In Support of Meds

"So thank you very much, Fab Four - SweetLynnie, Kad, Cretin, and Alxv - for standing up for yourselves and injecting reality into the conversation. Yes, we’re all into recovery and various non-meds things we can do for ourselves, but what many of us tend to forget is that for nearly all of us recovery is a non-starter without meds."  John McN.

John

Interesting that you only cropped the last bit of my reply.  You did not mention that I also take a mood stabilizer (had that in my reply, btw) but instead put me in the "counterpoint" category.

I've done the meds.  I did the meds when I was first diagnosed with Bipolar. 

Because I'm not on 5 different meds ongoing does not mean I am not in support of meds.  I have just found that with me, all the meds have not necessarily rendered any marked improvement in symptoms and actually produced many more issues than they were prescribed to alleviate.

I've also found that meds tend to worsen mood swings in many, alter behavioral impulses, create psychosis where there was none to start, and produce suicidal impulsivity in many folks who would normally not even give thought to it.  This then creates the need for yet... more drugs to be prescribed.  The more psychiatric symptoms manifested, the more drugs pushed across the desk top instead of someone looking at the adverse side effects of the ones they are already ingesting.

Still... there is a place for meds in treatment for MI and I'm not against them.  In fact, I stress and encourage them for many here.

Also, just because I have not found "success" in my recovery solely based on prescriptions does not mean I have not found some measure of "success" or stability while on a relative few... or none at all.  Granted, I'd like more "success" but I'm handling my life with very few issues as I'm managing it, pretty well in great comparison to quite a few others.

Dear John,

I agree with what you say. It is a fact that without medication I would not be here. It has saved my life in the past, it continues to help my wife, and it is probably necessary for the management of the more severe forms of Mental Anguish. We hope for the development of a responsible wrold order when, in a near future, medication will be used in the best possible way. There are enough people in the world for the pharmaceutical companies to still make a lot of money even if medication is used wisely. We can do that. Once the medication saves us then, gradually, we can start to create our own copying mechanisms so that we achieve a balance of medication and mindfulness. As Knowthyself told me in one of our conversations,

No medication can cure how or what one thinks or how that impacts them emotionally.

For example I have shown here to have a lot of emotional problems and I am trying to work through these. I have made mistakes but I am not afraid to say sorry, to forgive myself, or to try again. THis is the only way to learn and medication has little to do with this aspect of Bipolar. But for helping to control moods at terrible times medication can help and can save lives.

They haven't done anything for me except add 100+ lbs, add impotentence,  and other symptoms that I'm convinced were caused by the pills, and yadda yadda yadda.....I thought they were supposed to make my life better.....

I was first diagnosed with depression at age 22. Having just sworn myself off all drugs, both illegal and legal, I refused to take more than one dose of the sample med given to me by my first psychiatrist. In retrospect -- it was in the dinosaur days of 1972 -- I'm glad about that decision. But psych meds -- as well as the field of psych in general -- have come a long way since then.

I continued talked therapy off and on over the next 20 years, but would always worsen after several weeks to a few months after ending it. Along came Prozac. My older brother had been medically retired from manic depression at the age of 35 following a very high functioning career he could no longer function in. In the course of his early treatment he was told 2 things I'm grateful were never told to me: 1) that he would never work again; and 2) that bipolars never did well in groups. But I did see the genetic thing at work and thought that meds might help to improve things.

The minimum dose of Prozac did help some. About a year later, while still in my high functioning lifestyle, I was relieved when my new doc said he wanted to double the dose. It helped a bit more, but my non work life continued to plummet.

Long story short, even before being correctly diagnosed four years ago, I was completely compliant with daily meds, but holding off on those prns until I knew it was foolish to continue avoiding them. Who wants to be on meds???? I didn't, but they helped, so I took them. I decided that one day I would either be off meds completely, or I would continue to take meds, but be able to return to work. Now I know that neither will ever be the case. But I have, for a variety of reasons, reduced the number of meds (or dosage) that I take. I feel pretty good now, am considered stable, but have to watch for changes and respond appropriately (including meds, if necessary) when those changes begin to occur.

When I -- completely on my own -- discovered the tremendous value of lifestyle changes -- I felt my caregivers had cheated me by keeping this knowledge from me. But I will never be without meds. Nor will I be without talk therapy. Nor will I willingly give up the lifestyle changes I've made.

