A note for people with mental illness.

[Rebel_1]

:) All you people out there with mental illness, watch out for certain people that try and warn you against taking your medication, and try too tell you there is no such thing, dont listen too them, they are not doctors. Many people in the world simply dont understand about this stuff. Always see a doctor and follow there advice when it comes to illness like this. :sunglasse

[Raving Sultan]

I was hooked on phonics for the longest time. I'm so glad I stopped taking that stuff, my head cleared up and thru will power and good habits my life is so much better.

[Rebel_1]

I was hooked on phonics for the longest time. I'm so glad I stopped taking that stuff, my head cleared up and thru will power and good habits my life is so much better.

Im Glad you found a way that works for you, but the same way does not work for everybody. Each individual is different.

[Apples+Oranjes]

Yeah you're right, they may not be doctors, but it's a pretty well known fact that anti-depressents and other medications for mental illness can be hardcore shit...

And to me, my physical health is just as important to me... I won't have my mental health if my pyshical health goes to shit.

Just because it might help some of the mental problems doesn't mean that it's a good idea to use or try. I say, ALWAYS try to get therapy before trying medication. If therapy doesn't work.... then if medication is your only option left, go for it.

My opinion is...medication is just a band-aid to put over the problem. It doesn't heal it, it just covers it up, and maybe stops it from becoming infected...

Medication simply covers the problem up... it doesn't get rid of it. When MOST people go off anti-depressents and the like, they just go right back to being depressed.

[Raving Sultan]

smart girl ^^^

[lalalamort]

yes but no

Only meds as a last resort.......

I was on SSRI"s ( Lexapro), for 9 months and thw whole experience just make me worse.........ive been off them for 3 months and very very slowly getitng back on my feet

Meds for mil moderate, anxiety, depression, OCd or wahtever just isnts the way in my experience

[Suncatch22]

Meds never did anything for me. I tried Prozac, Xoloft, and several anti-anxiety pills during middle school, and none of them really worked. Seriously. So I quit them all.

I'm still crazy, but that's okay -- I wasn't any less crazy with the extra chemicals.

That being said, I did know a very very very disturbed man who took lithium, and when he did not he became very very very scary. So yes, if meds work for you -- TAKE THEM! PLEASE!

[baloon]

:) All you people out there with mental illness, watch out for certain people that try and warn you against taking your medication, and try too tell you there is no such thing, dont listen too them, they are not doctors. Many people in the world simply dont understand about this stuff. Always see a doctor and follow there advice when it comes to illness like this. :sunglasse

sorry man but.. meds are VERY far from perfect. My strongest point is that NOONE, absolutely NOONE on this earth can claim they know how the brain works. then how the hell do they want to cure it?????????????????????

[LuckyStripe]

It depends on what "mental illness" the person has. Everyone that gets depressed does not need medication. Some people with schizophrenia or severe bipolar, they probably should take their medication.

[icedteapriestess]

My cousin who has all sorts of mental difficulties, including some sort of chemical imbalance recently went off his meds. He had been living in a half way house, and quit the meds. Within days he was a total mess... called my Dad to let him know that "Jesus" cured him... and then that night was picked up by the cops, whom he attacked because he was scared and didn't know what was going on... also broke a bunch of store-front windows because "Jesus" told him to.

So... yeah... totally... he should NEVER take his meds... he is sooo much more fun shithouse crazy.

[lalalamort]

read the other posts before you attack people

[icedteapriestess]

read the other posts before you attack peoplewho was attacking? maybe i should go back and add some smiley faces??

[Apples+Oranjes]

Supposedly these pills are for a chemical imbalance and they ALWAYS fucking compare it to diabetes. Weel, with diabetes, there is a test that shows conclusive evidence that you are low on these chemicals. Yet there is nothing of the sort for mental illness.

Fucking quack ass doctors are WAY to quick with the prescription pad and need to have their licenses revoked.Yeah, I have a chemical imbalance.

