Is there any validity to the claim that antipsychotic and anticonvulsant medication is potentially taking between 9-20 years off the life expectancy of people who suffer from Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia? This is more severe than smoking 40 cigarettes a day

3. What is the reasoning behind the fact I was placed in the highly vulnerable group for the priority of administrating the Covid vaccine due to having SMI?

4. Is there a plan in place for my treatment or am I going to be sedated for the foreseeable future with a drug that slows down my brain synapses? Is there any improvement being made in the sense that my Bipolar Disorder is being rectified or is it still there? Still as serious as it always was, just hidden by the remedy and not being cured?

5. My blood tests so far have been absolutely spot on. My GP is very happy with them. I’ve not though had any further questions asked regarding my mental illness. Do you not think it would be proactive to engage with patients and get a better understanding of what they are going through so that more insight can be made? It seems to me like the desire to get to the bottom of mental illnesses is stagnant and no real attention is being given to understand what it means for people. There’s a golden opportunity to gather a wide range of experiences that could possibly benefit future generations.

#MentalHealth #BipolarDisorder #Depakote #Depression #PsychiatristQuestions