The way I look at things now, meds are one leg of the 3 legged stool that balances my life. Talk therapy is the second leg, and lifestyle is the third. Remove any one of the 3 and I would have an even more difficult time getting my stool to balance me!

Taking meds for 18 years; and far too many to mention.  The "magic combination" I'm on now has been good for the last year.  At times, the fear of them no longer working or causing irreversable damage (Zyprexia caused diabetes in 8 months) becomes intense.   These feelings more so during my cycling times.  Spring and Fall.  As October enters, I'm more determined to continue my exercise, small doses of sun daily, and eating right. 

I've heard the voices of well meaning family suggesting I'm on too many drugs...  If they could only feel the relief in my mind and the calming that is so necessasary, they wouldn't suggest those things.  It's like telling a migrane sufferer, just to talk through the pain.  It doesn't work.  Meds are my life line.  I'll never go without again.  the expense for the prescriptions are staggering, but the damage to friends and family my illness has caused and the hospital stays are far greater.

This article just answered a lot of my own questions and had a lot of my own opinions in. I too, am very thankful that I take my meds, I have tried going without them twice, and I clearly notice a big difference between taking them and not taking them. When I am not taking them I am the most suicidal and depressed person.

So thank you for letting me know and feel like I'm not the only one out there that has tried living with and without meds and realises that meds, for us, is the only way to go!

This article just answered a lot of my own questions and had a lot of my own opinions in. I too, am very thankful that I take my meds, I have tried going without them twice, and I clearly notice a big difference between taking them and not taking them. When I am not taking them I am the most suicidal and depressed person.

So thank you for letting me know and feel like I'm not the only one out there that has tried living with and without meds and realises that meds, for us, is the only way to go!

Being the supporter of my fiance who has dual diagnosis bipolar, all I can say is without his meds he would be dead.  Even with them like right now with him back in a psychiatric facility after an alcoholic run that totatlled our car, put him in the ICU after he stopped breathing with a blood alcohol of 4.8, life was spiraling down.  The meds eventually after many mixes and alterations do work and he goes a few years ok, then they need adjusting.  I've seen him go from the depths of hell depression to a wonderful full functioning man.  When life hits it can hit hard and even with the meds if he doesn't take responsibility for the occuring changes like these last two weeks he pretty much goes for the vodka which is an instant cure with that FIRST drink, but one that ultimately leads to the burning fires of hell.  I am in total support of meds because I've seen first hand that they can turn a person's life totally around but also that for Dan he seems to build a tolerance or his brain chemistry changes and if that is not caught immediately he has an alcoholic relapse.  He died in the hospital this time but they brought him back and weaned him off life support.  I know this disease can make my life hell so I know in my heart his is 10 times worse.  In essence I feel when you love someone, you do what you have to do so I stick by his side although it has greatly altered my life too many times making me wonder "what am I doing here"?   I pray for all who suffer from a mental illness and that one day life will be made easier by a new pharmacutical that someone discovers. xoxo Pattie

After two years of trial and error, my meds are perfect.  I feel normal, and can deal rationally with chaotic family events which used to disable me.  I wouldn't even consider changing or reducing them until the family stuff settles down, if it ever does.

For years my doc had problems convincing me to stay on my anxiety meds.  Then when things really out of control and I had to consult a psych, he convinced me that it was nothing different than a person with heart meds or a diabetic.  My biggest problem is remembering to take them and my husband does nag me about that.  Also I have a problem making changes when one fails to work properly.  I seem to be sensitive to a lot of them.  I took Depakote for a year and started to fall apart, then we tried Lamictil which gave me a high fever and horrible rash.  Looked like I had measels.  So I went back on Depakote  Have also been on Klonapin for about 5 years and they keep increasing it.  I am a zombie quite a bit of the time, but better than being anxious.  Except I still worry all the time and it does not take much to set me off and I feel like my support system (spouse) is giving up on me thinking I make too much of things and he blames all my problems on the pills or my situation.  Yeah - like when his boss forgets to pay him and we have $6 in the bank - that does set me off.  And when everyone in my family is very successful and we are really struggling because I had to quit my job and my husband went several months without a job then doesn't get paid on time.  So I think a lot of my "episodes" are rational.

My husband insists on going to every doc appt so I never really get a chance to talk to him cause I don't want to hurt my husband's feelings and he has a lot on his plate with his family all going bonkers.l