I dont think you can judge people just on being overweight. For about 5 years I had been unable to lose weight and had off the scale cholesterol results, my doctor kept assuming it was my diet at fault so for years I excercised, tried to eat right, couldnt lose weight, my cholesterol barely improved and my health deteriorated. I ended up with hormonal problems, liver problems, was having bad hypoglycaemic attacks every day (even though tests cleared me of any diabetic problems), I was apathetic and low on energy. everyone just treated me like a fat lazy person, including my doctor, and it took a very clever specialist to finally diagnose me with diabetes and pcos, she got me on the right medications, sent me to a fanatastic dietician, I finally got my life back and I have been losing weight ever since. when you have certain conditions like diabetes, your body very easily stores fat and you develop a number of other complications so you cant look at a diabetic and say "it's because they are fat", because their condition makes it hard to exercise (low energy) and in many cases their weight is probably caused by the diabetes and they struggle to lose weight. some people may have been raised in situations where they simply dont know how to eat healthily, or they may not be able to afford to eat well, they may have conditions that just make them overweight, they could be prone to alcoholism , or addiction, you just dont know but if someone gets sick they deserve help no matter what to get them well again.

Shortly after my wife decided that she preferred to live on her own, I went to board (for 4 years) with an old lady in her 80s who'd been known to our family for years ... Dad was pallbearer at her aunt's funeral (that she'd cared for while bedridden) on the day that psych. hosp. called to say that Mom died and I, age 13, went to tell him. Bessie, never married (fiance soldier killed in W W I) had been a pediatric nurse, was a lovely spirit and in good health in her 80's. I don't think that I ever heard her say anything sharp or nasty about anyone. Everyone in the village loved her ... but they tended to head for the hills when they saw her little blue Falcon coming down the street. I thank her sweet spirit for heading off my feelings of bitterness against females at the time. She spent several years in a retirement-nursing home, couldn't see or hear well near the end of life, but had she lived another 4 months would have achieved 105. She was missed by many. And, I hope, quite a number may have chosen to alter some of the things in their lives for the better as a result of seeing her, a quiet Christian, in action. I am thankful for Bessie's ministry in my life. ole joyful

I think it would be an exercise in futility, Jodi. You'll have to give at least "some" history yourself to your new healthcare provider. I guess you could lie (by omission) & not mention some past issues, but that might not be safe (nor fair) to your new provider. And, really, I believe that if you have much of any chronic health issue that you are currently being treated for, the insurance company won't have to dig deeply into your past records to find a reason to deny or charge you exorbitant rates. Speculating here, but if you have say ^cholesterol level, .... BAM! they'll use that as a reason. There's also the issue of if some medical problem from the past resurfaces, it will be noted in your current record & then they could cancel your coverage due to your failure to be forthright about your past history on your application. It's the dilemma that "mostly healthy" 50 & 60 year olds face. As I understand it the Affordable Care Act goes a long way to correct the injustice. Hopefully, the ACA doesn't get trash canned! I hope you can find another job that you love that is less stressful, has health insurance, & you can more fully enjoy these "golden" years.

Another factor to consider in treatment is diet. I have to be careful with what I eat, or I can have some bipolar symptoms, although this was more the case when I was much younger. Also, it can be dangerous for bipolar people to be around each other, as this can exacerbate the symptoms because they reinforce them with each other. Here is a list of some writers who were bipolar, but it is a short list. I frequently identify with writers who are bipolar and feel that they express my thoughts and feelings, which makes my thoughts feel vindicated and more normal. I particularly identified with Kafka, but also with Kierkegaard, whom many regard to have been manic-depressive. I think Dostoevsky may have been also. Reading these authors may help you understand bipolar experiences. I went through extensive psychotherapy in college and a few years afterwards. It was difficult learn which drugs would help me, but for me, Librium was the most helpful. However, my doctors have told me that I should no longer take it, but I think also that I seem to have grown out of my need for it, and so I am pretty much okay. The worst thing I have now is nightmares and difficulty sleeping. Gabapentin helps me with that. My nephew was diagnosed as a psychopath, which is much worse, and he refuses to take his medications. He also believes that he can heal people by laying his hands on them. Chemicals can definitely affect personalities, which is one of the reasons that diet is important. Certain medications, such as erythromycin and Claritin can cause me to have paranoid delusions and to appear borderline psychotic, except that I can realize what is causing the delusions and stop taking whatever is causing them. My doctor said that Claritin is not supposed to cause this, but I am not the only person who has this reaction to it.