Comments: Rethinking Psych Meds--Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder And Me
best of luck. Its a hard decision. Very interesting article. I really respect my psychiatrist, but him trying to shove risperdal down my throat is very strange.. to which i refuse every month.
Posted by miss.trudy at March 21, 2006 12:52 AM
My daughter was discharged from Western the 20th. The faces I saw there, the people and souls behind them will never leave me. I love them, it was a joyous, yet equally frightening occasion leaving with my daughter. Waving goodbye to the ones that followed us to the door, I want to know how they are doing, I loved visiting with them, and hope to explain and let all know, how many people long for visitors and love at Western. There are dangers there also, and for that I am concerned for them as well. It is hard to get well and maintain a safety boundary at the same time, actually it is impossible.
My daughter did well on the low dose maintence of Zyprexa, so low it was 2.5mg, and that is under 'target' dosage, so the docs thought why not see if she needs it at all, it is so low of a dosage, that failed and she ended up delusional and out of school for 2 months while adding the dose back up. Then Spring of 05 comes round and med wash complete was discussed, thus her ending up in a nightmare of mega portion.
Now she is home, on the same meds she went off of, minus depakote and add on a hormone pill to balance the PCOS the depakote created.
The one person I know that knows her stuff in research, has told me for a year LAMICTAL, LAMICTAL, LAMICTAL.
My daughter has never been offered Lamictal, and my friend says buy by the bucket.
We have walked that road, asking, well, hmm, doing better, good enough isnt good enough anymore, weve been there. We ended up at Western off meds. Im the first one to say med free if possible, and some docs finally concurred w me that my daughter could need the APs just because she cant go off of them...neuroleptic withdrawals..Philip, you are doing well, so good, so on top of things, keep that going, I dont want you to take a risk, though enticing, look what happened to my daughter, the Honor Society, Humane society kid, on that maintenance dose, now afraid to sleep at night, and on a long road to wellness, which we have her back on that one.It has been a nightmare.
Lamictal is all Ive heard about the last year.
I think youre on the right track.
S
Posted by Stephany at March 21, 2006 02:28 AM
I driven away sobbing for the patients.
Posted by Stephany at March 21, 2006 02:32 AM
I sure as hell am NEVER going to Western!!! And futhermore, I HATE schiozphrenia, I HATE medication, I HATE doctors, I HATE everything about mental illness!!! I HATE it all!!! And do you know what -- I'm going to UW Honors next year, where I'll be rid of mental illness!!! I'll never have to face it again!!! I'm going to be surrounded by brilliant, scholarly people, and I'm going to have the best time of my life, and I'll NEVER have have schizophrenia shoved down my throat ever again!!! I'm passed it all!!! Good bye, and good ridence!!!
Posted by Gwen at March 21, 2006 08:40 AM
yes, it is your decision to go off meds.
i think we all ask these questions. this june will be my 20 year anniversary, my long affair with meds and therapy. over the last 20 years there has not been one day that i haven't questioned taking my meds because I have never felt a peace, a middle ground. and there have been days I chose to go off meds. moments i decided i was tired of spending the money on something that didn't work. those days led to weeks and months. more creativity. feeling high and thinking, wow, I can see clearly now, without the meds. no more days of sleeping 14 hours. depression lifted. and then, drinking most nights until i passed out or waking up in a strange city, without a car, no idea how i got there. excessive sex. excessive shopping which led to debt i will never recover from. loss of friends due to my actions. jail. Usually around the 3 month period, med-free, I would breakdown. I once found myself in a parking lot hysterical, pushing, fighting, screaming at those who tried to calm me. Or the time I checked into a hospital and i saw and experienced what over medicating does to ones body, mind and soul. but it was my last hope. I was desperate. i was alone. everyone had given up on me. they were tired of me. i was tired of me. but i never gave up. and so many people do give up at that point. That crucial point when you are left to pick up the pieces once again. they decide they are tired of picking up the pieces. they are tired of life. they are tired of the pain they continue to inflict upon others. it is a scary place to be. and each time it gets scarier. after each high, the low is even lower.
you ask the question how would one be treated without meds and that is a very important question. or when will we see meds that actually work. until that day, i think we should go with option B the article mentions, "far less than is typically prescribed," because i do not think my experiences med-free are unique.
we are definitely over medicating. esp with the atypical antipsychotics. they are not working. we must remember we are not in control here, the pharma companies are in control and they are laughing all the way to the bank. and we are letting them.
Posted by kim at March 21, 2006 09:43 AM
I had a schizophrenic break approximately four years ago. Because I didn't know that's what it was called in this culture I didn't seek medical care; because I didn't seek medical care, I didn't end up on anti-psychotics. Instead, I went into the pyschosis and fully engaged the emerging content.
To date, I have not received any form of therapeutic medication nor any formal therapy. I have been working for the past 2.5 years, I've attended classes in college, and my primary relationships are stable and healthy. Recently, another schizophrenic I know made the choice to attempt to do the same thing I had done when he sensed he was on the verge of "a break". A fascinating inner journey arose as a result that he feels was very beneficial. He was not on any medication through that process, nor has he been on any since.