And I do just fine when I make healthy lifestyle changes, like a good healthy amount of exercise. Exercise the number one best thing for people with chemical imbalances...far more safe AND effective than any fucking pill.

[fulmah]

And I do just fine when I make healthy lifestyle changes, like a good healthy amount of exercise. Exercise the number one best thing for people with chemical imbalances...far more safe AND effective than any fucking pill.
Exercise is absolutely fantastic for helping with the majority of mental illnesses, like depression. I'm all for the more holistic forms of treatment, but it's no more a cure all than a pill is. To use depression as an example; if you took two hundred people who were depressed, gave half an antidepressant and told the other half to exercise, guess who's going to have a higher quality of life in two months? Depressed people have an incredibly hard time simply getting out of bed, let alone exercising. Pills, on the other hand, are easy. The problem is using them as the only thing in the fight.
It's unfortunate, but most people simply don't know the different between a doctor, a psychiatrist, and a psychologist. They don't know what kind of help is available, and they don't keep in mind that therapists are just like everyone else: some are good, some are bad. If someone seeking help doesn't want to take pills, they should see a psychologist. If they prefer the type of advice usually given in this forum (diet/exercise/meditation/breathing techniques/no meds) then they should see a psychologist specializing in CBT.

[Apples+Oranjes]

Yes, also don't forget, if you do want to try medication... mixed with therapy, it is usually possible to have a psychologist, and to get anti-depressents and the like prescribed to you through your regular physician.

I'm not sure what the requirements for that in different areas or with different insurance is, but when I WAS on medication, I did that for a while.

But I agree with the above... even if medication is helpful for some, medication alone won't solve your problem.

[AshtonsMom]

:) All you people out there with mental illness, watch out for certain people that try and warn you against taking your medication, and try too tell you there is no such thing, dont listen too them, they are not doctors. Many people in the world simply dont understand about this stuff. Always see a doctor and follow there advice when it comes to illness like this. :sunglasseI agree. My wellbutrin xl is the best thing that has ever happened to me, considering i suffer from chronic depression. :D

[Apples+Oranjes]

Welbutrin...*shivers* that stuff made me feel soooo fucked. I had the most vivid fucking dreams while on that shit.

Later I found out, I wasn't supposed to be taking it, considering I had an eating disorder then, and before that... it has adverse affects for whatever reason. Stupid psychiatrist I was going to see was actually aware, and treating me for my eating disorder and prescribed it anyway. I hated that psych. She was so terrible. She was one of those people where you ask yourself, "How the hell did she get her career?!"

She was hyper 24/7, and honestly made me cry because she lacked so much tact. She said all the wrong things, at the wrong time.

Welbutrin under the right circumstances might be okay, but for me it wasnt. That stuff scares me.

[Raving Sultan]

It bothers me to see young pretty girls feeling blue...

[AshtonsMom]

Welbutrin...*shivers* that stuff made me feel soooo fucked. I had the most vivid fucking dreams while on that shit.

Later I found out, I wasn't supposed to be taking it, considering I had an eating disorder then, and before that... it has adverse affects for whatever reason. Stupid psychiatrist I was going to see was actually aware, and treating me for my eating disorder and prescribed it anyway. I hated that psych. She was so terrible. She was one of those people where you ask yourself, "How the hell did she get her career?!"

She was hyper 24/7, and honestly made me cry because she lacked so much tact. She said all the wrong things, at the wrong time.

Welbutrin under the right circumstances might be okay, but for me it wasnt. That stuff scares me.wow...I'd stay away from it too if it did all that mess to me. :eek: They tried me on prozac first, but that was a DISASTER. I only got mean as hell and was going around starting fights all the time. I found out an interesting fact while I was on it though: here in my great state, someone who is medicated on prozac cannot go to jail for random acts of "minor" violence or disturbances; instead, the police call someone who can keep an eye on you and watch you, and if that doesn't work, it's off to rehab.

