Medication

[NeuroBeautiful]

I've been finding numerous ways to avoid psychotropic medication. Since I was 18 and I'm almost 27 now. I'm actually an inch closer to considering it as an option.


I'm really afraid though. I don't know what to do. Any success stories? I'm afraid that I'm going to dissociate a lot more and it will take forever if at all to find the right combination and I'm afraid my already less than stable identity will lose even more stability. And that I will experience even more depersonalization/not feeling myself/existentially drained etc


Also because I don't trust the industry.

Taking new medications can be scary, especially if you've never had them or have even been actively avoiding them for a long time. I know, for me, I can't manage my illness without psychotropic medications. Without medication I completely fall apart. I've been on medication for many years now and I wouldn't even consider being without it. Sometimes I get in a bad headspace and want to be "up" for a bit so I stop my meds but within a few days I am raving psychotic. It's a very bad situation and I know, now, that I just can't do that.

I highly recommend them if you're suffering and it's getting to be too much to try and handle it on your own. There are downsides. You're right in that it sometimes takes a while to find the right "cocktail" of medication to help you achieve your goals. Trying things and having them not work can be frustrating, but remember, it's a process, and when you do figure out what works for you you will feel much, much better. There are side effects to some of these meds that aren't always ideal and you should discuss with your physician your fears about them or ways to mitigate them. A good doctor will help you find the balance you need to thrive and also have as few side effects as possible.

Essentially, I recommend them. I get not trusting them, or even not trusting the pharmaceutical industry, but in the long run, I think they help more than they harm.

Good luck, and feel free to PM me if you need anything. My inbox is always open.

[Kate*]

I'm a success story, it's only an anti-depressant, so nothing too intense. I was the same way, I was born anxious, depression hit at puberty complete with suicidal ideation. I was either suicidally depressed, or adrenaline coursing through my veins anxious 24/7. I resisted meds for years, until my therapist finally said "I respect clients' views on medication unless I really feel the need to push it. You're working very hard, but it's not getting you anywhere; let's try."

The first one we tried worked for me, with minimal side effects and once I was eased on to it, we only had to adjust the dose once. It's a night and day difference and I should've done it decades ago.

If possible, go to a psychiatrist rather than a primary care doctor, they know a lot more about psych meds specifically and are less likely to just throw pills at you without being thorough. There's also a genetic test you can get, sometimes insurance covers it, that will tell you what drugs are more likely to work or not for you and what could give you really bad reactions.

[ladoglover]

Antidepressants are easy to get on and easy to get off. Antidepressants are not very powerful or damaging psychiatric drugs so I wouldn't be scared or worried about starting one. I have had no side effects and the side effects I have had are tolerable like for example a little dry mouth but if I drink water it goes away or restless legs if I take it at night and so on. So no nasty side effects. Most people experience no or minimal side effects from antidepressants.


Antipsychotics and mood stabilizers I would say those are powerful or damaging psychiatric drugs especially if its a high does. Staying at a small does of Antipsychotics and mood stabilizers probably wouldn't be as bad but higher the does then the more powerful and damaging it can be on your body. I would only take Antipsychotics and mood stabilizers if YOU REALLY HAVE TO. They are known to cause tardive dyskinesia and Akathisia from mild to severe. The longer your on these meds the higher the chance you could get tardive dyskinesia and Akathisia as well as higher the chance tardive dyskinesia and Akathisia can become permanent even after stopping the med. The less time your on the med then it is less likely that you will have tardive dyskinesia and Akathisia and if you do it will be mild and less likely to become permanent when you go off the med. Antipsychotic are major tranquillizers therefore they will seriously knock you out for several hours so you take at night and will have to get used to the grogginess.

Not all psychiatrists are the best. Some will just throw meds at you and some will be fast to diagnose you. So beware. Be your own advocate. Do your own research on these drugs. Its your body you have a say what you want to put in it and what you don't want to. Also, do you have a therapist? If so ask them about alternative treatments besides medication that you can do . For example fish oil is said to help with depression as well as other things. CBD is shown to help with mental health issues, GABA vitamins has shown to help with anxiety, 5-HTP vitamin helps with depression and anxiety, Lithium Orotate helps with mood , and If you do yoga on a regular basis it can really help as well. Using grounding techniques for dissociation is a good tool to use. Always talk to your doctor. These are just suggestions. I can send you a website with the natural supplements I'm talking about in pm that have been researched and are legit. At the top of the website is names of psychiatrists that treat the whole person holistically , don't just throw meds at you. Again always talk to your doctor before and after taking anything.

This is not to discourage you from taking meds. This is just making you aware of what these medications are. You can always pm me if you want. I have a lot of experience personally with meds and have knowledge about it through school. I have a B.A in psychology and currently in masters for clinical mental health. This is not medical advice. Always talk to your doctor.

[Ennui.]

Hey,

I know it can. be scary to start to go on meds, but I think they can help a lot. For me, while I know medication isn't something that will cure me, it stabilizes me to be able to handle most days. Of course, I still have days where I struggle, but everyone does. They help me to be able to function, and I think for some people medication can help them better complete the actions and tasks given to them by the therapist to aid in the recovery process.

I think one important thing is to have a doctor/psychiatrist/etc who is good at monitoring you and is open to questions, etc. Mine actually ran bloodwork before she prescribed me anything to make sure I didn't have anything physical that would cause this. Of course, not all do this and that's not a bad thing really. When I first started going on meds I'd see her every two weeks or so, then every month, and then every three months. However, when I sent her an email (our primary form of communication) between sessions, she moved me up to talk to me about what was going on. You and your prescriber can decide on a plan for how often you two should see each other and how you can get in touch with them if you think you need additional support.

As you mentioned, it may take time to find the right combination of medications, and it can feel frustrating at first. Being honest with your prescriber may help so they can adjust as needed, but everyone is different. My prescriber said there's a genetic test she could've done, but she didn't do it on me. I'm not sure if insurance covers it or how it works, but basically it says what medications may work better or not. I'm not sure if that's an option for you. Also remember that medications can take a few weeks to fully take effect, and also side effects may reduce over time. I had nausea and loss of appetite the first two weeks on one of my medications, but it went away after that. Keep note of side effects and if they get to be too much, notify your prescriber. You may also want to talk to your pharmacist about new medications because they may be able to give advice for what to watch out for and when is best to take it.

As Eli said, when you find the right combination of medication, it feels SO great. As I said, it's not a cure by any means and you will still have to put in work, but it makes it SO much easier to handle things and get to a place where you actually CAN put in the work you need to do to get better. I know that I'm on four different medications, and one of them has really helped prevent me from having panic attacks and tachycardia from anxiety, and that has gone SUCH a long way. And my mood stabilizer has made me feel more balanced. I've been in therapy for years and years, and I think I needed medication to help me make progress.

So, while it can be a process, I think it will be worth it in the long run. You deserve to feel okay. <3

[JessaMay]

I have the same fears and it has kept me from trying any type of anti-depressants. It seems like a hit or miss.