Posted by spiritual_emergency at March 24, 2006 10:11 PM
You are doing the right thing.
The capitalistic doctors in this country are pure evil, have nothing but contempt for people with bipolar and other things, and on my soul, I have had several top doctors as my close friends. (including valedvictorians from top schools, on my mothers soul)
They are abominations, and treat those with bipolar and such like dogs, and with complete condescension and stigma. They dont know I have bipolar and you should listen to these creeps. I know two doctors alone from USF who are Devil scum in the way they stigmatize bipolar people and anyone who has ever had a breakdown.
Patients are CLUELESS what these "helpful" doctors really think of them. they are "consumers" "objects" and dog guinea pigs to them. They look down on them and treat them in a private moment (which Ive heard and you havent) like they are some low life form to be humilated.
People are so utterly clueless of what most doctors are like.
We were NEVER meant to have that sewage in our systems in the first place. you hear all these people talk about the Garden of Eden and God, and all their crap, yet they forget that NOONE was meant to have that poison in their body in the first place.
I never took meds for 32 yrs and had no problems except when my family starting getting terribly harassed. (this was documented) Like a fool, I allowed myself to be conned into taking the useles s Depakote which is nothing more than posion that depresses you, and on my eyesight does NOT work, and Lithium Carbonate, which I read so much toxic garbage on, I threw it in the trash can.
None of that stuff helps.
These Mom's that would EVER let their children be conned into drug cocktails by filthy, deviant doctors that claim and think they know something, when they know NOTHING, are fools, and deserve massive bad Karma for what they are doing to their kids.
In the end, you either have to walk the walk and suffer through it, or die. That is the bottom line.
Anyone who has bipolar who thinks ANY of those medications are what they should take over the long term are crazy.
The doctors are EVIL, grredy, arrogant, cocky, despicable, overpaid CROOKS, and think they can intimidate people to take their filth. I will let them intimidate others, who deserve just what they get. They wont intimidate me.
The doctors in this country are ignorants full of greed, needles, and drugs, not like REAL doctors who listen, know the patient is his own best doctor, and the type that love, care, and communicate with their patients. (the type you see in rural countries)
Medication has its place and should be used ONLY in critical situations, on a temporary basis, nothing more.
They should be used for intervention, not maintenance.
If someone, or their parents, cares that little about their life to be poisoned forever with stuff their body was NEVER MEANT TO HAVE IN IT, I dont feel sorry for them.
What is life if poisoned with that crap. That is life? YOU can have that life. Enjoy yourself.
There is no reason to be alive, if you arent going to live as intended.
My Mom knew it was poison, and a con, and wouldnt work, and even it it did, that I shouldnt take it, and I should have listened. She knew it was meant for temporary use only.
She died and i betrayed her memory by doing something for 10 yrs that never worked , but only betrayed me and destroyed me.
In the end, either you face it, walk it, figure it out, or die.
Life wasnt meant to be living on that FILTH and any person that says it was deserves everything they get and I have no sympathy for them. And belive me, I know what sufferring is, and Ive handled my share of suicides, both when an RA in college, and otherwise.
Long term medication and the doctors that populate this country are both EVIL and I dont use that word lightly.
Ive hung around LOADS of those guys and gals and even got to the point of tape recording them and replaying it for other people to prove what was said about "them" behind closed doors, with people that they THOUGHT shared their prejudices. (and we are talking groups of 60-70 doctors---I know tons of them personally, and several of my closest friends were doctors, so help me.
Do as your life was meant to be.
To help things out, use mindfulness tapes, meditation not lonked to crap but beautiful good meditation, healing music, soaking in natural waters, eating a Organic Vegan balanced diet, EXERCISING like there is no tommorrow, getting outside in the SUN EVERY SINGLE DAY OF YOUR LIFE, and things like that.
Play the healing music in your car, at work, and in your bedroom. Everywhere. It works so help me God.
Try mindfulness. It works and has been used for 2500 yrs and even some doctors are starting to get a clue on it.
One drink wont kill you (I dont drink), and its far better than that FILTH they intimidate you into taking.
Think well and be well. That is the BOTTOM LINE in life, and trust me, Ive had it worse than almost anyone.
Once you realize you have two choices, live the eay you were meant, or die---that is when you finally get the message that this is going to be tough, but you need to choose the right path.
DO THOSE THINGS EVERY DAY above and it does work. Procrasitnation KILLS and complacency kills.
If you get away from the above things that can save you, it can literally kill you, if you have bad thoughts. Even soaking in the tub with Chlorine filtered water helps relax people, as does Yoga and massage. THERE ARE ANSWERS. It just takes non-lazy people and non-lazy parents to find them and make sure they do it every God damn day!
Posted by Mike at June 4, 2006 10:49 PM