[Apples+Oranjes]

wow...I'd stay away from it too if it did all that mess to me. :eek: They tried me on prozac first, but that was a DISASTER. I only got mean as hell and was going around starting fights all the time. I found out an interesting fact while I was on it though: here in my great state, someone who is medicated on prozac cannot go to jail for random acts of "minor" violence or disturbances; instead, the police call someone who can keep an eye on you and watch you, and if that doesn't work, it's off to rehab.
yeah i had very physical reactions to welbutrin but..I actually got what you described when I was on Zoloft. I was a terror, and I was always angry and screaming and crying. Almost as soon as I was off of it I was back to normal. It was weird.

I'd say if I absolutely had had had to go back on medication I'd do effexor again. That stuff worked well with me. But I guess it doesn't for everyone.

And apparently it's one of the most physically safe.

[AshtonsMom]

yeah i had very physical reactions to welbutrin but..I actually got what you described when I was on Zoloft. I was a terror, and I was always angry and screaming and crying. Almost as soon as I was off of it I was back to normal. It was weird.

I'd say if I absolutely had had had to go back on medication I'd do effexor again. That stuff worked well with me. But I guess it doesn't for everyone.

And apparently it's one of the most physically safe.I got put on valium for a bit, too...that stuff was awful. Sure, it helped my depression, but I was to the point where I didn't care at all.

[fulmah]

I'd say if I absolutely had had had to go back on medication I'd do effexor again. That stuff worked well with me. But I guess it doesn't for everyone.

And apparently it's one of the most physically safe.
Effexor is actually one of the stronger antidepressants, and in terms of side effects, it's one of the worst. The withdrawal from it can be horrible. I'm like you though, I tried several different pills with bad results until I tried effexor. It worked like a champ, no side effects and my depression lifted in an amazing way. It just goes to show that everyone is different, and that it takes time to figure out the best treatment. I get the distinct feeling that most people don't try too hard... they try one med, don't like it, and then think all meds are the same. They're wrong.

[lalalamort]

When i was going through my whole panic attack from weed phase last year.........i was put on seroquel.....(anti psychosis drug)....I have no fuckin idea why i didnt just take valium or why my fucking psych didnt tell me to but anyway..........

i took one pill.......started feeling really really dead........started crying........said "Dad, i think im about to get really fucked up........please help me to get to my bed"

went as fast as i could upstairs to my bed.....got half way across my room when i collapsed and went into a coma/sleep for around 20 hours.........


apparently i was only meant to take them in times of intense distress.....not as everyday meds...........although my cunt of a psychiatrist didnt tell me shit.....fucker.....

[questing400]

When i was going through my whole panic attack from weed phase last year.........i was put on seroquel.....(anti psychosis drug)....I have no fuckin idea why i didnt just take valium or why my fucking psych didnt tell me to but anyway..........

i took one pill.......started feeling really really dead........started crying........said "Dad, i think im about to get really fucked up........please help me to get to my bed"

went as fast as i could upstairs to my bed.....got half way across my room when i collapsed and went into a coma/sleep for around 20 hours.........


apparently i was only meant to take them in times of intense distress.....not as everyday meds...........although my cunt of a psychiatrist didnt tell me shit.....fucker.....I'm so happy I read this post. I had a similar reaction to Seroquel but no one believed me. They said I was making up symptoms so I won't have to take meds. The psych said she looked in all her books and what I described was never a know side effect.

Wow, I feel really validated. This is why it is important to share stories...

[fulmah]

I'm so happy I read this post. I had a similar reaction to Seroquel but no one believed me. They said I was making up symptoms so I won't have to take meds. The psych said she looked in all her books and what I described was never a know side effect.

Wow, I feel really validated. This is why it is important to share stories...
what?? I'd consider getting a new psychiatrist; somnolence (drowsiness) is the most reported side effect for seroquel!

[questing400]

what?? I'd consider getting a new psychiatrist; somnolence (drowsiness) is the most reported side effect for seroquel!
I got a new one a while ago. Doing much, much better now. Seems I only needed a little Lamictal.

[Lemongait]

Hmm, well, I was being medicated a year and a half ago, but I was off until about a month ago when I had a breakdown with really intense hallucinations and violent shaking. So I started Wellbutrin. It's now starting to kick in, and I remember this medicated feeling. I'm not me anymore. I'm already starting to miss the intensity of the depression... so I'll see how the Wellbutrin works out, I have a bad feeling about this.

[lalalamort]

i remember your posts lemongait.......

kept me quite entertained about 2 months ago........jokes

[djvista1]

I've had mental Depression and OCD all of my life and in recent years was finally diagnosed with the condition. I took Prozac and let me tell you I became so irritable, angry, psychotic, suicidual, homicidual that it took a miracle for me to be here right now! I eventually came off of them and went back to how I was with rounds of Depression and OCD at times. I've also tried Remeron and Cymbalta with the same results. I've been seeing a therapist for the past few years and I've made slow but sure progress, I realize now that the OCD is a unhealthy coping skill when your trying to not deal with something deep down which is causing the Depression and I do agree that excercise does help you to feel better. I have a friend who has Depression and swears by medication and can't understand why I wouldn't keep trying to take them. She tells me I'll always suffer to a point if I don't keep trying them, what's the point of trying them again if I kill myself, that sounds counterproductive to me.

I would love to hear more viewpoints about this and what would you do in my situation...

[Green]

I should watch out for scientologists who tell me not to take my medication?

[fulmah]

I've had mental Depression and OCD all of my life and in recent years was finally diagnosed with the condition. I took Prozac and let me tell you I became so irritable, angry, psychotic, suicidual, homicidual that it took a miracle for me to be here right now! I eventually came off of them and went back to how I was with rounds of Depression and OCD at times. I've also tried Remeron and Cymbalta with the same results. I've been seeing a therapist for the past few years and I've made slow but sure progress, I realize now that the OCD is a unhealthy coping skill when your trying to not deal with something deep down which is causing the Depression and I do agree that excercise does help you to feel better. I have a friend who has Depression and swears by medication and can't understand why I wouldn't keep trying to take them. She tells me I'll always suffer to a point if I don't keep trying them, what's the point of trying them again if I kill myself, that sounds counterproductive to me.

I would love to hear more viewpoints about this and what would you do in my situation...
What I would do in your situation would be this:

If you think your OCD relates to suppressed events that happened in your past (did I read that right?), I'd consider finding an EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) therapist. This might not be too easy to do though, because it's relatively new and they aren't on every streetcorner yet. It's amazing for most anything to do with memory repression (extremely high success rate). Most of the time, it's like Freudian Psychotherapy on speed... instead of just talking about your past and trying to break down the doors, they hook you up to a machine that maps rhythmical stimulation while you talk about it to determine where the blocks are, if that makes sense.

If you can't find one of those guys, I would see a psychologist specializing in Cognitive Behavior Therapy who is not only very familiar with treating patients with OCD, but who also has a high success rate of helping them. They won't use medication unless they feel it's absolutely necessary, which is usually when the other options haven't worked.

[djvista1]

Thank you,

I have been receiving Cognitive Behaviorial Therapy for a few years now and it has opened me up to many feelings, good and bad that I have been dealing with ever since childhood, what is confusing is my friend swears by meds and thinks I'm not trying hard enough by not taking them and then their are friends and family who are very concerned by my reaction when I have taken them, meaning the dangerous side effects have occured early on. I can't seem to truly make up my mind on this topic but I refuse to let it mentally torture me though, I've made wonderful progress in just a few short years...

[aloneinabigbadworld]

yeah i had very physical reactions to welbutrin but..I actually got what you described when I was on Zoloft. I was a terror, and I was always angry and screaming and crying. Almost as soon as I was off of it I was back to normal. It was weird.

I'd say if I absolutely had had had to go back on medication I'd do effexor again. That stuff worked well with me. But I guess it doesn't for everyone.

And apparently it's one of the most physically safe.
I noticed you'd used effexor. My doctor put me on Effexor XR 3 wees ago and I feel somewhat strange on it. I have difficulty sleeping and forget to eat. Will those feeling pass?